Go Perform Guide
Most young musicians that study outside of school perform at recitals that occur only a few times per year. Young musicians that are part of school band and orchestra programs have more performance opportunities, but they play in large groups, which limit their opportunity to stand out. Every serious young musician deserves an opportunity to shine. When these opportunities don’t present themselves, we have to create them. Our guide explains how to do that.
The guide explains how to get started performing in 3 steps:
Get Your Group
Find a group of musician friends whose instruments pair well with yours and who play at a similar skill level to create your ensemble. Remember, it’s more fun to perform in a group and your friends help keep you accountable.
Get Some Music
Decide what kind of music your group will play. Will you play strictly classical music or will you play more contemporary pieces? Will you switch it up depending on the venue or time of year? Decide on a core set of songs that match the skill level of your members. Most websites that sell sheet music show the level of the music as beginner, intermediate or advanced.
Get Some Gigs
Performance spaces are everywhere, even if there aren’t currently musical groups performing in them. Any space in your community that can physically accommodate your ensemble is a prospective performance space as long as live music would improve the experience for the attendees. Community and school events are the most underrated and underutilized performance venues for young musicians. Why? Because these events are always family friendly and offer safe, supportive spaces for young people.
"For many people, a music ensemble is a vitally important support mechanism. The music supports them. The connections support them. The friendships support them. The purpose provided supports them. The rehearsals and performances support them. They're music and so much more."
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- Vaughan Fleischfresser