Make sure to do these when in the performance of your music!
I forget a lot of things. But I want to make a post to remember all of these little details that make my experience way more remarkable and make sure I come back to it every once in a while.
I love it when I get to go to the performance of my music. Every one of them feels like a premiere, a new chance to hear my music done and to connect with new friends. It is crazy exciting when it is also an actual premiere, as it has happened these past months. This year, I got to work with Brent Baldwin and Ryan Heller in two completely new pieces.
I also remember last year when I had the chance to work with Adrienne Pedrotti and Alex Bruce in the premiere of the SSAA and SATB version of ¡Ayúdame! (watch the video here around minute 40!). There are many people I can mention here so please don’t give me a hard time If I haven’t mentioned our collaboration!
As my career continues to grow, my music gets to travel way more than I do and my schedule sometimes does not allow me to get to every concert. However, in those rare cases that I can go to a concert that includes my works I make sure that I do these three things.
1. Make sure to be grateful with the ensemble, the audience, with your music
Shake hands (though probably not now because of the Coronavirus). Hug the conductor, and performers (if they like hugs!). Let them know how grateful you are that they gave your music a chance to be heard. That they shared their voices with your piece.
Show in your face how grateful you are of that moment because your body can tell a lot to the people around you and you will also feel so much better if you let that joy out. I also have to say that there are pieces such as ¡Ayúdame! where it is hard for me to show joy but I still try to show my gratitude for the ensemble to have given voice to this message.
2. Be honest. Show yourself as you are and don’t be sorry for it.
I don’t do this as a tactic. I do this because I like to show appreciation and make sure that they know what I am feeling inside after the performance. When the concert is done, I am always filled with many emotions (which are not always only happiness and excitement, as in the case of ¡Ayúdame!).
If I don’t feel like talking, I make sure to let others know that I am thankful for their words and that I would like some minutes to process what just happened. Otherwise, they might think I am rejecting or being ungrateful. On the other hand, if I feel like jumping around and celebrating, then I do it! We spend so much time not being ourselves, God knows why and I’ve learned that I enjoy more the experience when I get to let myself be.
3. Talk to people, ask for their thoughts and share yours
If the conductor acknowledged you, chances are that people will come to talk to you to show their appreciation or to ask questions.
Don’t run away from them. I know it can be intimidating at first and you may feel in the spotlight, but that’s ok. You and your music deserve this attention. These conversations are some of the most magical moments I’ve had in my career. Some people have told me how my music felt like a prayer for them during hard times (illness, difficult moments in life) or how they felt something I have not even considered and helped me see my piece in a different way.
Some people have pointed out details in my music that I had not paid much attention before! Everybody is different and they will see things in their own way. That’s is valuable for you. It will show you details of your piece and what you have created and will also teach you to see in more ways than yours.
4. Say thank you and smile when someone compliments your music or the performance
This will also be a special moment in your career, and you will feel tempted to shy away from accepting this. It can be difficult to accept compliments—not only to our arts but also to ourselves, our voice, our body. This might be its own post later but for now, it will serve you a long way to smile and say thank you.
I always make sure that people know I appreciate them for being there for the choir and my music. I am grateful for having an audience to share this experience with.
5. Celebrate! You just had a premiere or a performance 😀
Your piece just got performed on stage! Someone decided to spend time studying and shaping what you so carefully created. Celebrate and be grateful. Those are the things that make me a Happy Composer.
Make a post, or send a text to a loved one, jump around or take photos with the ensemble. Make sure that you are living your moment and letting that electricity move through your body.
If I forget something, I will make another post but these 5 things feel good for now! There are always things to forget and to remember, right? But try not to forget these 5 when you go to a concert that includes your music.
