Mastering Performance: How to Play Your Best in Front of an Audience

How to Improve Your Performance in Front of an Audience

“I played it better at home!!!”

I can’t count the number of times I’ve either thought or said those words, and it’s something I hear from my students frequently as well.

When I was in university, there were weeks when I felt like I had made significant progress in my playing. I’d head to my lesson, confident I would impress my teacher—only for everything to fall apart. Instead of sounding like I had been practicing, it felt like I hadn’t even picked up my instrument.

Can you relate?

Here’s the truth: It’s rare to play as well in front of others as you do in the comfort of your practice space.

So how do we overcome this? The answer is simple: perform, perform, perform. The more you perform in front of others, the easier it gets. Start small and gradually work your way up to larger audiences.

During my university days, I would gather a few friends in my dorm before recitals and perform for them. By the time I played for the jury, I was still nervous, but a lot less so, having already gone through the process once.

Before auditioning for Symphony NB, I performed my audition pieces for my high school string ensemble. I showed up to one of their rehearsals and announced that I’d be performing for them. After playing through everything, they reassured me that I sounded great and that I’d get the position, but also gave me a crucial piece of advice: don’t make faces when something goes wrong. That advice was priceless. Though I was still nervous at my audition and didn’t play as well as I did when practicing alone, I definitely performed better than I would have if I hadn’t practiced in front of my students.

I’ve also had friends who performed at retirement homes to gain confidence before music festivals.

So, how do you get better at playing in front of others? Here are a few tips I use:

Practice thoroughly so you’re playing at your best.
Accept that you’re not likely to play as well in front of an audience as you do in private. This mindset helps you avoid getting discouraged when things don’t go perfectly.
Perform often! Start by playing for small, supportive groups, and gradually build up to auditions, competitions, and larger performances.

What are your strategies for playing better in front of others? Let me know!