What an incredible experience! Grandparent's Day was absolutely amazing! Being a part of that event was such a perfect taste of what student concerts are like behind the scenes. I was able to dip my foot in so many aspects of performance planning and production. During the concert I conducted two pieces, played a djembe accompaniment, organized student performers for riser entrances, and enjoyed the product of months of hard work by both teachers and young performers.
There were so many great lessons to be learned that day, and luckily I learned them through a positive experience. I learned that preparedness is the best stress-reliever. This was the first time I had ever conducted singers in front of an audience. However, when I looked at those singers on the risers waiting for my cue, I knew that we were all so prepared and we had nothing to worry about. This left me free of anxiety and ready to have fun!
I won't lie and say that both of my ensembles performed perfectly. The Boys Vocal Ensemble had a bit of a mess up towards the beginning of "Follow the Drinking Gourd" but they kept singing. As a team, we were able to pick up and move on without looking back. So what? Accidents happen. We make mistakes. When handled with a professional attitude, people don't remember the mistakes, they remember the music.
There were so many great lessons to be learned that day, and luckily I learned them through a positive experience. I learned that preparedness is the best stress-reliever. This was the first time I had ever conducted singers in front of an audience. However, when I looked at those singers on the risers waiting for my cue, I knew that we were all so prepared and we had nothing to worry about. This left me free of anxiety and ready to have fun!
I won't lie and say that both of my ensembles performed perfectly. The Boys Vocal Ensemble had a bit of a mess up towards the beginning of "Follow the Drinking Gourd" but they kept singing. As a team, we were able to pick up and move on without looking back. So what? Accidents happen. We make mistakes. When handled with a professional attitude, people don't remember the mistakes, they remember the music.