TromboneChat

What steps do you take when preparing a piece for performance? Certainly one must learn notes and rhythms, but what else do you do?

Red Bull has been effective. (I’m serious).

Jeremy Wilson performs at a very high level (check out his YouTube videos) and he recommends an interesting approach to performance. He starts by exploring what he will try to convey, the musical message. He then explores the intellectual side of things (harmony, form, etc), and ultimately the nuts and bolts of learning notes and rhythms to convey the spirit of the piece.

I never thought of approaching music in this manner and wonder how others approach learning a piece.

Well there you are, Jeremy Wilson sums it up. How else would you approach it ?
Job done.

Chris

Yes. He really says it well.
In my case, I would cycle through those aspects a few times as they inform each other. It never hurts to look at things from all the different perspectives. And don't forget the audience perspective.

Thanks for your responses!

The tools to make any philosophical approach to preparation work are listening and score study. The physical practice means nothing without doing those two things.

Yeah, I basically take Jeremy's approach too. Except, I like to add learning the context of what I'd play compared to what other musicians are doing at the same time - essentially, learning the arrangement. Music, in the best sense, is a group activity and I find that paying attention to my fellow musicians and reacting to them (instead of just 'playing my part well') makes things much more enjoyable.

The video with Wilson summarizes what kind of preparation is necessary before a performance. We are all different and need different time and maybe also order for the various aspects he mentions. Most importantly, we feel that we have done our best in preparation and worked best from our own point of view. Then we are ready. With a good feeling before the performance. That feeling is good to have. It infects the listeners when we perform.

Leif

Wow, Wilson really nails it. I'm working on the Ewazen currently. He's very right about not only that, but also his main point. Those are definitely THE three essential elements. I'd say the soul is probably the most important, especially in jazz. To be a good player but especially a jazz player, there's something more than being a great technician on your instrument--you have to feel it. If the heart/soul isn't there, the piece isn't there.

I would also learn to prepare myself: https://bulletproofmusician.com

You can know the music and be prepared, but it’s also important to know yourself and how you respond to stress, the stress of performance.