One thing that my choir director told me in High school was that through your life as a musician you will really only have 2-3 great performances. When I first heard this in 10th grade, I didn't quite understand what she meant by that. My thought process at the time was-aren't we always putting on great performances? If so, then I have way more than 2-3. Though in the recent days of Freshman year of college I've slowly come to realize what she meant.
Coming into college, I thought I had a great voice. I thought I was extremely talented and sang very well. Quite honestly, I thought all I was doing was right. Though I quickly learned that I was completely wrong. I didn't do a lot of solo voice, but through voice lessons and hearing people in performance lab it made me realize the mistakes that I was making. I had absolutely no clue what I was doing! I thought singing was just learning a song, notes on a page and just singing the notes; though it is so much more than that. I was ignorant to the many factors that make up a performance. How singing isn't something simple, but it is a complicated process that is built up on numerous factors. I didn't know how to breathe, I didn't know about vowel shapes, tongue position, or even how to pronounce words in a different language. I even admit now, as Freshman year closes there is still so much that I don't know/haven't perfected yet! With all of this in mind, it really makes me think: Did I really have a "great" performance, or have all my performances been just "good."
It's definitely something that claws my brain. Examining all my past performances to see if there was something that is relatively close to a "great" performance. However, that makes me ponder what a "great" performance is. Is it a performance where everything is perfect, goes right, and you follow all of the rules? Or is it something else? Maybe it's not dependent on you to decide, but someone else determines the verdict. It really is something that bothers me, like an irking itch beneath my skin.
So many factors can go into this that it seems impossible to figure out the answer to this question. The more I think about it, the more confused I get. Though when I really try and replay my performances back in my head-there is one that sticks out from the rest. It's the one performance that I remember the most from.
Here it is:
This was the first musical I was a part of at my school in 10th grade. If you get nominated for the Tommy Tune award for Best Musical you get to perform a number in the Hobby Center in Downtown Houston, where it is broadcasted later on TV. After watching the video, it's apparent that our singing isn't the greatest-I mean that last chord is pretty amazing right? Our dancing isn't all that-heck we were surprised that we even given a nomination for this award since we thought the musical wasn't all that great when we put it on. So why does this one performance stick out? Well It's not because it was broadcasted on the TV, or the largest stage I've performed on, or the largest audience I've performed for. Though I distinctly remember the feeling I had during the performance. On that stage, I wasn't Greggory Miller. I was Marcel, my character. Not only that, It felt as though the stage didn't even exist. Every ounce of nervousness was purged from my body, I didn't even think- I just sang and dance nothing more. That experience, however, felt so genuine and so unique to everything that I have done thus far.
In a performance viewpoint, I would say it's mediocre. It's obvious that there are so many things that we could have improved on. Though I believe that this was a "great" performance for me. It was the first time I truly felt that I was performing as a musician and not as a performer. And I believe that is the perfect criteria for what makes a "great" performance.
Needless to say, I don't think there is one specific set of criterion that makes up a "great" performance. It can either be what you believe, or maybe you rely on someone else's opinion to make it one. Though I am glad and thankful that my choir director shared this with me, because it's a very humbling fact. There are just going to be performances that are terrible or mediocre, but it's comforting that those are just stepping block into something even great. Each mistake, is a lesson learned which assists the course of what is next.
If you have any "great" performances you would like to share, or want to share what some of your criteria that makes up one feel free to share.
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