I spent a few hours listening to vocal classes at the Chesham Arts Festival this evening. As I live a stone’s throw from The Elgiva Theatre it seemed a good idea to support my local festival. I thoroughly enjoyed it and all the young singers gave their best, some producing admirable performances. Sadly though, there were about twenty people in the audience, most of them competitors.

Music Festivals are an ideal platform for young musicians to learn their trade. There are hundreds around the UK, and therefore, there is bound to be one near you. If you have a child who is preparing to take a music exam then a music festival is the best place for them to get used to giving a performance in public. Performing is stressful and those who do it need practice, especially when they are just starting out.

If you enter your child for a festival, they will usually be placed in a class of similar age and ability – there are plenty of classes from which to choose. All competitors will be invited to perform their piece or pieces to a small audience and an adjudicator. At the end of the class, after everyone has played, the adjudicator will give comments and feedback on every performance and then usually announce a winner. The atmosphere at these events is both friendly and relaxed, and quite different from an examination.

The old adage is true here; it really isn’t the winning, it’s the taking part that counts. The one major benefit from performing in public is to build confidence. The more confidence a person has the better they will act under pressure. Learning to perform really is a useful tool for so many situations in life. It’s the reason why I feel that every child should have the opportunity to learn an instrument – more on this subject in future blog posts.

If you wish to investigate music festivals as a possible activity for you, if you are learning an instrument, or your child, here are a few suggestions:

Make sure you or your child really know/s the piece you/they are going to perform; it’s a good idea to play the prepared repertoire through to a few relatives first before the big day. If a competitor is unprepared it could knock their confidence and stop them trying to play in public ever again. Preparation is the key to success.

Make sure your child has plenty of family support on the day.

Always give plenty of praise afterwards.

Find more information about music festivals all over the UK and abroad from the following website:

http://www.federationoffestivals.org.uk

The main blog image, to the left, is me adjudicating in Bangkok, and you can observe competitors in the video below shot in Scotland: