One of the competitions I entered this past year has an interesting requirement: the participants must speak about some of the repertoire they play in the competition.
More than my piano performance, this was the scariest part of the competition for me.
Not all pianists are comfortable as speakers
I’ve always been a relatively introverted person in matters not related to music. I don’t have a problem playing the piano in front of a large audience, but actually talking to the same audience is extremely nerve-wracking for me.
I give myself affirmation in this by hoping that some music is better experienced simply by the art of hearing it and letting your own mind and imagination provide the context, and the connection.
Nevertheless, during the competition, I was pleasantly surprised at how much people appreciated the talks about the music being performed. So, now that the competition is over, I’ve had a chance to think about it a little deeper. (See some tips on how to engage an audience here.)
Talking to the audience provides insights
For a pianist to speak about the program can be a great way to give the audience a context and insights into understanding the history, the composer, and what the pianist wants to convey.
For instance, if a piece is obscure or a new work, listeners may not know what to expect or what to listen for. Who better than the performer to discuss highlights and important passages?
Or if it’s a piece or composer the audience doesn’t know, explaining the history and composer’s inspirations can fill this need. That will help some people understand why certain passages and sounds make the piece more meaningful.
Of course, much of this can be done by any pre-concert speaker or by written program notes.
However, when a performer speaks, it is the opportunity to explain his/her interpretation of the music. Do certain sections evoke a particular image that the musician wants to share? This helps an audience understand what the artist is trying to convey. Is this piece meaningful for a specific reason? All of that can help the audience enjoy the music more.
A pre-concert talk can be a direct connection with the audience
If done well, a talk beforehand can help listeners better connect with the performer as a person. Performers can convey aspects of their personalities that may not come across in the actual performance, giving the audience a better impression of who they are.
That personal connection helps build an artist’s audience, and helps the audience look forward to hearing an artist in the coming years. It’s an important way to build meaningful support between the pianist and patrons.
Pianists need to grow as people too
Finally, even though it takes skill, sensitivity, dedicated study and talent to be a performing pianist, it also helps to have the challenge of “leaving your comfort zone” on occasion. For someone like me, being uncomfortable speaking to large groups of people, this is one of the primary benefits of talking to an audience before a performance. I learn. I grow. I find that by talking to an audience with words, I begin to think of new ways to talk to the audience with music.
Beyond speaking, here are other ways to connect with your audience.
So, fellow pianists, I ask: are you one of the personable musicians who finds talking a way to feel more connected to the audience? Or are you like me, more comfortable performing music than talking.
Whichever manner is comfortable for you, it seems that in this age of social media, more and more young artists will need to find ways to connect with their audience. How we do it will be an opportunity for all of us.
