'Tis the season to compare yourself to all of your peers, right? At Indiana University, we will have at least 14 student recitals this semester. I was the third recital of the semester (which you can listen to samples of on my SoundCloud page) and two of my three pieces had already been performed in the other two recitals. Here are some thoughts I legitimately thought for at least one second:
It was a dramatic time in my life, as you can tell.
- I'm a doctoral student, so I need to give the best recital. Ever.
- My studio has already heard two-thirds of my recital. They will think my recital is boring.
- My peers will be comparing my performance to the performances they have already heard this semester.
- I'm getting too old for this.
- I should probably buy a cuter outfit.
- My professor is probably disappointed in me.
- Maybe I should drop out.
- Goodbye, cruel academia.
It was a dramatic time in my life, as you can tell.
As my recital was looming, it was time to pull it together. I pulled inspiration from a great teacher of life lessons: Say Yes to the Dress on TLC.
Courtesy of tlc.com
Say Yes to the Dress shows the strife and triumph of picking out wedding dresses. It's very profound. But watching insane women pick out wedding dresses taught me something very important about bassoon recitals - it only has to be perfect for you.
From far away, a white dress is a white dress. But when you go up to the bride and ask her about her dress, the story comes out. Details about cut, embellishment, and inspiration pour out of the blushing bride's mouth. The dress may look awful on the hanger, but when it is associated with a particular person it becomes a very unique and important article of clothing. Similarly to a bassoon recital. Please continue to follow me, I promise this will make sense.
A bassoonist will spend months selecting their repertoire for a variety of reasons: rising to the challenge, a homage to a teacher, or simply loving the piece. The combination of each individual piece paints a beautiful picture of each performer and tells a story of what they have learned through their preparation. If someone else played the exact same recital, it would be seen as another very special experience for both performer and audience member.
No matter how many times I hear Saint-Saens Sonata, I will see each performance as a glimpse into the performer's life and journey. My Mozart Concerto is not my colleague's Mozart Concerto. Your recital is your day, so take the time to celebrate yourself and show everyone what you have to offer that day.
From far away, a white dress is a white dress. But when you go up to the bride and ask her about her dress, the story comes out. Details about cut, embellishment, and inspiration pour out of the blushing bride's mouth. The dress may look awful on the hanger, but when it is associated with a particular person it becomes a very unique and important article of clothing. Similarly to a bassoon recital. Please continue to follow me, I promise this will make sense.
A bassoonist will spend months selecting their repertoire for a variety of reasons: rising to the challenge, a homage to a teacher, or simply loving the piece. The combination of each individual piece paints a beautiful picture of each performer and tells a story of what they have learned through their preparation. If someone else played the exact same recital, it would be seen as another very special experience for both performer and audience member.
No matter how many times I hear Saint-Saens Sonata, I will see each performance as a glimpse into the performer's life and journey. My Mozart Concerto is not my colleague's Mozart Concerto. Your recital is your day, so take the time to celebrate yourself and show everyone what you have to offer that day.
You are radiant. Enjoy your special day!
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