E-Book Overview
Stage Presence From Head to Toe: A Manual for Musicians is the only resource of its kind: a practical, authoritative guide to accepted practices of stage presence for performing musicians. It answers the basic questions every musician has about a performance: how to prepare, how to dress, how to walk out on stage, how to bow, how to look confident and put your audience at ease, how to interact with other musicians on stage and with backstage personnel. The book discusses the specific needs of soloists and small and large ensembles, both instrumental and vocal. Includes illustrations, several helpful checklists and a comprehensive bibliography.
E-Book Content
Stage Presence from-Head to Toe A Manual for Musicians Karen A. Hagberg
The Scarecrow Press, Inc. Lanham, Maryland, and Oxford 2003
SCARECROW PRESS, INC. Published in the United States of America by Scarecrow Press, Inc. A Member of the Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group 4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706 www.scarecrowpress.com
PO Box 317
Oxford OX2 9RU, UK
Copyright 02003 by Karen A. Hagberg AlZ rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Hagberg, Karen A., 1943Stage presence from head to toe : a manual for musicians / Karen A. Hagberg. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references (p. 103) and index. ISBN 0-8108-4777-9 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Music-Performance. 2. Concerts-Handbooks, manuals, etc. 3. Concert etiquette. 4. Self-confidence. 1. Title. ML3795.Hl3 2003 781.4'34~21 2003004846 Printed in the United States of America
eTM The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences-Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO 239.48-1992. Manufactured in the United States of America.
This book is dedicated to the survival of live, acoustic music in the twenty-first century.
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Contents
vii
Illustrations Checklists
ix
Acknowledgments
xi
...
Introduction
Xlll
1 Stage Presence
1
2 The Soloist
7
3 The Page Turner
27
4 The Small Ensemble (No Conductor)
31
5 The Large Vocal Ensemble
39
6 The Orchestra
47
7 The Conductor as Leader
65
8 On the Day of the Concert
71
9 The Stage and Its Furnishings
75
10 Nonperforming Personnel
81
11 Auditions and Competitions
87
12 How to Teach Stage Presence
95
V
vi
Contents
Bibliography
103
Index
107
About the Author
109
Illustrations
Figure 2.1 Bare Skin over Hosiery Looks Sloppy Onstage. Figure 2.2 Long-Legged Performers May Require Low-Heeled Shoes. Figure 2.3 A Disorganized Bow Projects a Lack of Confidence. Figure 2.4 A Tense Facial Expression May Make the Performer Appear Angry or Disdainful. Figure 2.5 Keep Your Music from Spilling over the Stand. Figure 3.1 The Page Turner Can Seriously Detract from a Performance. Figure 4.1 Makeshift Solutions Reflect Poor Planning and Inattention to Detail. Figure 5.1 A Single Distracted Chorus Member Can Affect the Audience's Concentration. Figure 6.1 Examples of Standing Position Figure 6.2 Examples of Full Rest Position Figure 6.3 Examples of Semirest Position Figure 6.4 Exampl