How to Prepare Students – Best Holiday Music Performance Easy Tips

With holiday music performance time just around the corner, let’s explore these easy teaching tips that will encourage your students to perform at their best for any level of performance. Be on the lookout for my favorite tip below! 

First, every music teacher wishes they had more time to prepare their students. Instead, focus on these important goals – music performance provides opportunities for students to celebrate music together, gives a sense of accomplishment, and provides success.  

You might also like – Teach Valuable Concert Etiquette for Students and Audiences.

Support & Encourage

It’s time to shift from teaching to being your student’s biggest fan/cheerleader, and become the calming presence! Focus on what they are doing well and encourage students by telling them how great they are. You can help those who may be nervous to perform by letting them know: 

• They can focus on you. You’ll be their safe keeper, guiding them through the performance and acting as a buffer between them and the audience.
• You’re in control of the experience. Let them feel secure knowing that you’ll ensure everything runs smoothly.

Reframe It!

Make a mind shift from perfecting the performance to celebrating. Reframe your mind to feel at ease and enjoy the music performance. It is usually the norm that there is always something you wish was going better. Remember:

• It’s okay to have fun! Smiles and confident energy can transform any performance.
• Mistakes are part of the process. What matters most is how you help students to recover. Teach them to keep going no matter what. 

Let me reassure you it is also okay if something happens and you restart a song. First, stop your students and then turn and smile, and politely tell the audience “We are going to try that again.”  

My Favorite Holiday Performance Tip!

This is my favorite thing to teach students, and they love learning it too! I teach them that they are the ones who get to be in control of the audience. I teach students to self-discover that body language and actions teach the audience to show respect and appreciation to them. 

• “If we walk in from any direction and talk to our friends, what does the audience think our performance will sound like?” Have students try this and discuss how that felt.
• If we walk in orderly and quietly, what do you think the audience expects to hear?” 
• “If we end the song and stand tall, holding our pose, how might the audience respond?” – “They will erupt in mad applause!”👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

By using actions and thought-provoking questions in a shared conversation. Students can discover that professionalism earns respect and appreciation. 

Use your performing skills to pretend to be a parent who is visiting with a neighbor at the music performance. Suddenly a well-behaved class walks in and takes their place on stage quietly ready to perform. You can react with shock and wonder anticipating a wonderful performance. Students just love it when we role-play different scenarios. 

Give the Gift

I firmly believe this and always share it with my students. A music performance is a gift that we are giving to the audience. 🎁 I use this little mantra as a springboard to encourage singing from the heart. 💝

Whenever you can incorporate your life experience into your teaching students will listen and understand. I tell a story of going to hear a music performance especially one my children or grandchildren performed at and how much it meant to me. By sharing our life experiences through stories we can connect authentically with students. 

Music Rewards!

After all this hard work, reward your students with a fun day in music – music bingo, escape rooms, and song games. I have plenty of ideas with premade music lesson plans that make learning music fun to experience for the Christmas or Winter Season waiting for you right here!