These past couple weekends have been going full tilt with ISSMA Solo & Ensemble events. You’ve all worked hard on your solos. The ensembles large, small, and mixed have all been rehearsed. During this long period of preparation from November until now, you have probably heard many thoughts about your solo from your band/orchestra/choir director, friends, or private teachers. How do we take the things they have said and apply it? Is there really anyone out there that can read judge’s handwriting on those ISSMA sheets? What if your judge accidentally compliments your Baroque style when you are CLEARLY playing a classical era piece? There are ways to take all the comments you receive and organize them into your plan of attack when going to state.

ISSMA Solo and Ensemble is just around the corner. Here are some tips to prepare for everything you need crush your performance! Be There Early I am quite sure your director and private instructor has told you to be early for rehearsals, concerts, and etc. You definitely want to be early when it comes to Solo and Ensemble. You never know what could happen—the weather might be terrible and your commute time will double. The performance order may change. A performance room might change. You might have issues with your instrument…anything that can happen will happen! Being early doesn’t fix these problems, but if definitely gives you the chance to get in the right headspace and deal with problems effectively.

  Welcome back from winter break! I hope you enjoyed your time off and are ready to tackle Solo & Ensemble. Much of the performance year is focused on group ensembles but ISSMA Solo and Ensemble gives you a great opportunity to focus on your individual playing. Mastering solos is an essential part of every musician’s career. Solos are a great way to improve your technical and expressive musical qualities and a great opportunity to become confident performing by yourself in front of others. Practicing and performing solos requires a great deal of discipline. Unlike your band or orchestra class, you have to make time to not only practice your solo, but you need to schedule practice times with your accompanist, make sure that you know every part of your solo, and you have to balance this with any other activity (such as another ensemble) musical or otherwise. Here are a few tips to get the most out of your solo: Master the notes and rhythms. This advice may seem basic but the first step in performing at the highest level is to master the basic components of the piece. In addition to notes and rhythm, work hard on making