Ms. Shogbesan’s choir and orchestra classes performed for family and friends on Dec. 12. The concert started at 6:00 and went until 7:00, but most of the performers stayed after school to be ready and prepared for the performance.
This is no coincidence, as most students performing do not feel prepared for the annual concert. Even though it’s normal to not feel ready for a big performance as a musician, this feeling of “performance anxiety” really skyrockets around the winter concert.
As one anonymous student said, “it’s no lie that the orchestra and choir classes may not feel perfectly capable of performing in front of the audience of parents and siblings, but that doesn’t make it any less scary.”
In the weeks leading up to the performance, this feeling continuously grows larger and larger until you lose track of time and suddenly, the performance is over and you finally relax for the first time in a month, according to our anonymous student.
After the concert, things seemed to wind down for a second before frantic packing-up and kids leaving. In the weeks following, it definitely appears to have a more relaxed atmosphere.