Getting Ready for Performance Season!

Alex Stanton • November 7, 2022

A man is playing a guitar in front of a crowd of people.

Getting to hear and see our students on stage is one of the primary reasons we do what we do here at Sunburst. The act of taking what you’ve learned and performing it for others is a major milestone, and one of the fastest ways to get better as a musician. With our Winter Recitals fast approaching, we put together a few tips for both first-timers and veteran performers to prepare themselves.

Space out your practice

The spacing effect tells us what may seem a little obvious—that cramming the night before a test is the worst way to study. Instead, try practicing more times, in smaller chunks throughout the day and the week. Instead of running through your song 4 times in a row, run it through twice, then come back a few hours later and run it through twice more. The more times we remember and forget the material the better we retain it.

Pretend you’re on stage

The classic little league coach saying: “you play like you practice” holds true here too. One way to do this is to get in the habit of playing your piece from beginning to end without stopping for mistakes. All musicians make mistakes, and the best way to handle them is to try to get back on track without skipping a beat and without reacting. Most of your audience won’t have even noticed! This takes practice and intentionality, but it’s a great skill to develop.

Be ready to improvise

This is sort of a continuation of our last tip. Different styles of music call for different amounts of improvisation, however as the saying goes, “the show must go on”. In the world of performing, we must learn to expect the unexpected, and be ready and comfortable with going off script at any moment. Improvisation in this context could mean ways to alter or elaborate on whatever you’re playing, ways to make any mistakes sound intentional and/or happy accidents, or even just being ready to loop the verse pattern a few times while you try and remember the words to the chorus! Most importantly it’s about practicing being comfortable when things don’t go 100% to plan.

Practice your gear

When we practice, oftentimes we’re not practicing exactly the way that we’ll be performing on stage when it comes to our equipment whether it’s practicing singing un-mic’d, practicing electric guitar without an amp, or drums on a practice kit. While this is necessary a lot of the time, many times new performers are surprised or thrown off by how their voice sounds coming through speakers, or how their guitar reacts at a loud volume. It's a good idea to try and do at least a little bit of practicing with a microphone, through a loud amp, etc. to try and get used to the sensation and dial in your settings.

There are tons more great ways to think about practicing, but most importantly just try to remember to practice any which way, the more the better!

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Sunburst News - September 2025

September 1, 2025

Catch up on Sunburst’s latest news: The Sunburst Band Program, Music Together classes, community drum circles, free music classes, new instructors, and upcoming concerts!

Sunburst News - August 2025

August 1, 2025

August- Issue #96

5 Reasons to Start Playing in a Band

July 30, 2025

As summer break comes to a close, we’re gearing up for the next term of the Sunburst Band Program and would love to see some new faces this fall. Playing in a band is one of the best ways to progress as a musician, so we put together a list of five reasons why we encourage our students to seek out opportunities to play in groups—whether it's starting a band or jamming with a couple of friends. Progress Your rhythm, timing, and listening skills improve quickly when you start playing in a band or group setting. While private lessons and solo practice are essential pieces of the puzzle, playing with others introduces new variables—like tempo changes, dynamics, and coordination—that challenge you to stay in sync with your bandmates and adapt to each other. We’ve seen so many students level up after just a couple months in the Sunburst Band Program–the progress happens fast! Friends and Connections We love watching our students and their families become friends and our band program has been a natural starting point for many of those relationships. Some of our current bands have stayed together for years, and it's awesome to see them hang out outside of lessons and support each other at shows. Plus, one of the best ways to get gigs is through connections with other musicians! Motivation Playing in a band is super motivating because you're part of a group working toward an exciting shared goal. Whether you're learning a new song, building a set list, or getting ready for a show, the process becomes more exciting and rewarding when you're making music you love with people you enjoy being around. That shared energy turns practice into something much more fun and meaningful. Performing Performing can be nerve-wracking, but it gets easier the more you do it, and being on stage with your friends makes it less scary. We love seeing how our students' stage presence and confidence grow with each performance—it’s one of our favorite parts of being teachers! As we mentioned, shows are a great place to make connections with musicians who you’d like to collaborate with in the future. Simply put, playing more shows leads to playing more shows. Creative Outlet Music is a powerful tool for expression, and it’s important to have outlets for that at any age! Life is very fast paced for many of us, and it can be tough to pause and do the things you enjoy. Band practice can be a consistent anchor in your week—something you can rely on for connection, processing, and creating with your bandmates. As corny as it sounds, playing music is good for your spirit! If you’d like to know more about the Sunburst Band Program, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us for more information. We also recommend talking with your private lessons instructor so that they’re aware and can help you prepare.