Stage Performance Tips with The Notebenders

The Notebenders is a community big band created by Andy Hamilton (MBE) in 2004. Managed by the Andy Hamilton Trust, it welcomes emerging musicians and supports them in the development of their talent through experience on stage, but also with a variety of training opportunities.

Recently, Millicent had the chance to lead one of these education sessions, an almost three hours long workshop that covered the topics of stage performance and improvisation. She gave them nine specific tips about the former, and elaborated on both that and the latter based on questions and the dynamic of the group. Towards the end of the session, the band went through a song that they were going to play the next day at a gig, and received feedback.

Millicent introduced the idea that a performance doesn't start and end when the artist steps on and off the stage, respectively, but rather when they arrive in the venue, and when they leave it. There are several reasons for this, which benefit the audience, the music act itself, and the artist. Maintaining the performance for this expanded amount of time allows the creation of an atmosphere that transports the participants to another place, and enhances the experience. It also solidifies the separation between the stage persona and the person behind the act, benefiting life/work balance while, at the same time, strengthening the storytelling.

The Notebenders were happy to apply Millicent's teachings immediately. She was told the members kept reminding each other of what they had learned with her during the gig they had the next day. It's great to know her advice is so easily applicable and useful!

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