Do dress appropriately- Formal attire is ideal, with a suit or tuxedo for men and a dress no shorter than knee length for women. No flip flops or athletic wear!
Don’t wear dangling or jingling jewelry. Such objects can make rattling noises into the microphone as well as get caught on your instrument.
Do learn where performers are supposed to sit beforehand. Arrive at least 30 minutes ahead of scheduled performance.
Do walk confidently onto the stage and bow. This signals the audience that a competent performance is about to begin. Bow with your feet together and your head down looking at the floor.
Do respect the other performers. Whispering, talking, goofing off with your freinds, and crunching candy wrappers during a program is rude. Reading, studying, and playing with your gameboy or phone during a program are also bad manners. Creating distractions says to the hard working musicians that their music is not important enough for you to pay attention.
Don’t rush into your song. A moment of silence before and after a song begins is standard etiquette. Take this time to get focused, adjust the bench and or music stand, as well as look over their music while the audience gets situated in their seats.
Do take deep breaths. This will help you stay relaxed throughout the performance. Focus more on your music than on the audience.
Do enjoy the performance! Recitals are a place to show everyone how much you have progressed on your instrument. This is your moment to shine!
