Recital season is upon us, and thus begins the agonizing of what to wear. I thought I would do a couple different blog posts on both casual and formal recital style, and I'll see if I can rope in a guy to do a guest blog on recital wear for men.

This is an outfit that I wear for afternoon recitals - it's dressy but not formal, and more importantly, it's something that I can play comfortably in.

Top: Nordstrom Rack                    Pants: Talbots     

For my go-to recital outfit this season, I've chosen skinny black dress pants from Talbots that are balanced by a gorgeous top from Nordstrom Rack. The top is actually a shimmery tank with a sheer overshirt that has dots on it that add texture and interest. It flows beautifully, allows me to move freely, and doesn't have any bows or bling around the neckline that would make my instrument buzz or make holding the instrument uncomfortable.

Musicians frequently resort to black as our default wear because that's what fills our closets - however, for me, that makes it all the more exciting when I get to wear color! Blue is one of my favorite colors, and I pick bright colors that will show up well on stage and be seen from a distance.

It's important to dress up for recitals. Even for more casual, daytime concerts I never wear jeans or tennis shoes.

I shop at outlets and rely on sales a lot, because rehairing my bow and putting new strings on my violin takes most of my budget. Nordstrom Rack, the Talbots outlet, Goodwill, and designer consignment stores are my go-to places for recital clothes.

Shoes: Comfort One

Shoes are critical for recitals. Violinists stand up to play, which means that you can't wear those gorgeous heels that look great but feel terrible. Playing violin in public is hard enough, and it's important that you feel steady on your feet and grounded. Investing in a good pair of dress shoes that you can stand comfortably in is crucial. I love these black shoes that I got at Comfort One a few years ago. There's a low heel, a cute strap, and some gorgeous details that keep it from being an ordinary black pump. I should say that I rely on Christmas and birthday presents from my wonderful mother for my shoes, since they can be pricey. I love Comfort One and The Walking Company for shoes. 

Another note - if you're used to practicing barefoot or in slippers like me, it's important to practice in your dress shoes in the week before a performance to get used to the feel. You should do your dress rehearsal wearing your shoes the entire time. You might be the type of person who can wear stilettos and run a marathon - but if so, make sure you practice violin in those shoes first!

Jewelry is something else to carefully consider. Make sure that any earrings you wear won't touch your violin and make a rattling noise (studs or very short dangles work best). My wonderful cousin Sarah made the earrings I'm wearing in this picture. Many musicians choose to wear their wedding and engagement bands or other rings on their right hand rather than their left so the added weight doesn't affect their fingering. I'm not married, but the ring I wear is one with great sentimental value. The inscription reads "to thine own self be true."

Necklaces are also something to watch out for - I wear a thin chain with a small charm on it. As a violinist, I avoid big necklaces because they can make your instrument buzz.

Finally, hair. I didn't do a great job of pulling my hair back here, but I recommend ensuring that your hair will stay tucked behind your ears, clipping it back, or pulling it up for a recital. You can see that in this picture my bangs were in that awkward stage of growing out, and I generally twist and pin them back. Never let your hair hang loose and hide your face. Yes, it's your music that's important, but you want to be able to engage with the audience too - and that means letting them see your face.

Happy recital season, everyone!

The temperatures are heating up outside, and things are heating up in my studio too! We're having more studio classes, attending masterclasses hosted by other studios, and starting to prepare for spring recitals.

I've added an Etude Chart to the Scale Chart on the wall of both my studios, so students can track their progress all the way from Freddy Fiddle (an activity book that I use with my youngest students) to Kreutzer and Rode studies that very advanced students play. And besides, a little - just a little - competition can be really healthy in the studio.

Here are some suggestions I have for kicking your own violin playing up a notch at home:

1. Increase the number of days you practice. If you usually practice 4 days a week, practice 5 or 6. If you usually practice 6, practice 7.

2. If you're already practicing 6 or 7 days a week, increase the amount of time you practice. Try adding just 15 or 20 extra minutes a day to your routine and observe your progress!

3. Record your lessons and watch them back as soon as you can afterwards. Buy a notebook just for your violin observations and take notes as  you watch your lesson - what did your teacher say that was really helpful, and also, what do you notice about your playing?

4. Record yourself playing at least once a week besides your lesson and watch it, taking notes. Make observations as if you are your own violin teacher and adjust your practice plan accordingly.

5. Set goals for each practice, such as "I am going to play my scale with all the ringing notes in tune" or "I am going to get all the way to the tip on my down bows" or "I am going to focus on keeping my fourth finger curved." Goal-oriented practice is MUCH more productive than randomly playing through things.

6. Don't play through your pieces more than once a day UNLESS you have a performance coming up. Target your practice on those problem spots or focus on improving one aspect of your technique on a small section of the piece before trying to apply it to the whole piece. For example, if you're trying to use a particular bowing, such as a whole bow followed by two half bows (which my students know as Whole Half Half), practice that first on an open string. Then play it on one measure of your piece, and repeat it until you can do it successfully every time. Then play just one phrase, again observing for the bowing. Then add a second phrase, and so on. Once you work through the whole piece one section at a time, THEN and only then go back and play through the piece to see how  your work has improved the overall effect.

7. Work on things you aren't good at. Look at your practice chart or your lesson notebook and ask yourself which thing you would really rather avoid when practicing. That's what you should start with (after your warmup). 

8. Remember, it's HOW you practice. Be consistent, be focused, and be goal-oriented. And if you don't believe me, here's a video of Pam Frank, a wonderful teacher at the Curtis Institute.