1) Friends and family
They are your cheerleaders sans
pompoms. Filled with pride, armed with flowers they sit and listen to you doing
whatever it is you’re doing. Afterwards they’ll tell you you were wonderful,
you looked terrific, well done you.
They’re the all-important support network you need to stay sane, so appreciate
all the compliments, do a twirl in your concert gear, and smile to the camera. You
earned it by being onstage, no matter what you did there. Just going there was
brave enough for now.
2) Colleagues
After the performance they come to thank you, and seeing them approach you
immeadiately start pouring out all that went wrong with the performance. Yes,
you’re very aware of your shortcomings, yes, you know it wasn’t that great.
Only if you happened to play superbly well, you might find the courage to say “oh it was quite okay I guess”.
Usually your colleagues want to congratulate you instead of mocking you,
and on a purely theoretical level you know this (having congratulated other
colleagues yourself). However, the adrenaline of the performance turns you into
a mad conspiracy theorist, so in your ears “it was great” sounds like “you’re
an ape”. It’s all in your head. Remember that.
3) A jury
You’re playing, and suddenly from the corner of your eye you see one of
them write something down. Immediately your mind starts racing: was it the
phrasing, balance, rubato, my face, my shoes, what? WHY DO THEY HATE ME? It
takes all your willpower not to run away crying, but you soldier on.
The jury member was probably writing down a note to buy milk after the exam,
or he was drawing a completely innocent flower, or a chicken. He’s being paid to hear
you out and say intelligent things after, he’s done this a million times
already, he’s tired and wants coffee. Also he’s a kind person who doesn’t
particularly enjoy crushing other peoples hopes and dreams – he’d rather give
some generic, inoffensive feedback. But you don’t know this, so hearing the
sound of his pen your soul shatters to a million pieces and your blood pressure
reaches record heights.
4) Children
They are the best and the worst audience. You never have to guess whether
they liked or hated you – you’ll notice it from the things they shout and/or
throw at you mid-performance. If they like the show, you feel like you've discovered the true meaning of music and you dance all the way home.
Let’s not think about the other option.
5) The person paying you
The thank you -handshake after the performance is not just a handshake. It’s
a code to be encrypted: Was the handshake firm enough? What did that raise of
the eyebrows mean? Was the smile approving, did the “let’s be in touch” sound a
tad sarcastic?
Will I get to do another concert here ever again?
6) Non-musicians that aren’t related to you
They just sit there and enjoy. Plus they’re not obliged to talk to you
after, which is great, too.
7) Critics
“Mr. Critic, please say nice things about me, please. Put those nice things
on the front page and you can have my soul and my children.”
8) A full house
Oh the joy, oh the nerves! You’re shaking, but you feel like a million
dollars when the hall bursts into applause in the end. Everyone loves a full
house, but it takes a real connoisseur to love…
9) …an empty house
Nobody showed up, but you play anyway. Hell, why not grab a drink and
make a party of it. The walls will like your stuff.
