Musicians: Here’s How to Prepare for Concert Season

As the gloomy wintry days give way to longer days of bright sunlight, musicians across the country are hard at work preparing for concert season. For musicians, spring is an important time–its the beginning of concert season! So give your muscles a good stretch to shake off the winter slumber, and get ready for concert season with these tips!

Your Body is Your Temple

First, let’s do a quick check in on your body!  Wellness is paramount to a performer! Concert season can test the very limits of your mind and body, especially if this is your first year in orchestra or band. So gift your body with the best nutrition and sleep you can, so you can stay invigorated and energized. Did you know keeping your body healthy also keeps your body safe? You can easily dodge performance-related injuries like strained muscles by physically preparing for concert season.

Nutrition

Hydrate your body. Good old H20 will always have your back through arduous rehearsals and replenish you after a performance. An appropriate alternative to water is coconut water, which hydrates you really quickly. Swap out all of those plastic bottles for a stylish insulated canteen that’ll keep your water cool during those long after school practice sessions. We are a huge fan of the Klean Kanteen! The convenience of pre-packaged and processed foods might be attractive, but try your hardest to eat healthy foods.

Avoid Illnesses 

Having a cold/flu during concert season can be taxing on your body and also impact your performance. Unfortunately, musicians are exposed to all sorts of germs because they travel to foreign places and put a lot of stress on their bodies. So how can you look out for yourself and keep your immune system in top shape? Find a hand sanitizer that is purely formulated (toxin free) with an organic alcohol base. Dr. Bronner has a spray version that has essential oil lavender. It’s travel size too! Bonus: Lavender can also calm pre-show jitters!

Have a Cup of Tea (or 6)

As a musician, the last thing you want is hoarse, itchy throat. Pamper your vocal cords with tea, tea, tea and, yes more tea. Whatever ails ya, tea can fix.  Herbal teas are full of health benefits. For example, If you need an energy boost without the jitters and crash of coffee and energy drinks, just brew some loose leaf Yerba Mate. Though not a substitute for sleep, it will help you navigate through the gig. At the end of a performance, brew up some chamomile to soothe and help your body rest. Have fun exploring the plethora of exotic flavors and brew up some soothing elixirs in your canteen.

Get Into Position!

Long hours spent practicing can cause muscle tension and fatigue, which you cannot afford to take with you on stage. Try these easy yoga poses in the days leading up to your big perfmance:

• Bharadvaja’s Twist, this pose is gentle and helps the spine and abdominal muscles
• Viparita Karani also known as ‘legs up on the wall’ pose
• Bridge Pose this pose will relieve tension on your lower back!
• Savasana also known as the ‘Corpse Pose’ this will give you a  state of total relaxation

Practice, Practice, Practice

No doubt you are no stranger to this concept. Your livelihood as a musician depends on this. But in this instance, we aren’t referring to call times. It is essential that you practice ‘ME’ time. That’s right, you need time to be alone and breathe. When paired with the above-mentioned yoga techniques, practice an easy meditation. Just grab your phone (and earbuds) and download some easy guided meditation apps like Headspace.

Take Inventory and Make Updates

Realistically, almost every single piece of gear in your arsenal will inevitably need to be repaired, replaced, or upgraded at some point in time, and many musicians decide to upgrade before concert season. We aren’t suggesting you throw away your favorite accessories, simply consider making some updates to keep everything running smoothly. Lets go through some basics equipment that needs to be evaluated.

*Pro tip: upgrade your gear because it’s no longer dependable, sounds like its dated, is near or has passed it’s ten- year life expectancy. Sometimes our equipment just isn’t up to the task! Avoid mishaps and keep an inventory of your gear. Visit us anytime for all of your instrument and accessory needs.

Are You Ready to Perform?  

The final phase of concert prep is making sure you are firing on all cylinders. This means mentally as well as physically. Check in with the rest of your band or orchestra. Host daily meetings where you pump each other up. Like a football huddle, but way cooler because its for musicians. Keep the off-stage life fun.

If you are touring and visiting cities with sights you want to see, see if you can schedule an extra day or two to your tour schedule while you are there just to take it all in. And take breaks from rehearsals as much as necessary. Good luck!