Performance and Communication Skills Workshops for Musicians
Learn to:
1.Relate to your audience from your authentic self
2.Adapt your program concert for different audiences
3. Engage audience participation
What do I do? I help musicians who are struggling to communicate on stage to trust their own authenticity while building bridges with their audience. I teach them tools and strategies to be at ease in all aspects of their performance, so that they can offer vibrant, joyful concerts for any audience with self-confidence and true delight.
The problem I want to solve: Communicating on stage with your instrument is one thing. Communicating verbally with the audience about the music presents a completely different challenge. You might even be terrified with the idea of talking to the public. You’re not alone: when asked to present concerts in the community for children or seniors, many musicians feel at a loss for words, and don’t know how to use their voice, let alone a microphone.
The solution I propose: We will explore transferring musical skills into communication skills by:
- learning to trust your own authenticity
- being fully present on stage with the audience
- adapting your program to meet the particular needs of the public in front of you
- being ready to receive (being ready to both give and receive on stage)
- accepting, instead of expecting, the unexpected
- finding ways to engage audience participation.
Workshop Focus:
- Crafting engaging program notes and spoken introductions
- Selecting repertoire for diverse community venues
- Developing authentic audience interaction techniques
- Managing performance anxiety in intimate settings
Key Topics:
- Adapting repertoire for various venues and audiences
- Essential public speaking techniques for musicians
- Creating thematic programs that resonate with different communities
- Maintaining artistic integrity while increasing accessibility
- Particularly valuable for:
- Orchestra members involved in community engagement
- Chamber musicians expanding into educational programming
- Performers seeking to develop their presentation skills
- Musicians interested in curating accessible concert experiences
- This workshop emphasizes practical techniques while respecting the rigorous standards of performance.
Testimonials:
During my visit to Quebec this summer, I had the chance to benefit from Gertrude Letourneau’s workshop “Building Bridges”. I have been a violinist with the Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra (France) for over 35 years and had never seriously addressed this aspect, neither during my training nor throughout my career. The valuable advice, as well as the situational exercises proposed by Gertrude, quickly allow one to become aware of the parameters to improve in order to acquire ease, even mastery, of “taking” the stage…
These essential tools for any artist are particularly recommended for artists sensitive to performance anxiety.
Marc MULLER
“I invited Gertrude to work with my group of multi-level amateur cellists to help them improve their performance skills and confidence on stage both as individual performers and as a group.
Gertrude was amazing…
English