Quick! What to do day of performance?

[LastS]

"Day of performance" being tomorrow . . . so hopefully I get some advice quick.

From this board, I've heard that it's best *not* to practice the piece like mad beforehand, however intuitive it might seem, and that warming up is all that's needed.

So my plan is to go through the song, but at half the speed, about 5 times.  I'm not familiar with any other type of warm up (I don't take lessons).  So does this sound like a good idea?

Wish me luck!

[jeff]

i think it's quite ok to practice the piece on the day of the performance, as long as you do the right kind of practice. I guess some ppl reccomend not practicing it on the day of performance because you may be nervous, and nerves usually don't help when you're practicing. Slow, careful practice (like what you said you are planning to do) is a good idea, just try to make sure that you are relaxed and thinking clearly.
technical exercises are probably a good idea as a warm up (scales, arpeggios, whatever), or just doing some hand stretching/strengthening exercises (not too strenuous, you don't want to injure your hands, of course) just to get your muscles 'warm' and ready to move easily and fluidly.

good luck, have fun!

[amee]

One thing you do not want to do before a performance is get nervous and panic.  There is a chance of that happening if you practice like mad beforehand.  I would recommend not touching the piano at all on the day, but slow practice would do no harm

It is not necessary to practice on the day since your fingers are already very familiar with the piece.

[Snuffel]

A couple of things to remember.
1. The audience have come to enjoy your performance, not to criticize your technique, relax - this is not an exam.
2. Concentrate on the musical, not the technical. No-one wants to listen to a note-perfect robot. If you can manage to get into your piece on an emotional level this comes across to the audience and makes a much deeper impression.

[chopinetta]

But if you are already familiar with your piece and you've mastered it, it will come naturally when performing.

okay here's a trivia, Chopin plays Bach before a performance!

[_Nicole]

I'd learn it very well beforehand. Once, I put off memorizing a version of "Silent Night" until the day of the performance. I believe I made it through the first page before I completely forgot the rest of it, so I improvised. My grandmother said to my mom, "You know, I've never heard that version of Silent Night before!" So it all worked out. There are so many versions of traditional songs like that that it's nearly impossible to tell that someone's improvising if they do it okay. So the moral of the story is, go ahead and practice on performance day, but please, memorize it well before then.

Nicole