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Topic: Dress up or not?  (Read 2305 times)

Offline david456103

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Dress up or not?
on: March 29, 2014, 02:33:51 AM
Should I dress up in a formal suit if I'm making a DVD for a piano competition preliminary? Or is semi-formal or informal OK too?

Offline Bob

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Re: Dress up or not?
Reply #1 on: March 29, 2014, 03:09:41 AM
Yes, dress up.
Favorite new teacher quote -- "You found the only possible wrong answer."

Offline faulty_damper

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Re: Dress up or not?
Reply #2 on: March 29, 2014, 04:06:32 AM
Remember, judges are people, too.  They will be impressed with how you look while you play more than how you sound.
https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2013/08/16/1221454110

Offline abielikesu

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Re: Dress up or not?
Reply #3 on: March 29, 2014, 05:36:44 AM
Definitely dress up.  The judges generally  appreciate it, and it feels better when performing suited up.
The joy of music making!

Offline cometear

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Re: Dress up or not?
Reply #4 on: March 29, 2014, 08:27:23 PM
I always dress up if I can be seen. Like dress up. Not just slacks. I would wear your finest concert dress and use a nice piano.
Clementi, Piano Sonata in G Minor, No. 3, op. 10
W. A. Mozart, Sonata for Piano Four-Hands in F Major, K. 497
Beethoven, Piano Concerto, No. 2, op. 19

Offline iansinclair

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Re: Dress up or not?
Reply #5 on: March 29, 2014, 08:57:41 PM
It doesn't have to be white tie and tails.  However, dress as well as you can manage reasonably comfortably.

I presume that you are a man from your signature, so a conservative suit -- black or dark grey -- would be appropriate, in my view; I think a tuxedo would be overkill.  If your signature is misleading (!) then a classic black dress (not short!) would be appropriate; a black skirt, white blouse and black jacket would work too.

Whatever, make sure the thing fits, especially across the shoulder and arms and wrists and chest!

This isn't just for the judges and the audience -- although it is very important for them, for better or worse.  It's also for you.  You will have more confidence and feel more as though what you are doing you do well and is right.

We often like to think that clothes don't matter -- but they do, both to ourselves, subconsciously if not consciously, and to those with whom we interact.
Ian

Offline cabbynum

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Re: Dress up or not?
Reply #6 on: March 31, 2014, 09:12:11 PM
If it's a serious event I'll wear my tux with tails because it's fun to flip them over the bench... And in my opinion it looks better but that's my opinion.

I gave a semi informal performance the other day, I was a special guest at a kids competition. I wore slacks and a button up and some fun socks

As pictured here.


But yeah wear a suit. If you feel that's too much, then leave off the tie.
Just here to lurk and cringe at my old posts now.

Offline falala

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Re: Dress up or not?
Reply #7 on: March 31, 2014, 09:49:04 PM
Superman costume, definitely.

You want to project confidence and control, after all.

Offline bencollisonmusic

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Re: Dress up or not?
Reply #8 on: April 02, 2014, 01:29:29 AM
Remember, judges are people, too.  They will be impressed with how you look while you play more than how you sound.
https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2013/08/16/1221454110

First off this is completely bull.

Yes you should dress up. It shows that you are taking this competition seriously and that you actually are committing to presenting the best performance possible. Though judges don't care more of how you look then how you play, but dressing up does help.

-Benjamin Collison
First Prize winner of the Crescendo International Piano Cometition 2013
Honorable Mention of the American Prodigee  International Competition (Professional Level) 2013
First place at the YAPC 2013

Offline Bob

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Re: Dress up or not?
Reply #9 on: April 02, 2014, 02:17:18 AM
What they'd actually notice...

Three people dressed up.  The fourth didn't.  What's up with that fourth person?

One person overdressed.  Not necessary... but that one did look a little nicer.

Or they don't notice anything.  Clothing just matches everything else and doesn't detract from the performance.


If you want more to worry about...
What piano are you using?  Is it in tune?
What's the setting that piano is in?  A nice concert-y presentation?
Is it a professional audio recording?
is the DVD done professionally?


It's the same thing as dressing up.  Framing your performance.  Showing how seriously you take it all.  I'm sure a judge would say they don't have a huge preference, and someone has a story about a poor kid dressing like a bum who still plays like a genius....


Another spin on it -- I've seen and done this.  You walk into a performance.  Dressed well.  Speak well enough.  Smile.  Up until the moment you actually start to play no one can really tell the difference between who's better (and who sucks).  You can read it off the people who are doing the judging/listening.  They don't know the difference.  If you walked in and slurred your speech, they'll probably assume things and that will 'infect' their listening.

Part of it is that magic.  If the listener thinks you're awesome, you'll sound better.  Judges for an audition are going to listen critically, probably listening for mistakes too, or for potential, for whatever their goals are.

If it's an audition DVD and they've got a bunch of DVDs... They're probably just going to spot check some things, fast forward, spot check, and then move on to the next DVD.  Toss it aside when they're done. Call in the people who passed that round or listen more to certain ones and then decide.

It's actually like making all the 5-10 second spots in the DVD 'good' in case they happen to hit that place to spot check.  Most likely, they'll play the opening of each piece.

But the clothes though... That's pretty easy.  Buy them.  Dress up.  Done.  Hopefully they fit well. 

Another angle on it is just to improve.  If you put the whole thing together yourself, you might learn to record the DVD, edit it, etc.  All good stuff to know.  If you get something out of it that way, it doesn't matter so much what the results of the audition are (if it's a competition).  You already learned/improvedon 'how to do x.'

-Bobamin Bobbison
Favorite new teacher quote -- "You found the only possible wrong answer."

Offline j_menz

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Re: Dress up or not?
Reply #10 on: April 02, 2014, 02:40:00 AM
IMO, it rather depends on the competition, and where in the world you are.

In any case, what you are aiming for is to make your outfit completely unremarkable. Something a bit, but not too much, less formal than what you'd wear for a first round performance should work fine.
"What the world needs is more geniuses with humility. There are so few of us left" -- Oscar Levant
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