Ever cancel a performace?

[JimDunlop]

For reasons other than illness?

I was supposed to play on Saturday evening, but because my week was so absolutely INSANE, I swear I got no more than 1/2 hour practice all week... As a result, I felt so unprepared, I called on Friday night and cancelled.  It's not like I was THE main attraction or anything, only part of a larger performance.....

Has anyone ever done that?  Just curious.....

JD

(Feelin' kinda bad about it in retrospect, but still that I made the right decision)... 

[Sketchee]

No, but I have had a soloist cancel who I was accompanying cancel without any notice. I showed up all dressed and ready to play.  When I looked at the program her name wasn on there.  She showed up afterward to tell me she wasn't performing!  She must have known well in advance as she didn't have her name on the program, yet decided not to call me and let me know.   

[Hmoll]

When I was in high school I was scheduled to play 1/2 of a recital program - can't remember who was scheduled to do the other half.  A friend of mine who I began studying piano with was killed in a car accident coming home from his senior prom  two days before the recital. Aside from me being upset, a lot of the audience would have been people who were friends of both of us. For that reason, I cancelled.

[Allegroconfuoco]

When I was in high school I was scheduled to play 1/2 of a recital program - can't remember who was scheduled to do the other half. A friend of mine who I began studying piano with was killed in a car accident coming home from his senior prom two days before the recital. Aside from me being upset, a lot of the audience would have been people who were friends of both of us. For that reason, I cancelled.

  I'm sorry...

Back to topic, I've never cancelled a recital (although I always feel unprepared  )

Allegro

[anda]

never, not even based on illness (just a week ago i performed with high temperature and i still don't know how come i didn't cough once!). but there were times when i wished i could do that.

[galonia]

No, but I have had a soloist cancel who I was accompanying cancel without any notice. I showed up all dressed and ready to play. When I looked at the program her name wasn on there. She showed up afterward to tell me she wasn't performing! She must have known well in advance as she didn't have her name on the program, yet decided not to call me and let me know.

I hope you still charged her - that's so rude!!

I have only ever cancelled once and I don't know if it counts as illness.  After I stopped learning from my first teacher, I was invited back several times as the guest artist at her recitals for the beginner/intermediate students.  Once, during the afternoon just before the recital in the evening, for some reason my nervousness became so bad that I became hysterical.  I've never had that happen before, or ever again, I just lost control and my mother had to call the teacher and say I was very unwell and would not be able to perform.

[shasta]

No, but I have had a soloist cancel who I was accompanying cancel without any notice. I showed up all dressed and ready to play.  When I looked at the program her name wasn on there.  She showed up afterward to tell me she wasn't performing!  She must have known well in advance as she didn't have her name on the program, yet decided not to call me and let me know.   

Sketchee, I had a singer whom I was accompanying cancel on me too.  She never said anything (while I'm sitting there with my music waiting for her like an *ss).  In fact, it was her professor who ended up calling me one evening to apologize on her behalf.  Turns out, the singer quit music completely and ran off with her boyfriend.  Sigh.

[m]

For reasons other than illness?

I was supposed to play on Saturday evening, but because my week was so absolutely INSANE, I swear I got no more than 1/2 hour practice all week... As a result, I felt so unprepared, I called on Friday night and cancelled.  It's not like I was THE main attraction or anything, only part of a larger performance.....

Has anyone ever done that?  Just curious.....

JD

(Feelin' kinda bad about it in retrospect, but still that I made the right decision)... 

In whole my life I don't remember cancelling even once, including for illness reason.
Also, I cannot imagine anything in life that could stop me practicing less than 8 hours a day, at least for a three weeks before the performance.

[Hmoll]

In whole my life I don't remember cancelling even once, including for illness reason.
Also, I cannot imagine anything in life that could stop me practicing less than 8 hours a day, at least for a three weeks before the performance.

While your dedication is admirable, if your life's priorities are straight, at some point events and occurrences that happen to everyone can get in the way of just about anything - that is, if you have a life.

There is hardly a concert pianist, world class athlete, CEO, etc., who has not cancelled at one time or another.

[m]

While your dedication is admirable, if your life's priorities are straight, at some point events and occurrences that happen to everyone can get in the way of just about anything - that is, if you have a life.
 

I think it has nothing to do with my dedication. It is just the way of survival. I know two things:
1) If I cancel the concert, mentally I will feel very bad.
2) If people are so kind to come to listen to my concert, I absolutely cannot be unprepared, otherwise I will feel very bad. I just don't like to feel myself bad, so I have no choice, but to be prepared, and I know, for me it takes that much time.
 
Yes, I have a life, and very often events and occurrences happen, but nevertheless I always was able to find those 8 hours a day. Very often it was on expense of my sleeping time, though.

[chromatickler]

respect to da MARIK!!!!

 

[puma]

1) If I cancel the concert, mentally I will feel very bad.
2) If people are so kind to come to listen to my concert, I absolutely cannot be unprepared, otherwise I will feel very bad. I just don't like to feel myself bad, so I have no choice, but to be prepared, and I know, for me it takes that much time.


I know what you mean.  When I play for an audience, I feel that my performance is there for the audience to see, to judge, so I try my very best to come on time, dress my best, play my best, etc.  And although I've come many times close to cancelling, I never have cancelled.

[timothy42b]

There is hardly a concert pianist, world class athlete, CEO, etc., who has not cancelled at one time or another.

Sure, there are a few superstars at the top who can get away with cancelling a performance.

The working world cannot.

I've not performed on piano but have some experience on gigs with other instruments.  Cancelling is just not done.  Do it, and you never get another call.  The word very quickly spreads that you can't be relied on.  And, that you are clueless about the unwritten rules.

Of course the reality is that occasionally extreme circumstances occur.  Then, you are obligated to find your own replacement.  Everybody understands this, though you don't want to make a habit of it.  (Every time your replacement plays, he is auditioning for your job.) 

So I say no, never cancel, not for illness or lack of practice.  Broken hand, yeah, okay, but your call should not say sorry I can't make it.  It should say sorry I broke my hand, but Joe has agreed to fill in, and I'm sure you'll be happy with his playing.  And I'd do that only if I couldn't substitute that Sonata for the Left Hand I'd been working on. 

[Hmoll]

 

Of course the reality is that occasionally extreme circumstances occur.  

[sigh] That's what I'm talking about: extreme circumstances.

No one is recommending anyone cancel performances, but sometimes it is inevitable. For example, if you do not go to your mother's funeral because you have a gig, then you don't have your priorities in order. That's all.

[anda]

never, not even based on illness (just a week ago i performed with high temperature and i still don't know how come i didn't cough once!). but there were times when i wished i could do that.

and this is not true! how could i forget... i canceled not one performance, but a whole tour (i found a replacement to take over) due to a ugly accident with my left hand.

[cziffra]

As a young and budding pianist, what are the unwritten rules?

[timothy42b]

As a young and budding pianist, what are the unwritten rules?

Somewhere I've got a list of possibles.  Here's a couple off the top of my head:

1.  On time is late.  Half hour early is on time.  Earlier is better. 

2.  Always laugh at the leader's jokes no matter how stupid.  Getting along with people is 10% more important than your playing ability.  Maybe more. 

3.  Never disrespect anybody else's playing in public.  NMACTSYM.  Never Miss a Chance to Shut Your Mouth.  About other players, about contractors, about customers, etc. 

4.  Never brag about your own playing.  It's okay to show them, never to talk about it. 

Etc. 

[Alde]

Cancelling is never good because it ruins your credability.  Learn from your mistake and make sure that you commit yourself to practice, regardless of your busy schedule.

[Etude]

Ever cancel a performance?

Nope, but other people have cancelled it for me.  Turned out the hall had been double booked for a meeting...  I wasn't really ready for some of the pieces I had programmed though, so it's probably just as well.