Look at a picture of someone playing an instrument. Do they look professional? How prepared do they look? What type of instrument are they playing? Those questions can be answered from just looking at a photo, but in order to understand the evolution of a performer a person must look deeper than just the photo. They also have to look at the meaning behind it, and also at little tendencies that wouldn’t normally be seen. It is hard to describe how a performer evolves in only a couple of photos because of how long the journey is just to get to that point. Every aspect, from picking an instrument, to the first time playing, learning how to read and preform music, and the different ways to preform are just a few of the many aspects that make someone a performer.

First a performer starts out, well, not as one. Take a look at the picture with all of the different varieties of mouthpieces. Notice there is no one in this photo. Why? Say the person picking out the instrument saw a big man playing the tuba. They would then assume that since they are not a big man like the picture shows, they probably won’t be able to play that instrument. The point of showing all the different mouthpieces is to show the variety an individual has when picking out an instrument. There are mouthpieces are of all different sizes and shapes. This is used to show someone that there are many different options for them, and just because one might not work out for them, there is probably one that will suit them better. For instance, it is harder for someone with big lips to be able to play a smaller mouthpiece simply because they can’t get the air stream that is required to make a quality sound on the instrument. Another thing that can be taken from this picture is the type of air that is required for the certain instrument. Use the tuba mouthpiece as an example. This is the biggest mouthpiece, which means it will require more air to produce a sound. The small mouthpieces however, like the trumpet, require a faster air speed because of how narrow the shank, which is the long skinny part, is for that particular mouthpiece.

The next picture shown shows the individual playing the instrument for the first time. What he doesn’t know though, is that he doesn’t even have the instrument set up in the proper way. He is missing the slide part of the trombone, which is essential to be able to play a wide variety of notes. Notice also the serious look on his face. He isn’t laughing or smiling because he doesn’t know that he messed up such a simple thing as setting up the instrument. He is so focused on just being able to learn how to play it that he took his mouthpiece and put it in a random hole in the instrument where he thought it was supposed to go. This shows how at the beginning of trying to become a performer, even the basic tasks such as setting up the instrument, can seem to be a daunting task. 

Now that he has learned how to put the instrument together and is able to make a sound on the instrument, it is time for him to start learning notes and how to read music. This is potentially the most difficult task for a performer as he starts out. Learning to read music is like learning a new language, it takes time and practice. So, he gets the piece “Ode to Joy” put in front of him. Doesn’t look to difficult at first, right? Taking a closer look at the music though, he sees it is much more complex than he originally thought. He must know which part he is supposed to play out of the three different options that are on the page. Once he does that he has to look over to the far-left side of the page, where he finds out which clef he is playing in, and what his key signature is. The key signature shows which notes will be played either flat or sharp in a given piece. This might seem light a minor detail but playing a note flat when it is supposed to be sharp can cause dissonance, which a very unpleasant sound for people’s ears. Next are the little black dots that go all the way across and down the page. These are the notes he is supposed to play. This might seem simple to him. That is until he realizes that each black dot can have a different pitch, length, tempo, and dynamic, which is the loudness or softness of the note. These little details become hurdles for the evolving performer as he is trying to learn how to play the piece of music.

Now it is time. He has made it to his first performance. Notice how everyone is wearing the exact same thing. They do this to look uniform, that way one person who isn’t wearing the proper attire doesn’t distract the audience from the music. Posture is another thing that is key for a musician. Every performer on stage has their backs straight with their feet flat on the group. This posture allows the best airflow to produce the best sound on their instruments. Now here’s one that takes a close eye to spot. The music stands are all at the same level. Why is this? The purpose of this is so when the performer is looking at the music, the stand is also at the proper height to where he or she can see the conductor at the same time. Watching the conductor is essential to a successful performance. He is the one that gives the ensemble the tempo, the beat that they are currently on in the measure, certain musical cues such as solos, and cutoffs at the end of a section or the entire piece. These aspects aren’t noticeable at first glance when looking at the photo, but it goes to show how much preparation and focus is needed to be able to be a successful performer.

Once the performer has gotten comfortable with the basics of performing, it is then time for him to venture off into other types of performing. Marching band is an example of this. The focus that it takes to be able to march and play at the same time is second to none. Posture plays a key role in marching band as well. The performer must keep his horn parallel to the ground. The reason for this is if he has his horn pointed at the ground, his sound is muffled and the audience cannot hear him as well. Then he has to learn proper marching technique. He must get his knee up to where the top and bottom halves of his leg form a 90-degree angle. Also, notice his toes. When he picks up his foot, his toe points straight to the ground. This is so when he transitions from foot to foot it is not wobbly or too stiff. Once the performer gets the basics down, he gets hit with the hard stuff. Marching band is a mental challenge as well. He must know his music by memory, know how fast he must march, how many steps to his next spot, the exact size of those steps, and must land in the exact spot. These aspects are a very tough challenge for the performer staring out, but once he gets used to it he can start doing more advanced things with his marching.

Evolving as a performer takes hours of time, and is a skill that once learned, can be obtained for a lifetime. It wasn’t too long ago that the performer had just picked out his instrument, and was struggling to even put it together. Slowly though, he evolved into a performer who was able to perform on stage at a high level and also perform in different styles. Looking at those pictures without too much detail, it is hard to capture all of those aspects. A closer look at the pictures shows the truth in how much evolution it does take to become a performer.
