My son is a bit shy in public places just like his mom and dad. It takes about 10-15mins for him to adjust and get along with others. But the time increases if there are more strangers than he had expected. To add fuel to the fire, all the people around us comment that he is so shy and this makes him even more clingy.
Recently, he is having recitals for the Suzuki voice program. He prepares and performs so well at home. But on the stage, he chooses he wants to sing a different song than he had practiced. Then when asked to sing, he keeps mum or just moves his lips without any voice
How do I encourage him to be more enthusiastic on the stages; to let go off his shyness and to be himself? Any tips and tricks?
Stage presentation is a seperate skill, independent of music, as you have pointed out. The best advice I have on that is to simply practice stage presence in a non-threatening environment. Let them practice introducing themselves and their piece for you, for daddy, for grandma, and for a video camera. Then let him watch it. Talk about how to put his hands by his side and not fidget. Tell him what to say, and let him practice it (if that’s something they do at his recitals). Using a video camera was one of the best things I did with my piano students to help them develop their presentation skills because it showed them what they looked like. If the child thought it looked good, it developed their confidence. If they didn’t like what they saw, they could learn to identify what they didn’t like, and work on that.
I don’t know how old your son is, and how if this kind of analysis would be appropriate for him, but for any age, practing stage presence alone is a great place to start. Good luck! It’s worth it.
