Hello
anyone / or your kids been to the music festivals - wonder if it is a good thing - i mean what do you think are the pros and cons. i took my kids to the beckenham festival over the weekend to see what it was like

i did find it fun and interesting, Noticed however that the kids that played only 1 pieces got 1st -3rd places, a bit unfair for those kids that played more than 1 piece. the rules should be made clearer i think. the rules just said you play between 1-3 music pieces ( not more than 4 mins in total) . so those kids that played 1 piece did not even last for 2 min. i think it is unfair to those kids who have laboured over 3 pieces for the festivals. those that did minimum work got higher marks.

i guess my lesson from this is is less is more. i was a bit disappointed though, i think the kids who played 3 pieces have done even better than those who just learnt 1 piece and scored higher. i think more marks should be given those with 3 pieces as they have done a lot of work practising 3 pieces as opposed to those who just spent the last 4 terms on one piece.

I like music festivals.

I would imagine the ones who got the 1st prizes and only one piece were playing more musically than those trawling through 2 or 3 pieces. Its not fair on the audience.
I remember once a girl laboured (and I say laboured...for all the listeners), over a Bartok piece that was way above her level. The poor girl must have spent hours practising. The winner was a simpler grade 2 Kabalevsky piece, enriched wih musical tone, and you didnt want the piece to end!

Its not really less is more. Id say it is a case of being aware that you are performing. What would the audience like to hear? Stay within your own limits and above all give a 'musical performance'.