Why Your Students Should Use Video as a Tool to Review Practice & Performances

As musicians, we create a lot of noise. Not just musical noise during practice, or when we're performing—we also create a lot of noise in our heads.

We can all relate to the fact that by nature, playing an instrument is a profound form of multitasking. At any given moment during a performance—or practice—we’re juggling the physical manipulation of our instrument along with a laundry list of mental notes and cues, in every attempt to ultimately produce our best version of a given piece of organized sound. Timing, rhythm, phrasing, articulation, pitch, timbre, facial expression, body movement, harmony, form, lyrics . . . the list goes on and on.

To top it all off, we’re also subconsciously managing the emotions of our egos, personal biases, prior musical experiences, stresses, and nerves, that can easily add up to a tainted recollection of what actually happened on stage. How can we perceive and analyze our own performances objectively, filtering out all of that extra noise we’re creating in our head in the heat of the moment?

Review Performances from a Brand New Lens

In sports, video review is crucial for coaches and players . Game film is used to provide an objective analysis of a performance, contributing to team and individual player development—both mentally and physically. Having video review sessions creates opportunities to examine a particular play from a brand new, unfiltered lens.

Why not apply this same technique to music students? For us, “game” day is the performance. As an educator, you can likely recall moments with students where they simply do not believe they performed as well as you think they did. Or, they’re so focused on that note they missed that they didn’t even realize how perfectly they executed the rhythm and articulation of it. Or, they gave an overall stellar performance, but their deep level of concentration led them to forget to smile, move, or engage with the audience and actually perform .

Reviewing performance film can be used as a constructive tool to give students a more accurate point of view to see how they really delivered.

Psychoneuromuscular Theory

Not only can video review help correct (or support) some of the attributions in our mental perception of a performance, it can also help improve the physical aspects of it. You may already be aware of the benefits of mental rehearsal and visualization , and according to psychoneuromuscular theory , imagery of an action provokes subliminal stimulation of the muscles that are used in the actual movement patterns being imagined.

Perhaps your student finally remembered to breathe in that quick, eight-note break between phrases. Or, maybe they forgot to implement the correct fingering in that chromatic section of the melody. “Game” film in the context of a music performance can help reaffirm the positive physical aspects of the performance, while creating an opportunity to also identify and make adjustments in areas of improvement.

Reviewing performances of professional musicians can also be beneficial for students prior to their performance. If the student is struggling with a particular phrase or rhythm, or even the expression or emotional delivery of a piece, seeing and hearing it done correctly will establish an accurate image in their mind to recreate.

Practice Playing the Game

Not only is it valuable to review “game” film after a performance, students can also implement this review technique in practice as a way to polish an upcoming performance. Have them film their practice, review it, then take notes on specific things they’d like to improve upon, but also to keep track of things they’re already doing well. The insight they will gain from this exercise is a powerful tool! With honest, constructive self-evaluation, students can quickly and independently address habits or issues during practice, bringing these areas up to par with sections they already feel good about. Over time, students will feel more confident going into a performance—with their “game” face on!