When I was growing up, I took piano lessons.
We had an annual recital where we played a memorized piece.
The rigamarole went something like this:
1. Wait for your name to be called.
2. Go to the piano.
3. Adjust the bench.
4. Start the piece.
5. Play the piece.
6. End the piece.
7. Exhale.
8. Stand up.
9. Take a bow.
10. Go back and sit with your parents.
Step 9 always caught me off guard.
Take a bow.
Why do I need to take a bow?
I can count the reasons why I don't want to take a bow:
1. It makes me feel stupid.
2. I can only assume it makes me look stupid.
3. It feels unnatural.
4. Start back at 1 and read the list again...
So, why should I take a bow after a performance?
Here's why I bow after my piano-show performances:
1. It's a non-verbal way of saying "Thank you" to the audience.
2. It's classy.
3. It's an easy way to communicate that you are finished with the show (don't bow before your encore).
4. It's a sign of confidence.
5. Again, it's a non-verbal way of saying "Thank you" to the audience.
How do I know when it's appropriate to bow?
1. Look at your surroundings:
2. I'm in an auditorium. Do I bow? Yes.
3. Is there a grand piano present where I'm performing? Do I bow? Yes.
4. Am I standing on a stage that's elevated at least 3 feet from the ground? Do I bow? Yes.
5. I'm in a bar. Do I bow? Maybe... This is a tricky one:
- How engaged is the collective bar audience with your music? Very engaged -It's a full house and the only people not paying attention are a couple that are fighting with each other at the bar. Do I bow? Yes!
- How engaged is the collective bar audience with your music? Kind of engaged -About half of the bar are paying attention. Do I bow? No. Use the microphone to say thank you to everybody for coming.
- How engaged is the collective bar audience with your music? Not very engaged -There are more people in the bar trying to pretend there isn't live music happening than there are people listening. No. Again, use the microphone to say thank you to everybody for coming.
***
So, how do I bow without feeling like an idiot?
1. Practice it.
2. Practice it.
3. Practice it.
I used to be fond of putting my hand on the piano and giving a half bow / nod.
In more recent years, I've grown fond of Freddie Mercury's full-body-style bow.
There's always the traditional diplomatic style bow -elbow bent - one forearm across midsection / one forearm behind the back.
There's also the classic before-we're-about-to-fight kung-fu bow (which oddly can come across looking classy when it's rehearsed).
Whichever bow you choose, work on it after your last song in the set. It'll feel weird at first (especially practicing by yourself), but you WILL perform the way you practice. Don't skimp out on the bow! Keep in mind that you might feel ridiculous, but this isn't a time to be entertaining or funny -this is your non-verbal way to tell the audience "thank you". You've done so well through your whole show -this isn't the time to make everybody feel awkward! :-)
Until next time,
-T.