Here Comes Treble: A "Massage'' For Artistes
...You who are artistes – musicians and singers among others – are privileged to have many opportunities to look as grand as possible. In fact, it is your duty...
Music makers should look the part says flautist Isabel Bradley.
For more of Isabel's words, which weave "melodies'' in the mind, please click on Here Comes Treble in the menu on this page.
Most women enjoy an occasional opportunity to look their best, buy new clothes, indulge in beauty treatments and generally feel like a queen.
For many, those occasions on which we can preen to our hearts’ delight are too few, limited to our school-leavers’ dance, our own wedding, other people’s weddings, an occasional formal party.
You who are artistes – musicians and singers among others – are privileged to have many opportunities to look as grand as possible. In fact, it is your duty.
When performing, you should give yourself completely to your audience: beginning with the primary and most basic aspect of thoroughly knowing the work to be performed, you add your complete mental focus to your performance; you have to give your technical and artistic best; lastly, it is essential that you present yourself as attractively as possible. After all, the people sitting in the auditorium or theatre have paid to see you – the least you can do is look your best.
Thus, with a concert on your horizon, the first thing to do is buy a new, preferably expensive, outfit – and those beautiful shoes you’ve been drooling over for weeks. They’ll make your ankles look ever-so-elegant; never mind that wearing them throws your balance out of kilter and changes your breathing pattern – rehearse with the agonising things on for two weeks, and that problem is solved!
You’ve noticed some tired lines on your face? A week before the concert, have a facial treatment: relax as your face is cleansed, steamed and scrubbed; enjoy the bliss of a pressure-point massage that erases all signs of exhaustion; wallow in the delicious aromas of expensive moisturisers.
Oops, you’ve snagged a cuticle, and your nail-polish is peeling off. A marvellous manicure the day before the concert is definitely recommended, including another massage to relax those hand muscles which have been working so hard during rehearsals. Avoid bright colours on your nails, though – the slightest chip will be spot-lit under the stage lights – choose a neutral gloss for all performances. Remember – your hands are as much on show as the rest of you! Perhaps you could add a pedicure to the list of essential treatments, so that not only your ankles, but your toes are revealed in all their glamour by those shoes you’ve bought.
You’ve noticed a grey hair? Your gorgeous locks are looking a little unkempt? Heaven forbid: those merciless spot-lights will emphasize all that colourless crinkle. A few hours with your much-loved and highly talented stylist and colour specialist – including a relaxing head massage – will remove those signs of hard work!
Before leaving for the theatre or the concert hall, enjoy a long, luxurious bubble bath. Luxuriate by drying yourself in a thick and fluffy towel; moisturise yourself from head to toe; then dress in gorgeous lingerie your glamorous new outfit. Being careful not to spill on your clothes, carefully apply your make-up more heavily than usual, to give your face colour under those merciless stage lights. Now no-one will guess at the butterfly-nerves – which are, if you’re honest, more excitement than actual anxiety
After all this pampering, by the time you walk on stage you will be confident that every possible preparation has been made – quite apart from the hours of personal practise you’ve put in and the exhaustive rehearsals you’ve attended. You know you appear perfectly polished. You smile and – unless you’ve forgotten to brush your teeth and there’s a piece of rhubarb there – you will thoroughly enjoy and deserve being the centre of attention.
Men, on the other hand, are to be pitied. They seem to feel perfectly confident, wearing shiny, twenty-year-old trousers, faded black shirts and boat-sized black shoes. They may, in honour of appearing in public, wear a new tie. Before a performance they usually shower, sometimes they shave and wash their hair. Sadly for them they miss out on so many of the good things in life: shopping, luxuriating in self-indulgent treatments, more shopping, wearing new clothes, more luxuriating…
Appearance, after all, could be said to be ‘everything!’
Until next week, ‘here comes Treble!’
By Isabel Bradley copyright reserved ©
