Personality May Very Well Be More Important Then Talent
And now let’s presume that the young artist has passed his audition and has obtained his first important public appearance. As he steps upon the stage there is an appreciative murmur from the audience, or perhaps there is an instant of hushed, anticipatory silence; in either case, in this brief moment a definite reaction has been engendered in his audience and much of his success has already been made or lost.
What causes this? What makes an audience approve or disapprove before a note is sounded? The complete answer to this would be to explain, which is hardly possible, the whole phenomenon of personality. There are, however, certain attributes that are found in all successful artists and many of these can be catalogued. As a matter of fact, these very personality attributes are often all that one can see as the difference between successful and unsuccessful performers.
In the seasoned, experienced artists there seems to be a heartwarming self-confidence, a joyous poise that exudes a pleasurable feeling to the audience. The very entrance of a successful artist seems to convey to the listeners the thought that they can anticipate a pleasant evening, and that everyone concerned will have a happy time. Self-confidence should not be misinterpreted. It has nothing in common with cocksureness or arrogance. Some artists stride onto a stage as though they were going to take it by storm. This hardly induces the desired audience reaction. On the other hand, amateurs or beginners are apt to sidle onto the stage with an apologetic demeanor that is just as trying to the patience of an intelligent audience.
It is imperative, therefore, that every student has plenty of practice in performing before an audience prior to his seeking serious professional engagements. He should have sung at innumerable amateur and semi-professional gatherings, and in addition to these, and prior to them, he should have had ample opportunity for singing at student recitals, given for that purpose, by his teacher.