tonebase Voice Two-Week Recital Prep Challenge
đ€ tonebase Voice Two-Week Recital Prep Challenge
Preparing to Perform with Confidence
Challenge Dates: February 2â13
Recital Watch Party: February 18
Sign-ups open January 20
This two-week challenge is designed to help singers prepare a short piece for the February Recital Watch Partyâwhether you plan to share a pre-recorded performance or sing live on Zoom. Through daily prompts, singers will refine their repertoire, build consistency, and develop confidence in recording and performing.
The focus is on clear preparation, repetition with intention, and readiness, so you can show up feeling grounded and prepared.
WEEK 1: SOLIDIFYING THE PIECE
(February 2â7)
Day 1 â February 2 | Choose & Commit
Prompt:
Choose the piece or excerpt you will sing for the recital (30â90 seconds).
Write:
Why you chose it
Whether you plan to record or sing live
Commit to this piece for the challenge.
Day 2 â February 3 | Text & Intention
Prompt:
Speak the text aloud slowly.
Write 2â3 sentences describing:
The emotional intention
Who youâre singing to
What you want the listener to understand
Day 3 â February 4 | Technical Check-In
Prompt:
Identify one technical focus that will help this piece feel more secure (breath, onset, registration, pacing, etc.).
Sing the piece once with that focus in mind.
Day 4 â February 5 | Slow Practice
Prompt:
Sing through the piece at a slower tempo or in sections.
Notice:
Where you rush
Where support or clarity drops
Write one observation.
Day 5 â February 6 | First Practice Recording
Prompt:
Record a private run-through (you donât need to post it).
Listen back and note:
One strength
One area to refine
Day 6 â February 7 | Confidence Through Repetition
Prompt:
Sing the piece twice in a row without stopping.
Notice what improves the second time.
Write one sentence about what helped.
WEEK 2: PERFORMANCE READINESS
(February 8â13)
Day 7 â February 8 | Performance Mindset
Prompt:
Write a short statement you can return to before performing:
âWhen I sing this piece, I am focusing onâŠâ
Sing once with that mindset.
Day 8 â February 9 | Recording Practice
Prompt:
Set up your recording space or Zoom setup.
Do one full take as if it were the final performance.
No fixingâjust sing.
Day 9 â February 10 | Review & Adjust
Prompt:
Listen back to yesterdayâs take.
Identify:
One thing that worked
One small adjustment to try today
Day 10 â February 11 | Mock Performance
Prompt:
Do a mock performance:
Stand/sit as you will for the recital
Begin and end intentionally
Take a pause before and after singing
Reflect briefly on how it felt.
Day 11 â February 12 | Share or Final Record
Prompt:
Record the version youâre most proud of so far.
If youâre planning to post a video, this may become your submission.
If singing live, treat this as your dress rehearsal.
Day 12 â February 13 | Ready to Share
Prompt:
Post in the forum:
That youâre ready to perform
Whether youâll post a video or sing live
One thing youâre proud of from this process
đ¶ Closing Note
This challenge isnât about perfectionâitâs about preparation, presence, and confidence. By showing up consistently for your piece over two weeks, youâll arrive at the recital knowing your voice, your music, and your intention.
27 replies
-
Hi all- greetings from Cowbridge, Wales. I plan to perform Ich Grolle Nicht from Schumann. I chose this as I am working on German Lieder songs now and getting more into German diction. I plan to record it because of the time difference.
-
Day 1: I plan to sing Schubert's Du bist die ruh. I chose this because a German lied is next on my list to learn, and this one is both simple and beautiful. I plan to sing live, though it is a bit early in the day!
-
Day 2: This is being sung to one's love, the one within whom safety and peace reside, and the one in whom the beloved trusts that joy, pain, peace, longing can all be fulfilled within. Their should be an understanding of the love between two souls, where the beloved(s) can rest and feel the fullness of the other.
-
Day 3: Breath ... the tempo marking is langsam, and I want to maintain a smooth and connected feel to the phrases. Finding natural places to breathe, and keeping the breath steady and supported will aid this.
-
Day 4: if I remember to support at the beginning of each phrase, staying solid to the end is much easier!
-
Day 5:
Strength - sostenuto
Refine - my "u's"; I find these very challenging in German
-
Day 6 Phrasing improved on the second time; I also noticed one spot where I made the same mistake both times - I don't always notice this with single run throughs or smaller practice sections, so it seems that that second run through also helped troubleshoot!
-
Day 7: When I sing this piece I am focusing on the beauty of the music (and bringing that beauty to life).
-
Hi All
Sorry for not being in the chats lately, I am studying to take my UK solicitor's license, busy doing the application and test prep. Here is Ich Grolle Nicht by Schumann. I am getting better in my German diction and happy to reach that high note at the end of the piece. Here is my video submission.
-
I'm ready to perform, and will sing live. If I have a chance to record and post, I'll do that Monday or Tuesday, but still plan to sing live. I'm most proud of remembering to focus on the beauty of singing rather than all the technical aspects (which support the beauty, but aren't the beauty!).
*P.S. Thurmond plans to sing live as well (pretty sure his piece is from The Magic Flute; I'll encourage him AGAIN to sign up).
-
Here's my day *11* video, which is super-in-process! I often record myself, but don't save as I work through the process of learning a new piece of repertoire. I listen primarily for what needs improvement, because that is the purpose of recording at this stage (for me). I heard many German diction slips, some intonation and pitch/interval challenges (which are automatically better when I have an accompanying track), and some spots where I need to support my breath more and follow my breathing plan.
See you Wednesday!
-
Just practiced and recorded mine at the last minute đ . Glad this recital forced me to record myself singing as there's lots to observe upon watching my video. Usually I record only audio to track progress, but the video is another dimension (literally!).
Here's me singing Se Tu M'ami by Alessandro Parisotti. Enjoy! https://youtube.com/shorts/Hh0qN2uVwdo?feature=share
-
what time is the recital today?
-
photos of my new choral digs.