Guidelines for Performance/Lectures

Format

You will have 20 minutes total for  your performance, lecture and questions from the audience.  The lecture should be a scholarly analysis of your performance or development of the work.  Be aware that many in the audience will not be experts in your field. Give your lecture to an intelligent lay person.

Only solos, duos, or small ensembles or groups of performers (3-4 players/performers) are recommended. There is not room for extensive amounts of extra equipment (e.g., excess amounts of scenery, extra instruments, music stands).

Be sure to submit a list of any extra equipment needs on your registration form. You should also be prepared to supply these additional items if necessary. If your presentation was created on a Mac be sure to bring the adaptor.

After Submission

Strive for the best performance possible. A poorly performed or under-rehearsed performance will reflect badly on you, no matter how good the lecture. Of course, the reverse (good performance/poor lecture) is also unacceptable.

The use of handouts or other visuals is highly recommended. You will need to transmit a large amount of information in a short time. Scores, excerpts, scripts, diagrams, will do much to help you achieve this goal. You do not want to waste time explaining something that can be readily understood from a handout or visual. If you choose to use a handout, keep it short, strictly relevant to the topic covered, and easily understood. Bring sufficient copies (generally 20-25) and arrange for their distribution with the moderator.

Practice the entire performance/lecture as much as possible and at least once before a live audience. Encourage questions from your audience to give you some practice thinking on your feet. Run through your presentation to be sure it is neither too short nor, especially, too long. It is both rude and unprofessional to exceed the allotted time.

Day of Symposium

Be sure your lecture is as engaging as your performance by maintaining eye contact, modulating your voice, and employing a lively delivery. Do not compensate for a long text by reading fast. Also, clearly indicate when you are finished (i.e., by saying "Thank You"). After you have finished, there will be an opportunity for the moderator to ask the audience for questions or comments. Remain at the podium to field the questions. The moderator remains in charge of calling on individuals with questions and controlling time. Stay for the entire session. It is extremely rude for a presenter to leave before hearing the other presenters.

Commitment

Submitting an abstract is a commitment to attend the symposium and to deliver the performance as accepted. If for any reason you cannot attend, you must immediately notify your sponsor and the chair of the symposium and provide an explanation. At a minimum, arrange to have someone else deliver the performance; anything less is unprofessional.