The camera never lies.

The camera may add ten pounds, but the videocamera is your best friend!

Every year, we put on our annual concert for a total of three shows. We videotape each one, and the day after the shows are over, we gather to eat, relax, and watch one of the three. Year after year, the same phenomenon results: We all laugh and enjoy, but when it's time for someone's solo, that person gets real quiet as they watch themselves...

I've talked about using mirrors before and how it's too easy to see what you want to see, rather than what you're being shown. The playback from a recording is much the same thing, but offers you a chance to really see what you've done. What's better, most digital cameras nowadays offer some sort of video recording function, so you don't need to buy fancy equipment.

There are two ways to make best use of this: at solo practice and at a performance.

At practice, you can look at your individual form. Are your hands really even? Where do you look stiff? Is your sound consistent among your strikes? How's your posture? There's no end to the elements you can look at in as short as 20 seconds of footage.

At performance, you can look at group dynamics and how individuals fit into the group. Are people sticking out because their form isn't the same? Are some people "off" (as opposed to "on"), energy-wise? Do dynamics sound like they should? Do the songs look cramped or too similar to each other in the flow of things?

The first time you see yourself on videotape can be a bit of a shock, but even if you go into a review with an intent to improve, don't neglect to notice all the good stuff, too!