Pageant Center

  • Most Popular
  • On-Stage Questions
  • Interviews
  • Evening Gown
  • Talent
  • Best Talents
  • Hairstyles
  • Image & Wardrobe
  • Pageant Tips
  • News
  • Miss America
  • Miss Universe
  • Miss USA
  • Miss Teen USA
  • MAOT
  • Miss World
You are here: Home / Costuming / Outfits for Pageant Instrumental Talents | Costuming for Pageant Musicians

Outfits for Pageant Instrumental Talents | Costuming for Pageant Musicians

Instrumental pageant talents have unique costuming demands, so when choosing or designing your pageant talent competition costume,

keep in mind the unique demands of your specific musical instrument.

For instance, a pianist is usually positioned so judges can watch the keyboard, which hinders a girl’s ability to visually connect with the panel. “Often the judges will be seated so they can’t see anything but the back, so you’ll want to have back interest,” says Thomas Tolbert, a pageant wardobing expert. “If she is going to be at an angle (such as playing a piano), get some interest to draw the eye up to her face. Hands are important too, but you want to see the face.”

Marjorie Vincent, Miss America 1991, talent competition outfit

Marjorie Vincent, Miss Illinois, used excellent talent costuming on her way to winning the talent competition…and the 1991 Miss America title.

Successful looks for pianists and other instrumentalists include gowns with tailored or flowing trains and eye-catching detailing on the torso, shoul­ders, and sleeves.

  • Marjorie Vincent (1991) chose a simple black skirt with an elegant red-and-black embroidered tulip train (to right) for her classical piano performance of Fantaisie Impromptu.
  • Gretchen Carlson, Miss America 1989, wore an elegant black and deep green velvet gown for her classical violin performance of Zigeunerweisen

Since wind and string musicians use facial expressions, hand motions, and movement around the stage to project personality, they must use costuming to focus attention on those areas.

Detailing on the bodice, neckline, shoulders, and sleeves helps draw attention to the performer’s face and instrument. “Put the artwork at the bodice going up,” advises Tolbert. “If you have the artwork at the top it draws your attention up to her face.”

Chiffon, taffeta, or velvet skirts, and understated tone-on-tone beaded skirts are all suitable bottoms.

Musicians with energetic numbers should select costuming that compliments body movements. Miss Missouri 1983, a fiddler, won a national talent award wearing a fully fringed pantsuit that swayed in unison with her lively performance.

Use costuming to get – and keep – the judges’ attention. A pageant musician’s costuming should instantly establish the genre of her performance for the judges and develop a specific mood onstage.

“You have to create an image,” advises Stacy King, Miss Louisiana 1989, a spirited banjo player. “Everything has to fit. Everything has to be perfect. The total picture is the key.”

Miss South Carolina marimba talent Miss America's Outstanding Teen Pageant piano talent Miss America pageant piano talentGretchen Carlson Miss America Pageant violin talentMAOT pageant violin talentMiss America pageant piano talent winner

  • Your Pageant Talent Costuming Sets the Mood for Your Performance
  • Best Pageant Music for Dance, Ballet, Gymnastics, Baton, Acrobatics in the Talent Competition
  • Pageant Costuming for Dancers, Baton, Gymnastics in Talent Competition
  • Outfits for Pageant Instrumental Talents | Costuming for Pageant Musicians
  • What Should Pageant Singers Wear? | Best Pageant Costuming for Vocalists
  • What Judges Look for in the Pageant Talent Competition
  • Pageant Talent Tips for Singers
  • Tips for Classical Singers in Pageants
  • Best Pageant Music for Singers
  • Best Pageant Talent Music for Musicians
  • Pageant Music for Classical Musicians and Dancers
  • Pageant Dancers Have it Made! The Many Types of Dance Used as Pageant Talents
  • How to Prepare for the Pageant Talent Competition

 

You might also like:

  • How to Improve Any Pageant Talent
  • When should I begin competing in pageants?
  • Pageant Interview Tips: Don’t Stall or Ramble When You Answer
  • #1 Best Pageant Hair Style…This is the pageant hair style that wins the most!
  • Pageant Question Mistakes
  • Dozens of ideas for pageant answers from national pageant winners
  • Pageant Tips: Raise pageant tuition with crowd-funding
  • Pageant plastic surgeon describes advancements in skin care technologies

Related Posts

pageant makeup tips
Pageant Tips: 1000 Tips to Win Beauty Pageants
Debra Maffett, Miss America 1983
How to Improve Any Pageant Talent
Paige Phillips, Miss Alabama, ventriloquism talent
How to Really SELL Your Pageant Talent to Judges

Miss America 1992 Carolyn Sapp sang in talent competition.
How to Perform Your Pageant Talent Like a Professional
Miss America 1984 Vanessa Williams in pageant talent competition
The Surprising Secret to Take Your Pageant Talent to the Next Level
Pageant Talent Tips
What To Do If You Don’t Have a Pageant Talent

❮❮ Previous Post
Next Post ❯ ❯

Most Popular Posts!

Tips for On-Stage Questions in a Pageant

Tips for On-Stage Questions in a Pageant

Best Pageant Gown Colors for Each Hair Color

Best Pageant Gown Colors for Each Hair Color

Know How Your Pageant Gown Color Will Look Under Stage Lights

Know How Your Pageant Gown Color Will Look Under Stage Lights

Your Pageant Gown is Your Portrait…What Does it Say About You?

Your Pageant Gown is Your Portrait…What Does it Say About You?

#1 Best Pageant Hair Style…This is the pageant hair style that wins the most!

#1 Best Pageant Hair Style…This is the pageant hair style that wins the most!

Best Pageant Songs for Talent

Best Pageant Songs for Talent

What Judges Look for in the Pageant Talent Competition

What Judges Look for in the Pageant Talent Competition

Best Pageant Music for Singers

Best Pageant Music for Singers

Pageant Walk: How to Walk in Swimsuit and Evening Gown

Pageant Walk: How to Walk in Swimsuit and Evening Gown

Best Shoes for the Pageant Evening Gown Competition [PHOTOS]

Best Shoes for the Pageant Evening Gown Competition [PHOTOS]

Pageant Makeup Tips: The Right Cosmetics for Pageant Interviews and On-Stage

Pageant Makeup Tips: The Right Cosmetics for Pageant Interviews and On-Stage

Pageant Gowns: Best Colors for Each Pageant System

Pageant Gowns: Best Colors for Each Pageant System

A Pageant Gown Must Fit the System | Picking Gowns for Each Type of Pageant

A Pageant Gown Must Fit the System | Picking Gowns for Each Type of Pageant

Choose a Pageant Gown by Body Type

Choose a Pageant Gown by Body Type

On-Stage Questions in a Pageant

On-Stage Questions in a Pageant

Pageant Interview Suits and Dresses | Tips for Choosing Pageant Interview Clothes

Pageant Interview Suits and Dresses | Tips for Choosing Pageant Interview Clothes

Pageant Gown Colors Create your Image

Pageant Gown Colors Create your Image

Best colors for pageant gowns

Best colors for pageant gowns

Six tips to pick the best evening gown for a pageant

Six tips to pick the best evening gown for a pageant

More Posts from this Category

Tags

Beauty products Beauty tips Best hairstyles Dance & dancers Evening gown competition Final questions Gown tips How to pick a pageant gown How to win pageants Image and wardrobe Interview tips Makeup Miss America Miss America's Teen Miss Americas Miss Teen USA Miss Universe Miss USA Miss World Mistakes to avoid Music for pageants Musicians On-stage questions Pageant Answers Pageant history Pageant news Pageant questions Platforms Singers Stage makeup talent costuming Talent ideas Talent music Talents Talent tips Teen pageants Tips Titleholders Winners winning habits

Pageant Calendar

  • Add Your Pageant (Free)
  • Pageant Calendar
  • Upcoming Pageants by State
  • Terms of use
  • Privacy
  • About
  • Sitemap
  • Find Pageants
  • Pageant Tips and News
  • Home

© 1998 Pageant CenterTM, All Rights Reserved | Legal | Privacy