For most musicians, March means that auditions are over. But, this also means that for most of us, especially if you're a student, the next focus is spring recitals. Whatever the context, it's always helpful to have a few methods of dealing with performance anxiety. As everyone has their own ritual (I once knew someone who ate 5 bananas before every concert, whatever works for you!) here are a few things that I do that might also help you.
Hopefully some of these ideas will help you, and please share your own ideas for handling performance anxiety!
TweetRegarding your 4th point, I like the story that Wieniawski had written "Il faut risquer" (One must take risks) into his sheet music by a difficult passage.
Great tips. Thanks. I keep telling my pupils to breathe. Now I know why!
The only positive advice I can add is rather simplistic, self-evident. Make sure that any solo piece you intend to perform in front of a real audience is 100% within your technical limits. One dangerous passage can wreck your composure for the entire piece.
XANAX is the answer !!
I try to find a spot to stare at that does not include people and keep my concentration right there
Ironic how we characterize the most important pointer, playing into the discomfort, as sounding like someone on crack. Playing into the discomfort is returning to task and state of mind at hand, which is real, in contrast to thoughts of approval and the thoughts of others' thinking. It is the focus on such fantasies and a reluctance to acknowledge their disabling discomfort that leads people to use crack, among other things. The last of these four pointers encompasses beautifully all of the preceding ones. Thank you for them all; you sound quite sober.
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March 14, 2019 at 06:13 PM · One thing I learned recently is that when you come to an easy lyrical passage in your piece, get WAY into it. Sing the melody line in your head along with your playing, really enjoy it totally. This will block out the negative thoughts that you might have about mistakes that you've already made or mistakes you might make in the hard parts coming up.