Peak Performance for Musicians
Overcome Music Performance Anxiety with Mental Game Strategies
I recently watched Brené Brown’s 2012 TEDTalk called Listening to Shame. I am one of 2,785,867 people who have viewed this video since. I don’t know how many of those nearly three million viewers were performers so here I am passing this message on to you. Brown is a research professor who has spent the past ten years studying vulnerability, courage, authenticity, and shame. She … [Read more...]
Have you ever felt stuck after a less than successful performance? Why did this happen? Again! What about that audition that didn't go the way you expected? We often focus on the fact that the performance didn't go well instead of focusing on what we can change to make a difference next time. On the flip side, have you ever found it difficult to get up and going after a successful … [Read more...]
I ran across a quote by Holocaust survivor, Viktor Frankl, that really spoke to me. Frankl was an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist who spent three years in a concentration camp. When released, he chronicled his ordeal in his book, Man's Search for Meaning (1959). In this best-selling book, he concluded that even in the most absurd, painful, and dehumanized situation, life has … [Read more...]
Does your heart race or do your hands shake prior to an important performance? Do you get into your head and wonder what the audience or judging panel is going to think of your performance? Do you feel so nervous that your head is full of chatter that distracts you from focusing on or enjoying your performance? Do you feel confident and perform well in rehearsal and recital, but auditions … [Read more...]
What are illusions? Illusions are tricks our eyes and minds play on us. They trick us into perceiving something different from what actually exists. What we see often does not correspond with reality. The funny thing about optical illusions is that what we perceive seems very real until we view it in another light! Look at the black and white picture to the right. What do you see? … [Read more...]
When was the last time you felt anxious about an upcoming concert or audition? When was the last time you backed down from a challenge? Most performers have experienced these butterflies or anxiety prior to performance. This is not always a bad thing, but sometimes these feelings cause performers to pull back and can point to a common fear for performers—the fear of the unknown. The nature of … [Read more...]
As we discussed last time in Self-Talk—Friend or Foe?, chatter constantly runs through our heads as automatic thoughts, or as conscious thinking playing inner critic or inner coach to bolster our performing confidence. Greek philosopher, Epictetus said: “We are not disturbed by things, but by the views which we take of them.” Let’s really look at this statement. What if this is … [Read more...]
Everyone has an inner dialogue of little voices—that steady stream of on-going thoughts and images—that constantly goes through their minds on and off the stage. This dialogue can be your most reliable and best encouragement or can be your worst criticism. If you have been watching the Olympics, you have witnessed one incredible example after another of performers whose self-talk works … [Read more...]
You, like many musicians, may have heard things like, “You gotta be tough!” “You have to grow a thick skin!” or “Don’t wear your feelings on your sleeve!” At the same time, performers are supposed to get their TOUGH selves onto the stage and become vulnerable artists in order to share their music with the audience. Seems like a paradox? Let’s see if we can figure this … [Read more...]
If you are a performer who struggles with performance anxiety or you can't seem to perform as well as you practice, you may want to take a look at to what and where you are paying attention. Most performers who are anxious or fearful are paying attention to things outside of their control. The ability to concentrate in the present and to focus on the specific task at hand is extremely … [Read more...]