Workshops are a great way for performers to learn more about the mental skills it takes to perform at their full potential. In a group setting, performers can quickly realize and understand that they are not alone in their feelings of fear, doubt, or anxiety about performing.
The following are descriptions for sessions of varying lengths and on a variety of topics that can be tailored to your performance needs. Since each performer has a unique set of strengths and challenges, workshops are designed to involve participants in an interactive exercises and activities that help them really personalize valuable mental skills information and strategies. We strive to create a safe and comfortable environment of sharing and learning. All sessions conclude with a brief question and answer period.
If what you need or want is not addressed below, please contact me and we will work with you to design a workshop to suit your specific needs.
Turn Your Performance Anxiety into Performance Excitement (120 min)
This presentation provides a broad overview of the elements that detract from and lead to peak performance. Participants will engage in discussion and exercises designed to develop a better focus, a positive performance mindset as well as specific strategies for pre-performance preparation, effectively dealing with distractions, eliminating negative thoughts during performance and practice activities.
Focus On What Matters (60 min)
This presentation discusses the need for a present focus and the ability to shift focus when faced with distractions and doubt. Participants will explore the various things that pull their focus off of what it takes to perform their best and develop effective strategies for shifting focus performance cues—what it takes to perform well in the moment—and away from doubt and other distractions that adversely affect the quality and enjoyment of performance.
Achieving and Maintaining an Optimal Mindset (60 min)
We have a mindset about everything we do—including our performing. If you don’t manage your mindset, it will manage YOU! This interactive session provides the participant with an overview of the essential elements for an optimal performance mindset and the strategies for creating and maintaining this attitude.
Confidence and the Confidence-Expectations Connection (60 min)
Most performers believe that expecting to play well in performance, win an audition, or place in a competition means they have confidence they will. This just isn’t true. This session explains how we achieve and maintain confidence and how expectations can suck the life and joy out of our performing. Participants will learn how to replace strict expectations with in-the-moment performance cues.
Practice vs. Performance Skills—What’s the Diff? (60 min)
As performers we need both the ability to practice and perform well. It comes as a surprise to many that these two types of skills are very different. This session helps the participant differentiate between the skills needed to be a good practicer and those needed to be a good performer and why we need to develop and improve both!
Put the Play back in your Playing (60 min)
Harvard psychologist, Ellen Langer’s recent studies on mindfulness and the effects of mindfulness on aging have shown how being mindful—actively engaging in the present, noticing new things, and becoming more sensitive to context—results in greater competence, a decrease in accidents and mistakes, an increase in memory, creativity, and positive affect, and a decrease in stress and anxiety. In this session we will discuss how the mindful approach is a playful one and how cultivating a playful mindset can inform our performing in an enjoyable and effective way.
CLICK HERE to schedule a workshop or invite Dr. Allan to speak to your students!
Dr. Allan’s Recent Presentations:
Vocal Arts Week – West Texas A & M UniversityPeak Performance and the Musician
Canyon, Texas January 2018 Oak Hills Church Praise Team Presentation With a Song in Your Heart San Antonio, Texas October 2016 Musician’s Forum – Texas State University School of Music Perfectionism and the Student Musician San Marcos, Texas March 2016 American String Teachers Association National Convention Release the Fear Monster: How to Help Your Students Conquer Performance Anxiety Tampa, Florida March 2016 South Central College Music Society Regional Conference Mental Skills Assessment: Implications for Transforming Performance Education Wichita Falls, Texas March 2016 UTSA Learning Community, Laurel Village Perfectionism – Procrastination – Paralysis San Antonio, Texas February 2016 Stephen F. Austin State University How to be a Peak Performer: Don’t Believe Everything You Think! Nacogdoches, Texas October 2015 Shanghai Conservatory of Music Deep Practice Current Vocal Pedagogy Shanghai, China May 2015 Texas Music Educators Association Annual Convention Mindset: What is Performance Anxiety Trying to Tell You? San Antonio, Texas February 2015 2nd Sino-USA Music Education Summit Forum Mental Skills for Peak Performance in the Classroom and one the Stage Letting Go of the Need to be Perfect China Conservatory and Xi’an Conservatory Beijing, China and Xi’an, China October 2014 Great Plains Chapter NATS Mental Strategies for Peak Performance Master Class Abilene, TX September 2014 NATS National Convention What Mental Skills do Performers Need and How do they get them? Boston, MA July 2014 California State University-Fullerton Preparing for Peak Performance Master Class Fullerton, CA April 2014 Del Mar College Mindful Performing Master Class Corpus Christi, TX March 2014 University of Texas-Pan American Peak Performance: What Musicians Need to Know Master Class Edinburg, TX February 2014 Central Washington University Mental Skills for Peak Performing Mental Skills Training Master Class Ellensburg, WA January 2014 University of Texas at Brownsville Confident Performing Master Class Brownsville, TX September 2013 Phenomenon of Singing Symposium IX The Empowered Singer: Singing My Best When it Matters Most St. Johns, Newfoundland July 2013 UTSA All-State Choir Camp What All-Staters Can Learn from the San Antonio SPURS! University of Texas at San Antonio June 2013 Baylor Lyceum Series Performing Your Best When it Matters Most: Mental Strategies for Fearless Performing Baylor University February 2013 Power Performance for Singers: Body, Mind, Spirit Mind the Gaps—Rethinking the Mind/Body Connection Pt. I Mind the Gaps—Rethinking the Mind/Body Connection Pt. II NATS Winter Workshop January 2013 Texoma NATS Region Conference Empowering Performers: What Can I Do? University of North Texas November 2012 Southern Methodist University What Drives You: Being Good or Getting Better? November 2012 South Texas NATS Fall Meeting The Performer’s Mindset University of the Incarnate Word October 2012 Musica Sacra San Antonio Mental Skills Toolkit CE (Choral Edition) August 2012 Butler Opera Center Young Artist Program Mental Skills that Lead to Peak Performance University of Texas at Austin June 2012 Boise State University Keep Calm and Focus On: Mental Skills Training for Music Majors Boise, ID March 2012 Taos Opera Institute (TOI) Mindful Performing Taos, NM June 2011 The Mindful Performer (3-day workshop) San Antonio, Texas June 2011 Taos Opera Institute (TOI) Mental Toughness, Focus, and Little Voices (self-talk) Taos, NM June 2010
