PERFORMANCE ANXIETY

This subject comes up every so often.
Here is what helpful info I've found on the subject.

From Mark Minasian:

When I was at IU, Bill Adam held trumpet classes at least once a
week. Anyone who wanted to could get up and perform anything for the
class and Mr. Adam would then offer some advice. Not only was this
another chance to get some extra coaching time with Mr. Adam, but
playing in trumpet class, in front of an entire room of trumpet
players, where some of those students were awesome trumpet players,
definitely tested your nerves. Everyone did it and everyone played
their recital pieces. Many crashed and burned the first times, but
would get use to standing up in front of their peers and ultimately
would get control of their thoughts and play very well. After playing
works in trumpet class, doing a recital was a piece of cake.

I mentioned getting control of the mind. This is the whole ball game!
I can't count how many times I saw a student get up in trumpet class
and play rather poorly. Then Mr. Adam would stand up, usually tell
some very corny jokes and start talking to the student, getting him
or her to feel at ease. If there was a troublesome spot, he'd work
out that spot with the student and make some helpful suggestions.
Then, when he saw that the student had regained his or her
confidence, he'd have the student play the work again. The difference
would be astounding. The student that sounded weak just a moment
before now sounded like a pro.

You can prepare yourself for a concert by utilizing some mental
visualization exercises. Sit or lie down so that you are comfortable.
Close your eyes and mentally visualize the concert. Make the image in
your head as real and accurate as possible. See your friends in their
seats, see the room, your accompanist, etc. Now, see yourself
confidently stride out on stage and execute a flawless performance.
Hear the music in your mind. Mentally perform the work. Hear and see
yourself playing the piece like a pro. This sort of exercise is very
powerful. Your mind does not really differentiate between the inputs
from your senses and the inputs you create through your imagination.
By imagining the concert, as far as your mind is concerned, you now
have a successful performance under your belt. By doing this sort of
exercise on a regular basis, you'll find that when the performance
happens, you'll feel much more confident.

From Bryan Edgett

As applied to music, it seems to me that we must be clear about our purpose if
we are to succeed. We must have a goal in mind if we ever are to achieve it.
Perhaps asking some questions will help to clarify those goals:

1) What do I want to do with my trumpet playing? Do I want to be a competent
amateur or a professional who earns a substantial part of his/her income from
performing?

2) What are my true strengths and weaknesses as a musician (first) and as a
trumpet player (second?) I recommend the help of at least one trusted
professional trumpeter to help with this analysis.

3) How can I highlight my strengths in my playing?

4) Do I have structured approach to address my weaknesses (both musical and
performing?)

5) Am I becoming the type of person (both in character and in musicianship)
that others will want to hire?

6) This is, perhaps, the toughest question of all to answer. Am I willing to
work hard enough to achieve the goals I have set out for myself?

While I advocate working hard, I believe that working smart is more important.
I have had students study with me who never get this distinction. One can
practice two hours a day and get worse. Yet intelligence, applied to hard
work, is a great combination.

Let me offer a word of advice to those who are college trumpet majors. College
study is what I have termed "dues-paying time." An intelligent approach
including solid listening skills, a mature sound concept, a fluent and
accurate technique, and an understanding of music's variegated styles will
yield a lifetime of enjoyment and a resource upon which to draw when life's
real pressures (such as paying a mortgage, picking your daughter up from
school because she's sick, etc.,) preclude you from all of the practice time
that you want.

On many occasions, I have had to perform a difficult work when slightly out of
shape or underprepared. Note that my habits (and my temperament) normally
ensure that I am as ready as I can be to perform. But at times, that type of
readiness is impossible. Because I worked my anatomy off during my "dues-
paying time." I have confidence that, upon occasion, I can reach into my
history and pull out a performance when I am less prepared than I ought to be.

Finally, I recommend that every college trumpet major read the glowing
testimonials about Mr. Herseth that appeared in the ITG Journal earlier this
year. I read each of them at least three times. The accolades he received from
his most accomplished colleagues made me cry (literally.)

But one in particular stood out. Charlie Geyer recalls a time where Bud was
playing the Brandenburg to begin a concert. Mr. Herseth had warmed up as
usual, and had gone on stage about 20 minutes before the performance with his
piccolo trumpet. He told Charlie that when he tried them, the high notes
didn't work. Charlie ask him "what did you do, because what I heard sounded
great?" Bud replied "I sat there recalling all the successful performances I'd
had and waited for the downbeat." Charlie mused, How many lesser players would
have kept checking the high notes and subsequently failed in the performance?

It seems to me that what makes this extraordinary confidence possible is that
Mr. Herseth was always so well prepared and so committed to performing at his
maximum, that he had deep resources from which to draw, even when the
problematic piece was the Brandenburg, and the problem was that he lost his
high notes. While few of us can be expected to muster that much confidence, we
can use the same approach for lesser challenges with success. But the ability
to summon that courage comes from developing the type of resources (with the
foundation laid during the "dues-paying time") that gives both musical and
technical maturity.

Many of my students talk to me about performance anxiety and juries.
I usually give this advice. It came from Buddy Baker at
University of Northern Colorado, where I did my doctorate.

What all musicians want when they perform is confidence--the ability
to know that they'll walk on stage and do a good job. Confidence
comes from consistency over time. If you do something consistently
well, you have confidence that you can do it. Think about all the
things you do during the day that you have confidence that you can
do. You can do them without worry.

Consistency comes from correctness over time. If you approach playing
correctly, and you do it over a period of time, then you will be
consistent.

So, when preparing a jury piece, (or any piece for that matter,)
First plan all the important events, e.g. where to breathe, where the
dynamic changes are, where to cresc. and dim, etc. Then play through
the work, just to get a feel for it. Then look for what I call the
10% licks. Those are the passages that are sure to give you trouble.
(Some works have more than 10% licks.) Work out the toughest passages
so that you can play them 10 times in a row without an error. Then
play the work at a tempo at which you can play from beginning to end.
Naturally, when tempi change within a piece, you change too. But most
students I know practice too fast too quickly, that is, before they
can control their technique. In your slower practice, strive for
ease and beauty. It doesn't matter how much you have to slow it down
or where you think you should be, play it where you can play it
accurately. Then (no more than 2 metronome clicks at a time) bring up
the tempo. It is important, when practicing slowly, to practice the
technique (especially note lengths) like it will be when you get it
to performance tempo.

The most important stress reliever, for me, is realizing that who I
am is greater than what I play. (A person is greater than his/her
art.) I want to do well. I can honestly say that I work to do well.
Usually, I do well. But, on occasion, for one reason or another, I
don't do as well as I expect myself to do. That happens to everyone
(with the possible exception of Andrè and Herseth), student and
professional alike.

That said, the next most important stress reliever for me is
thorough, intelligent preparation. I tell my students that it's
possible to practice 2 hours a day and get worse. (Some have even
proven me correct.) Remember that it is how you practice that counts.
With that, I think I'll practice when I come back from worship this morning.

From Mike Barry

Before you read further, ask yourself this: am I truly
capable of actually playing a particular performance? Have I
prepared enough so I am truly ready? If not, don't bother
with this post, because no amount of mental preparation
can overcome a lack of ability or technique.

I've been through a period of stage fright in my career and
found a solution that I think we can all relate to and receive some
benefit.

I wonder how many of us would allow a perfect stranger to
walk up to us on the street and taunt us, and then start to slap
us. (I know I'd make sure it's the last time he ever
used that hand, or I'd be seriously injured in the attempt to do so).
I'm betting no one here would allow that.

Now...how many of us would ASK perfect strangers to literally
smack us until we were beat to a pulp? Again, I bet there aren't
any hands up out there.

So...ask yourself this. Why do you allow a group of people
(an audience) to mentally beat you up so bad that you get the
shakes and perform miserably? You're giving them permission,
in your own *mind*, to smack you around and make you feel
inferior. It's YOU that is imagining these things.

Rarely will there be anyone listening to you that wants you
to perform badly. And, in the rare instance where someone does,
it's usually the case that you can't stand them either, and in life
off of the stage you wouldn't be their slave, consenting to their
smallest wish!!

It boils down to self respect.

In fact, you can take this destructive mental process and turn
it on it's head, using it to your advantage.

Oftentimes, the vicious circle we find ourselves in feeds on itself.
You don't want to play bad, so you get a little nervous. Then your nerves
affect the way you play and you don't sound as good as you can, and
you tell yourself that you're playing bad. Then you get more nervous,
etc., etc.

The mind can work in the opposite direction, and *just* as
effectively.
You want to sound good, and know that when you're relaxed you sound
great. You need to do 2 things for this to internalize and become 2nd
nature. First you need to play a good phrase in a concert. Second,
you immediately remind yourself you can do this and also place
trust in your abilities.

For me, it's like getting dumped by a girlfriend that I really liked
back in college. I remember that after a while I got so sick and tired of
feeling bad that I just let it go. And everything got better immediately.

Sooner or later, you'll get tired of being nervous and you'll
walk out on stage play brilliantly and lay waste to an audience!!!

You must TRY to enable the subconcious mind to be receptive to positive suggestions. This allows your specific problems to be addressed and resolved as your body and your conscious and subsconcious mind work in unison and harmony to improve physical, psycological and emotional playing problems, and to eliminate negative habits. This can be achieved through constant repitition of good habits in a relaxed playing manner. It helps you to resolve inner blockages, and gently flow through the process of change and recovery.

Traditional methods such as hypnotherapy and psychology can work, but the difference is the brief amount of time that it takes to accomplish changes in habits, behaviors and achievement through the use of relaxed repetition. It is a wholly self-centered process, in which the specific issues of the individual must be addressed based on their own particular needs, problems, goals, motivations, and triggers.


As you become more relaxed as a player, the conscious mind is less active and the subconscious is free to deliver the preprogrammed psychological successes of earlier repititious practice. This allows you "build upon success" time and time again until you can allow the subconscious mind to become stronger and more effective in dealing with whatever problem, or negative behavior you are experiencing or wish to change or eliminate.

The positive changes begin almost immediately because through the increased strength and focus of your subconscious mind you are in control and aware of the positive aspects that your changes in repetitive practice will provide. The programming used during your practices should be based on your individual, specific needs and goals. It should become a way of using your subconcious to such a degree that you basically are sorting out playing problems with great enjoyment and for little effort!

As Don Jacoby used to say..."where's yer head?"
--WHERE IT OUGHT TO BE!!