- Describe how you want to experience your next performance. Imagine walking on stage: How do you want to feel physically? What kinds of thoughts do you want to be having? What emotions do you want to experience?
I would like to experience my next performance in a positive manor, I want to be looking forward to playing and be excited for that moment that the attention is on me and the musicians I will be sharing the stage with. I want to be comfortable, I want to feel peaceful and at ease as I walk onto the stage. I want to be thinking about the music and the atmosphere I’m about to create through my playing. I want to experience emotions of happiness, satisfaction, and accomplishment. Simultaneously I would like to experience the feelings of struggle, regret, dismay, and distress. These are emotions I also feel and use music to cope with and suppress.
- How would you like to come across to your audience? What image do you want to convey through your stage entrances, exits, and bows?
I would like to come across to the audience as confident, humbled, excited, and happy. I want to convey a vibe of seriousness and professionalism.
- Have you recently videotaped a performance and later watched it with a mentor to discuss your stage presence? If not, when might you be able to do this?
I have not sat down with a mentor to discuss my stage presence in the recent video. However, I will bring in the video this week to both of my lessons (with Tony, and Ricky) to review and discuss.
- How do
you experience performance anxiety? Describe your specific symptoms:
- physical
- thought patterns (self-talk)
- feelings
Physical: My heart rate is usually elevated from an average resting HR of 56 BPM, to 72-80 BPM. My respiratory rate will also increase to a slightly higher than average rate. I will also develop slight tremors in my hands.
Thought Patterns (self-talk): This is something I usually don’t experience an odd amount of. I usually am just listening and thinking about the music in my head. Singing the melodies and changes in my head usually.
Feelings: I begin to think about my self-consciousness and what people will think of me. What will people think of how I look? How I sound? How I carry myself on and off the stage, how I carry myself between tunes? Etc…
- Of the interventions described for handling anxiety in this chapter, which do you plan to work on?
Taking a deep breath is something that will help me, but more than that. I like to focus on a full few minutes of focusing on deep breaths and meditation, this is something I know will help me I just need to work on remembering to do it.
- Have you ever experienced discomfort during or after practice? What have you done as a result of feeling this discomfort?
Yes, absolutely. I find this a common issue with myself. Sometimes I just won’t be feeling it for whatever reason and I can’t get in the zone, which causes the practice session to not be very productive or worth-while. As a result of this, I will sometimes try to involve myself in another activity to elevate my state of mind, but sometimes I become weak mentally and let my thoughts get the best of me.
- How often do you take breaks during practice sessions? How long are these breaks? What do you do during these breaks?
I usually take maybe 1 or 2 breaks during my practice sessions. They’re usually short bathroom breaks because I have a tiny bladder.
- To help ensure a lifetime of healthy music making, what else (beyond taking breaks) can you do to help safeguard your performance health?
I am very active outside of school in terms of keeping up with my physical health. I find this helps me in all aspects of my life including music making whether it be personal practice, performance, or rehearsal. I usually run 2-3 miles at least 3-4 times a week. I do daily strength training workouts that include push-ups, planks, pull ups, squats, flutter kicks, dips, and more. Currently I attend conditioning every Tuesday and Thursday for my job in JFRD’s Ocean Rescue Division. This includes extensive swimming workouts, strength training workouts outside the pool, and running (endurance & sprinting). My hobbies are also physically demanding things that I find also help in all aspects of life including music. These hobbies include surfing, skateboarding, trail running, exploration of nature, and more. Along with being physically demanding, these are also all things I find very meditative, allowing me to connect with nature and my surroundings through physical exertion.
