- 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?
When I experience my next performance, I want to be more confident in the pieces I play. During my next performance I want to walk on stage with a genuine smile. A smile that people feel. I want to be thinking about self-actualization and feel genuine about being an artist and accomplished as a human being.
- 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 my audience as a musician who adores his craft and has been perfecting it for years. The image I want to convey through my stage entrances, exits and bows is not only that I’ve only rehearsed those things, but my musical conscience is satisfied with the performance I just gave to my audience.
- 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?
Yes, I have. I have a killer stage presence.
- How do you experience
performance anxiety? Describe your specific symptoms:
- physical – I sometimes get a little shaky and quiver a bit
- thought patterns (self-talk) : I always think to myself, “No one knows this music better than myself.”
- feelings : Excited about playing my music
- Of the interventions described for handling anxiety in this chapter, which do you plan to work on?
I plan to work on being confident and holistic health and well being such as eating better quality foods before performances.
- Have you ever experienced discomfort during or after practice? What have you done as a result of feeling this discomfort?
Not very often however, if I sing a lot in a performance, I may get soar throat. I usually just drink and take some emergency C supplements.
- How often do you take breaks during practice sessions? How long are these breaks? What do you do during these breaks?
As often as possible. The breaks can vary a lot based on prior engagements such as classes and work. I usually talk to loved ones in between these breaks.
- To help ensure a lifetime of healthy music making, what else (beyond taking breaks) can you do to help safeguard your performance health?
To safeguard my performance health physically I can increase the amount of time I sleep and drink a lot of water. The increased amount of time I sleep will help me focus better throughout the day and comprehend what I see at a much faster rate. Drinking a lot of water will help keep my joint lubricated so they can function better. Specifically talking about the joints in my fingers since I’m a pianist.
Mentally, I can schedule out specific times to practice my pieces and constantly remind myself that the things that’s hard in life I can overcome. Scheduling out specific times to practice my pieces will decrease stress because I’m not trying to learn them in a short amount of time and It will give me more confidence during performances because I know I took my time to sincerely learn these pieces, therefore little to no mistakes should appear. Constantly reminding myself “That the hard things in life can be accomplished”, which most times are learning new pieces, helps combat discouragement. Allowing myself to think this way pushes me further in my studies.
Emotionally, I can control myself-esteem a lot better and learn how to be more patient with myself. Controlling myself esteem will decrease my depression. That’s where patience comes in. If I learn how to be patient with myself and be proud of the progress, I wouldn’t get depressed. That’s what I’m currently working on and it is getting better day by day.
