Klarinet Archive - Posting 000751.txt from 2003/04
From: "Patricia A. Smith" <patricia@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Performance Anxiety techniques/remedies
Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2003 00:41:27 -0400
Stacy-Michelle wrote:
> Besides prescription meds, Alexander technique and bananas, anyone
> have any tips/tricks/natural herbal remedies that have worked to
> minimize performance anxiety? I started reading "Inner Game of
> Music" which some of the techniques help, but Im just seeking other
> alternatives. Thanks for any info.
>
Oh my. Ever since I was a high schooler, performance anxiety has been
the bane of my existence!
I am quite glad someone FINALLY brought this quite serious malady up! I
believe I have tried just about everything out there that I could find.
I will detail as many items as I can think of, and discuss what I felt
about each one. Others' mileage may vary, of course.
1) Eating lightly before a performance/audition:
I know some folks cannot eat at all. I found that I needed to eat
something that was protein, yet not spiced very much, very little salt,
almost dull. The one thing I came up with was stewed chicken gizzards.
Strange? Yes. Did it work? I think so. Pasta can also be a good
thing to eat before a long performance, if you don't put a spicy or
greasy sauce on it, and don't eat too much of it - I'd say not more than
3/4 cup.
2) Deep, SLOW breathing exercises
Not only beneficial right before the audition or performance, these
helped me settle down for practice sessions as well, and focus my
attention on what I needed to do that day. (Staying in the present
moment has not been one of my stronger points!)
One particular technique is to close your eyes, and simply watch
yourself breathe in slowly, deeply to the count of eight, hold to the
count of eight, then release to the count of eight. About, oh, quarter
note = 72, if you need a mm. for it.
3) Meditation
Some people find meditation techniques useful. I would recommend
looking into hatha yoga, or another method of meditation. Myriad books
have been written on the subject, and some religions also practice it.
Also, certain schools of martial arts practice forms of Zen meditation
as well. I found this true when I used to practice aikido some years
ago in San Diego. My instructor had practiced za-zen and found it most
beneficial. Also, some believers of Christianity, Islam and Judaism
also have schools of meditation that have proven useful to their
adherents. If you don't have any sort of religion, don't be
discouraged. Meditation is NOT a religious practice, as much as it is a
mind focusing practice. One does not need to be religious in order to
obtain its benefits.
4) Long tone practice
Before some especially tiresome performances whose preparatory
rehearsals had been really stressful, I found extensive long tones to be
most helpful. (I used to work for one director -remaining nameless to
protect the guilty - who believed in leadership by temper tantrum) Just
watching myself breathe in and out and listening to my own sound while
playing these long sounds helped me focus on the music at hand, and
leave behind the anxiety that was coming up in the performance. I
believe I used this technique for auditions as well. (As you can see,
it has been a while. Since my children cause me a great deal of stress,
perhaps a daily session of long tones would help with that!)
This is all I can think of atm. Maybe more ideas will come up as this
topic develops. I think it is one that reaches across a LOT of
different disciplines, and touches many of us in some way or another.
Patricia Smith
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