 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: claclaws
Date: 2005-07-18 02:15
Last night I was duetting Mozart's Adagio. (The score is in the 'a due' classical duet book).
Unlike my usual self, I was VERY nervous, and all of a sudden when my leading part came, my lips vibrated all by themselves, I lost control of my embouchure, and the sound was so weird, I hated it.
Anyone had the same experience? What should I do to prevent such disaster in the future?
Lucy Lee Jang
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Author: WorldIRC
Date: 2005-07-18 02:50
Everyone gets.. or atleast has had stagefright at one point...I just tell myself...whats the point of being scared...the people in teh audience are there to hear me express myself, not necessarily judge myself...being scared has no usefulness other then screwing you up... I just tell my self not to be scared, it wont help..and then usually I am fine
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Author: hans
Date: 2005-07-18 02:53
claclaws,
Three things come to mind:
1. Avoid eating or drinking anything with caffeine in it (coffee, chocolate, cola, etc.) for a day before performing. Some people are very sensitive to caffeine, while others tolerate it well.
2. Before the performance, breathe slowly and deeply with your eyes closed while counting backwards from 50 to 0.
3. Find more opportunities to play in public. You may become desensitized to the feeling of nervousness that sometimes results.
I hope this helps.
Regards,
Hans
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-07-18 03:13
As I often tell my students:
No matter what level you play at, you are still doing something that 99.99% of the world cannot do (and probably wishes they could)...GBK
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2005-07-18 04:28
I found myself playing much more calmly and freely after I realized that the most painful thing for me as an audience member is not missed notes or poor tone (though they can be irritating), but rather a performer who gets hung up on any imperfection in their playing. If, after a performance, a person is frustrated, shouting "I missed so many notes!!!" I am equally upset, thinking to myself, "It's not the missed notes that hurt, it's how upset you got about them and how that brought down the rest of the performance."
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: vin
Date: 2005-07-18 07:48
I had this problem when I auditioned for the Manhattan School of Music in New York several years ago. I was very inexperienced at the time and didn't understand at all how my embouchure worked. When you are nervous at any stage, however, strange things happen. It's just a matter of playing for the best players/teachers possible (and usually getting nervous) and figuring out what specifically you do when you get nervous. I usually stop supporting/blowing enough/blowing the right way, etc. Ergo, my embouchure muscles get too involved and my air stops doing the bulk of the work. If you have a specific warm-up that helps you to get the beautiful sound in your head, just play a few seconds of that, and you might just revert back to your pressure-free tone. Of course, in an audition, you can't do this (although doing it mentally may help), but in duets you certainly can. I played some golf today (I've never really played before); it's very similar to the clarinet. If you have hit a good/great shot before, you can can play great again- it's just a matter of figuring out where your "swing" is off. Lots of practice is the best cure I know! As for an immediate cure, it's hard to figure it out, but the best advice I can give when you are freaking out, just blow and hear the sound you want in your head.
Anyang Lucy!
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Author: donald
Date: 2005-07-18 09:25
i had this problem many years ago (1986) when first auditioning for the NZ National Youth Orchestra (here a "Youth Orchestra" includes university age students)
the Suttermeister Cappricio was what set me over the edge, and the result was a vibrating left leg and a "nanny goat" vibrato.
it happened on maybe one or two other performances, but in the end SCALES and lots of PREPARATION (and thus CONFIDENCE based on ABILITY rather than youthful arrogance) ensured that it was never again a problem for me.(touch wood)
hope this is helpful
donald
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Author: stevensfo
Date: 2005-07-18 09:33
Lucy,
I read a rather original way of overcoming nervousness in a similar thread last week.
The idea was to pretend to be a famous clarinetist playing the piece. ie It's not really 'you' on the stage. You're just acting the part.
What's wrong with a bit of vibrato anyway? ![[wink]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie3.gif)
Steve
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Author: Bigno16
Date: 2005-07-18 11:25
I did it at my BU audition. Throughout ALL of Weber's Concertino. I had the problem cleared up by the time I got to playing my excerpts, but that wasn't enough for them. It was unfortunate--I didn't eat anything for breakfast and it was my first college audition. Usually I'm not very nervous, but this was the huge exception. We make mistakes so that we can learn from them. We make mistakes in order to get better.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-07-18 12:01
"We make mistakes so that we can learn from them. We make mistakes in order to get better."
Heavy, man.
Bob Draznik
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Author: claclaws
Date: 2005-07-18 14:50
Thank you everyone for great ideas and supports.
I feel even shameful about making a fuss out of 'nothing' compared to those of you who experienced the same nightmare in audition setting.
Still, performing in front of people -regardless of the number- seems to be always a challenge. I'll keep in mind your recommendations.
Lucy Lee Jang
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-07-18 16:40
You might even consider taking a public speaking course such as Toastmasters International. Getting up in front of a crowd to speak is no different than playing a clarinet......as far as nerves are concerned.
Bob Draznik
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Author: Brenda
Date: 2005-07-18 16:51
Knowing this, teachers can be proactive and schedule small recitals to give their students opportunities to play in front of other folks BEFORE auditions or exams come along. I think a shorter recital is preferable to a long one for the sake of the audience - patience with non-related performers and their infant siblings, and cost of parking! (speaking from experience) At least the newer students would have a chance to try out their stage nerves before the real thing.
Oh and another thing helps, playing in different areas of the house and/or outdoors or playing in front of the TV or with your brother banging away on the guitar. It's bizarre how this can throw your playing off but good experience in becoming flexible with location and noise issues. (Another wise suggestion my teacher passed along.)
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Author: Tyler
Date: 2005-07-18 17:40
What Jon Manasse told us in a master class is to actually practice feeling what it's like to play while you are having symptoms of nervousness, like shaking. Do this by running some stairs until your heart rate is up quite a bit, then pick up the clarinet and try to play like you are performing. Once you master this, performing in front of people becomes slightly easier because you are used to things like playing while shaking, or whatever else.
Practice like you are performing and perform like you are practicing (except never stop in the middle because you made a mistake). The point is to practice while visualizing what the performance will be like, with people everywhere watching or judges sitting with a pencil and paper or whatever. Then when performing, visualize sitting in your practice area just doing a runthrough with no pressure at all. Close your eyes for some of it if you need to. It will help to relax you.
I also recommend regular meditation to help with relaxation and concentration. I would actually recommend it to anyone for anything.
-Tyler
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Author: ClariBone
Date: 2005-07-18 23:14
claclaws
I suffer from Familiar Non-Essential Tremor, which is a genetic disorder. My neurologist prescribed medication and meditation. While medication probably won't work for you (unless like me, you are one of the "chosen few") I recommend meditation. Also play your performance songs in front of people, anyone who will listen!! Both people who you like, those you don't, and those who you don't know. Get advice and take their criticism. Play for people who don't play an instrument or sing. They can often times tell you stuff that the average musician may have dismissed/overlooked. This will get you used to playing for people (both those you know, and general audience members) and you will gradually become more confident. Also prepare well!!!! I cannot stress the importance enough of being well prepared. When you are repared, then you can concentrate on making music and not on trying to remember the dynamic level at measure 97. Hope this Helps!!!
Post Edited (2005-07-18 23:15)
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Author: Clarinetgirl06
Date: 2005-07-19 00:16
"You might even consider taking a public speaking course such as Toastmasters International. Getting up in front of a crowd to speak is no different than playing a clarinet......as far as nerves are concerned.
Bob Draznik"
This is untrue for me. I can speak in public and have amazing confidence and command in my speech which my teachers always comment on my confidence. Clarinet playing is a nervous wreck. I don't really get nervous in vocal competition, just clarinet. Maybe because I place the most importance on the clarinet and it is my favorite thing to do. I think I am afraid to mess up, which in turn makes me mess up.
My confidence level is starting to grow lately and here's what has happened:
1. I realized that my biggest enemy was me. I was hurting my own confidence level and thusly performing below my best.
2. I look back on how far I've come. Look back on a piece that was hard for you to play a couple months ago or even a year. Now look at what you are playing now. Now, what you played a few months ago is easy and the piece you are working on now is harder than your past piece, but it doesn't seem as difficult to master, eventhough the level is more difficult.
3. Play infront of people who don't know a lick about music. For me, that would be my church congregation. After you play, you receive compliments and no one knows that you made a mistake unless you tell them. Even if you have to stop and start over, they still think that you are great.
4. Play infront of someone who intimidates you. Play for someone who does better at performing than you do. Play for someone who is at a lower level playing-wise than you are. Play for your school music rival if you have one (which is one of the harder things to do). Play for teachers. Play for your family. Play for your friends. Record yourself. Listen to multiple recordings of the piece or at least multiple pieces by the same composer (their unique style usually is heard throughout all of their pieces and it is easy to see what your composer is aiming for musically and technically). In other words, listen and PLAY. PLAY YOUR GUTS, HEART, AND SOUL OUT AND HAVE FUN WHILE DOING IT!!!!!!!
5. Realize that you only have 1 shot on each performance, audition, etc. and view it as inspiration. Don't get scared and think that you will screw up your 1 and only shot, but look at it as though you were given 1 shot to prove yourself and that are up to the challenge. Make the best out of your 1 chance to shine.
6. Finally, in very blunt words: Don't give a crap about what anyone else thinks. Don't let the mystery of others thoughts scare you into messing up. The only person's thoughts you should care about are your own and the composer's thoughts. Give the composer's piece justice and make it your own while staying in the composer's boundaries.
Depends on the circumstance where unvoluntary vibrato will hurt you. At District Solos my sister's freshman year, she was playing something from the Magic Flute and she played the piece very well and was technically very good, but this weird Snow White vibrato came out. She still got a I in spite of the vibrato, but this is still only 1 situation. It would be best though to get over the fear so you don't have to deal with unvoluntary vibrato.
Good luck! Hope I helped!
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Author: Carol Dutcher
Date: 2005-07-19 00:21
The Vibrato I can live with since I play jazz. But what really drives me batty is when I'm sailing along and suddenly squeak! Where does that come from? Who put that there? Is the devil residing in my barrel? Some days there are no squeaks. All is quiet on the home front. Clarinet is behaving.
When I went to see Pete Fountain in New Orleans a few years back, the same thing happened to him. He was really tootin and all of a sudden, Squawk. I got to talk to him a few minutes later that evening and he said, "Oh, did you hear that awful squeak? Right in the middle of everything? Oh I hate that. I want to turn my clarinet into a lamp" and on and on and on. To me it was just a tiny thing. To him, it was a mountainous squeak. As he talked about it, it became more and more of a mountain!
I know that a vibrato and a squeak are two different messy things for us, but somebody told me that if you just keep on playing as if nothing had happened, people don't really notice anyway. In other words, he said, "If you crash, keep on playing, don't stop."
Good luck!
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Author: 3dogmom
Date: 2005-07-19 02:14
Interesting that Pete Fountain did as somebody earlier in the thread mentioned - instead of minimizing this one error in perspective to the entire performance, he maximized it and concentrated on it. I'm glad to hear that even people like him squeak on occasion - hope for us all.
Sue Taney
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