Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2014-03-31 21:06
Particularly if your performance venue isn't your regular rehearsal venue, there is another possibility -- it might not be performance anxiety at all. One of the conductors I play for is fond of telling us that as soon as we step onstage for a performance, we will each lose 25% of our ability. The reason is that there are distractions that we didn't have to deal with in rehearsal that can cause us to lose focus temporarily -- the audience, a slightly different position relative to the conductor and other members of the group, slightly different reverberation from the hall, different lighting, different chairs and, yes, nerves. He tells us that, if we only come in at 100%, we will only perform at 75% and the only way to overcome this is to be sufficiently over-prepared that when we lose our 25%, we still have enough left to perform at a high level. Sufficiently over-prepared that when those temporary lapses of focus occur, they don't throw us for a loop.
Another tip from a different conductor. If you've ever missed an accidental, a caesura, a rhythm, you'll probably miss it again so mark your parts. The last thing you want to have to do during a performance is think.
Best regards,
jnk
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