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Re: Performance anxiety

Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-09-23 16:00

I take a different tack. In fact I think YOU are on to something on your own. You said that you DO care about your position in band. I think that is exactly what you are thinking about when you audition, when you have a solo or any exposed part. When you are just "practicing," your thoughts are rightly on such things as, "hey, what are the notes in front of me; what are the rhythms; how do I make my throat Bb sound even better today than yesterday........."

I have found much success with the ideas found in such books as "The Inner Game of Tennis" by Timothy Gallwey or "The Soprano on Her Head" by Eloise Ristad.

I'll take a shot at a quick synopsis of my own just to get you started. You need to have laser focus on the minutia of an aspect of the performance rather than the ramifications of your career (while you are actually playing that is). One moment in the "Inner Game of Tennis" refers to concentrating on the SEAMS of the ball, not just the ball. Looking at a much smaller detail makes the whole ball seem like an impossibly large target........you cannot miss hitting it and hitting it properly.

So how do you do that musically?

My solution was to concentrate on the vibrations of every note as I played and how satisfying that was actually feeling the notes as well as hearing them. Your solution may be different but needs to be along the same path.

We, as performers, MUST remain "IN THE MOMENT" without the distraction of anything else.

I would add an anecdote provided by Luciano Pavarotti. Just before going out on stage to sing an important role in an opera (he was already a major star by the way) he was so overcome with fear that he didn't see any way he could even step out on stage. Some how though he managed to go out and begin a note. Once he heard the beautiful sounds coming out of his mouth, all the fear melted away and he continued the rest of the evening without the least concern.

...................Paul Aviles

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