Peak Performance for Musicians
Overcome Music Performance Anxiety with Mental Game Strategies
What Mental Skills Do Performers Need and How Do They Get Them? presented at the 53rd National NATS Conference Boston, MA July 8, 2014 (click on the 4 images at the bottom to access a PDF of the Powerpoint presentation slides in 4 parts) It was great to be in Boston and participate in the 53rd National NATS Conference. As I said in my presentation, I would love to hear from you and … [Read more...]
Last time, in Five Silly Beliefs Performers Have, we discussed five silly or irrational beliefs that performers can have. Well, there are more. If these beliefs were just passing thoughts with little consequence, we wouldn’t have much to talk about, but they can have a huge effect on how you feel and definitely on how you perform. If you’re like many performers who experience … [Read more...]
Performers are no different than other people. We believe silly, even irrational things sometime. When we do, we are most likely thinking one or more of the following: “Things should (ought, must, have to) be different than they are!” “It’s awful (horrible, terrible, catastrophic) that they aren’t!” “I can’t stand it (it’s too long, too much, too big, too … [Read more...]
I recently watched Brené Brown’s 2012 TEDTalk called Listening to Shame. I am one of 2,785,867 people who have viewed this video since. I don’t know how many of those nearly three million viewers were performers so here I am passing this message on to you. Brown is a research professor who has spent the past ten years studying vulnerability, courage, authenticity, and shame. She … [Read more...]
People will be impressed if you play or sing well, but something far more important can happen when a performer combines impressive technique with emotional truth: both the performer and the listener can be changed. This is the beauty of performing. When did performing become about playing perfectly, playing to avoid mistakes, or about something we now fear rather than enjoy? Musical … [Read more...]
We were on the road driving to our favorite vacation spot and it got me to thinking. The two-lane roads were extremely curvy, winding, and steep. It took my complete focus to drive safely. When we were comfortably in our cabin I thought of our drive. My thoughts drifted to my driver’s education instructor who taught me, an inexperienced driver, where to focus in order to stay within the … [Read more...]
I love Fall (probably because I have always loved school!). This is a little funny because I live in South Texas and we don’t have Fall. We have two seasons—Summer and Off-Summer. So, for me, Fall is not signified by the temperature dropping, by a cooling breeze, or by the leaves starting to change to a golden or amber hue. Fall is officially on its way when school supplies hit the … [Read more...]
In the previous posts, Are You a Mentally Tough Performer? Pt. 1 and Are You a Mentally Tough Performer? Pt. 2, we have been looking at the skills, habits, and thought processes of successful performers. What makes these performers mentally "tough" enough to withstand the pressures of performing and seemingly, fly above? In Part 1, we discussed the "basic" skills or life skills of attitude, … [Read more...]
In Are You a Mentally Tough Performer? Pt. 1 we discussed how important it is for performers to be mentally tough and that mental toughness is simply having effective mental skills that allow for fearless, exciting performing. The Level I Skills include Attitude, Motivation, Goal Setting, and Commitment—basic life habits and skills that are developed early in life. Mental Skills Needed … [Read more...]
It is very important for musicians to be proactive in their approach to preparing mentally as well as musically. A musician’s inner game has everything to do with his or her performing. We have called this inner game many things, namely confidence, being in the ZONE or FLOW, mental toughness, or mental strength. Timothy Gallwey describes this inner game with a formula (that I’ve … [Read more...]