You may think that the title of this post sounds a little strange. "How do I take control of my own confidence?" Many musicians wait for the performance to begin, to see how they start to perform before they decide whether they feel good or whether they feel confident today. Yes, you read that right—I said "decide." You, and you alone, decide on and are alone responsible for your own … [Read more...]
Practicing for Peak Performance
In How to Face Your Fear and Perform! we talked about getting in touch with the reasons why you perform, the importance of preparing well and learning to trust your preparation, and the importance of learning the other mental skills it takes to perform without fear. I don't know about you, but I find that when the word "practice" is brought up many people have adverse reactions. These … [Read more...]
Perform with Confidence!
Oh, ok! Did you know that your confidence IS up to you and nobody else. The number one mistake many musicians make with confidence is that they do not take full responsibility for their confidence on performance, competition, or audition day. Take a moment to think about it. . . Do you have to wait until you warm up to see if it is going to be a good day? Do you have to wait until you … [Read more...]
Improving Self-Confidence for Musicians!
When was the last time you updated your performance resume? Likely you are in the habit of keeping your resume up to date with your most important and impressive performances listed in chronological order. Your resume is a one-page reflection of your experience and success. When was the last time you updated your music confidence resume? I daresay you probably don’t have a music … [Read more...]