"Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one."   

                                Brad Paisley

                                                                            

The difference in our results

Here is a question and a possible answer: Why some people are successful and have better results than others? It`s all about intelligence, talent, genetic or maybe destiny? Watch this video with Angela Duckworth in TED conference:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H14bBuluwB8

Do professional musicians make mistakes?

Yes, of course! They just make their mistakes sound good and here is the key. Many professionals are able to improvise with their mistakes so an audience doesn`t notice.

In reality every musician must accept that mistakes can occur even if you are very good prepared. The impact is much stronger for you as performer than for the public. Why? Because you know very well the piece, all details and you expect to play it perfectly. There`s nothing wrong with having high expectations, but sometimes being realistic can be more helpful. It rarely happens that someone plays perfect. 

In the article below you`ll see that there are many types of mistakes. Recognizing yours and using some techniques for a better control is a great step for a successful performance :-)

http://www.classicalguitar101.org/play-without-mistakes.html 

Dear readers from all over the world, 

First I want to thank you for reading my articles. I`m very happy to see that you are interested in my topics and I would be more happy to know that at some point they were useful to you.

Please, don`t hesitate to write me about you, your ideas, opinions and experience as teachers or performance artists. Last but not least, write about the subjects that present interest to you and you would like to find more about. Your feedback will help me write new articles which will meet your interests.

Leave a comment or send an email to: 

arta.performantei@gmail.com  

I wish you a wonderful day

Lidia Marina

                                                     Goal Setting                     

The short-term goals are ones that you will achieve in the near future: one day, a week or a few months. It helps us to stay focused on the smaller steps and to think about what we can do right away. Clear, specific goals are more effective than general ones. For example : "In one week I`ll play the piece in tempo, without mistakes and in 2 months I`ll learn the concerto." Having realistic short-term goals for each week or month is the best way to reach your long-term dream.

The long-term goals are ones that you will achieve over a longer period of time: one, five or ten years. We often have trouble staying focused and maintaining a positive attitude toward reaching these goals. A decade is a significant amount of time. Try to see yourself ten years from now on. Make up specific details. Create an imaginary performance, filling in the location, the size of the audience, the repertoire, the challenges. As a teacher imagine the type of institution, the level of students and the results you`ll achieve. In all this process is important to be open to the possibility of revising your goals.

Don`t worry about making the perfect decision. Set up goals that are exciting, motivating and feels like a real challenge for you!

Dear readers, here is a very good article about elite-performance written by Christine L. Carter: 

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/raising-happiness/201308/new-theory-elite-performance-0 

                                        Stage Presence, Part II

               

The beginning and the end of a piece are the most difficult parts of any performance. Take care about SILENCE. The stillness is part of your musical communication.

Start with a single abdominal breath. Try to hear the music and perceive the tactile sensation to produce it. Adrenaline can distort your rhythmic sense and cause you to start a faster tempo than you intend. As you continue to breath silently, empty your mind and deeply absorb the mood and the tempo. Play each sound from your heart, because the quality of your tone will have an immediate impact on listeners. 

As a conclusion, don`t forget to capture the mood, style and tempo. 

When you arrive at your last note, let it ringing out and then stop the sound with a decisive stroke. Wait until the music dissolves and listen to the silence. Just as you began with stillness, you return to stillness.

Reference: Gerald Klickstein- The Musician`s Way

Stage Presence, Part I

Some musicians have a natural charisma that translates immediately to their stage presence. The truth is, that for the majority of us things don`t come so easily. Being aware of the importance of this aspect, I decided to write some tips for improving the stage presence:

Attire

The combination of your attire, posture and gestures communicate your personality.

What you wear needs to be appropriate for the performance event and occasion. Your stage attire is ideal when fits you comfortably, shows well even from the back of the hall and makes you feel confident. 

Bowing

A bow is equivalent of a handshake and a greeting  when you meet someone new.

Not all bows are equal. When you enter, broaden your shoulders, breath normally and offer a warm facial expression to the audience. The bow can be less deep and held for a shorter duration. At the end of the concert, walk straight to center stage, with your head and chin up. Turn to audience and make eye contact, not fixing on any individual, but catching eyes and smile. A deeper bow demonstrates your appreciation.

Use a mirror or a video camera during the practice session. This will help you to refine your bow.

Body language

During the performance, the body language can be positive, neutral, distracting or negative. 

Be aware of your posture and to the facial expression. Try to avoid grimaces and move naturally with the music. Neither rigidity nor exaggerated movements look attractive.

                     

 

The First Teacher 

Reading the article of Robert H. Woody, I saw a statement that suddenly caught my attention:

"Exceptional musicians tend to remember their first teacher as being friendly, relaxed and encouraging".

Later he explains that we need also a subsequent teacher, more exigent because just a "warmth" dimension it seems to be not enough in our musical growth.

How do you remember your first teacher?

When we are teaching the youngest children, the most important thing is to provide them positive feelings about music. This should be our first priority. Why? Because a child`s earliest musical moments can have consequences that facilitate or inhibit further musical involvement for a lifetime.

Other important aspect is to teach the young children how to practice. Deliberate practice is the greatest contributor in acquiring music performance skills. It enables musicians to improve their skills more quickly and motivate them to continue working on their musical growth. It`s our responsibility to teach the young children how to practice efficiently and than to remind them to do it whenever is necessary. 

Some suggestions about efficient practice you can read in one of my past articles.

In conclusion, I would like YOUR ANSWER to this question:

Are you friendly, warm and encouraging with your students?

                                    

                                    

 MEMORY SLIPS 

" No one is ever completely free of the fear of memory slips. Every performer, no matter how accomplished or how experienced, has had to deal with a memory slip at some point."  Stewart Gordon

Memorization seems particularly vulnerable when we are anxious or worried, because it has difficulty focusing clearly and recalling the patterns it needs. 
When you have a memory slip, don`t stop! The best choice is to improvise in the style of the piece until the "next" start-up point. 

The memory has to be exercised and developed on a regular basis to function at a high level during performance. Here are some strategies:

1. First analyze the musical structure 
What`s the overall form? Where do phrases begin and end? Is there repetition even with small variation? Do you detect rhythmic, harmonic or melodic patterns?

2. Start with a plan
Break the material down into small units that seem easy. After ingraining segments A and B individually, execute A-B once. Next, ingrain segments C and D. Run C-D and then execute A-B-C-D. 

3. Avoid trying to take in too much at once
Our brain can store only a finite amount at a time. For this reason we should have a balance between work and rest.

4. Do mental rehearsals
Perform the entire piece as well as selected sections from different areas of a piece. Play in a slow, moderate and final tempo. 

5. Use multiple memory types

Aural memory- remember how the music sounds.
Visual/Photographic memory- remember the score and see it in your head when you are playing.
Tactile/Muscle memory- your hands and fingers "know" the music.
Conceptual memory- remember the structure of music.

Injury prevention

Recently I read the book of Janet Horvath  –“Playing less hurt” which I found very good and useful. Take a look at her advice for injury prevention:

1. Warm- up

Warmed muscles are more efficient, strong and resilient.

2.  Don`t jump into playing a full schedule after a vacation, illness or injury

Take time to get back into shape. It`s better to play short periods more often throughout the day, rather than long ones.

3. Don`t say “yes” to everything

Be realistic about how many chamber groups you can be in or how many performances you can do.

4.  Sit with good posture

Keep your shoulders down and your back straight. Keep your weight forward and on your feet. Don`t cross your legs when you play or curl your feet around the chair. Your head should be upright, in a neutral position.

5. Take breaks

Ten minutes per hour minimum is a good guide.  It is helpful to let your arms down for a few seconds after a difficult passage. After tremolo, fortissimo or long stretches of sustained playing, move your thumbs in circles or stretch them out gently to release any tension.

6. Practice away from the instrument

This is especially helpful for memorization and performance anxiety. Listen to the music and look to the scores or piano parts of your repertoire. It`s just as important to practice mental preparation as it is to achieve physical mastery of your music.

7. Don`t play on an instrument that is out of adjustment

Make sure your instrument responds easily.

8. Do some exercises

Activities like yoga, stretching, swimming, massage are all very helpful in reducing stress or tension from our body.

9. Don`t practice mindlessly

Have a realistic plan, alternate your repertoire and don`t play through pieces all the time.

10. Take one day off a week

          

FIND YOUR TRUE MOTIVATION

Why do you play music? For sure there are many reasons to play music and here are some examples:

-Love of performing, being in front of an audience

-Sense of accomplishment

-Sense of mission in life

-Passion for making music (physical, intellectual and emotional)

-Challenge to improve constantly

-Desire for acceptance and approval from parents, teachers, public

-Connecting with the audience

-Love of music itself (as a listener and as a perforormer)

Which are your reasons?

   Suggestions For Efficient Practice:

1.   Listen to the whole piece

     You need to have an idea about what you are going to play. It is recommended to be inspired from a good performance. I repeat - just to be inspired!

2.   Use the self-observation during the practice time

     Be focused on your intonation, rhythm, sound, phrase etc. Stop and correct when it is necessary. Do not go further repeating over and over again the whole piece. It`s a waste of time!

3. Try also to practice slowly

     Going slowly allows you to attend more closely to errors creating a higher degree of precision.

4.   Take breaks 

     As a general rule, after one hour of practice take a break and rest for 10 minutes. 

5.    Ask for feedback  

     It is very important to have a feedback from a teacher or a mentor in order to improve, correct and strengthen your performance.

6. Read also this great articles:

    

    http://www.bulletproofmusician.com/how-many-hours-a-day-should-you-practice/

    http://www.essential-music-practice.com/efficient-practice.html

         http://tipsforclassicalmusicians.com/2012/11/16/musicians-guide-to-playing-fast/

As a conclusion, we need to practice and think about all the ways that could be done much better.     
  

Other suggestions are welcomed!

Efficient Practice   

The psychologist and scientific researcher K. Anders Ericsson established in 1993 that it requires at least 10.000 hours of deliberate practice (about 10 years) to achieve an expert level of performance in any given domain. Musicians need about 15-25 years to attain an elite international level. More information about deliberate practice you can find at:

http://www.uvm.edu/~pdodds/files/papers/others/everything/ericsson2007a.pdf

There seems to be a universal limit for how much deep practice human beings can do in a day. Ericsson`s research shows that most world class experts( including pianists, chess players and athletes) practice between 3 and 5 hours a day, in session lasting no more than 1 hour-1 hour 30 minutes. Here are some reasons:

Deliberate practice is not inherently enjoyable.

It requires to identify the elements of performance that need to be improved and to work especially on them.

It is above all an effort of focus and concentration. 

This is what makes deliberate practice distinct from the mindless playing.

It`s highly demanding mentally.

It also involves monitoring one`s performance and continually looking for new ways to improve. You must be observant and aware of what happens, so that you can tell yourself exactly what was wrong. 

Great performers choose to rest in the learning zone. That`s the location of skills and abilities that are just out of reach. We can not make progress in the comfort zone because those activities we can do already easily, while panic zone activities are to difficult. The three zones are constantly changing. As you operate in the learning zone, you will get more comfortable with the current skills and they will start to move into the comfort zone. The tasks of the panic zone will move to the learning zone and the cycle will continue.

"If the activities that lead to greatness were easy and fun, than everyone would do them and they would not distinguish the best from the rest."

Deliberate practice requires effort but is the most effective way of learning to play music at a high level!

                                 "Be yourself on stage" - Izmir 2013

                                       How to control stage fright 

 

Prepare, breath and visualize

Here are three very useful steps to control your stage fright:

1. Prepare

Practice is one of the most important steps. Nothing can replace our time spent with the instrument. Do not worry if the moment to say” Now I am ready” or “I studied enough” doesn’t come yet. This happens to all of us, but you still have to get used to the idea that at some point you have to play the repertoire on stage, in front of an audience. As soon as you start realizing this and preparing yourself - the better. You will become less anxious and more self-confident.

2. Breathe deeply

We are so used to breathe fast and shallow into the upper chest. This creates an imbalance between oxygen and carbon dioxide which can lead to: dizziness, muscle tension, stomach pain, fatigue, a fast heartbeat etc. The solution is to use the abdominal breathing. This exercise is very simple and can be repeated for two or three minutes.

Breathe in deeply and slowly counting to four, hold the air for two seconds and than breathe out gently and calmly.

3. Visualization

The visualization technique can be practiced several days before playing in front of the public, but also when playing the same day. Start with a deep breath in order to become relaxed. Than close your eyes and try to visualize yourself playing at your best performance on stage. Use your senses and imagine details: sounds, lights, expression of public, feelings. This exercise can be made during a whole piece or just some parts of it. Try obtaining the best performance in your own imagination.

  

                                       Positive self-talk before playing on stage

I will dedicate some paragraphs to the internal dialogue. I personally believe that our self-talk plays an important role when stage fright and performance anxiety is involved.

The fear of failure brings thoughts like this when we are in front of a public or jury: “ If I haven’t studied enough?” or “ If I make a mistake, if I have a memory slip or a bad day?” Sounds familiar? These thoughts usually increase the physical symptoms such as: clammy, cold hands, stomach butterflies, sweat, dizziness, fast heartbeat etc. What next? We need to face discouragement, worry, fear, uncertainty, and ultimately a weak performance.

On the other hand, positive self-talk gives us more enthusiasm, motivation and energy. Here are some examples: “I am ready. I have something to offer to the public. I expect to play at the highest level. I will have a nice sound, etc.” This statement helps us to focus on what we want to achieve, being in the same time very useful in controlling and balancing the negative and irrational thoughts.

The internal dialogue is just one from many factors which influence our performance results.

How do you control the negative thoughts before playing on stage?
Share from your own experience!

                                                            

      

                                                      Workshop- Efficient Practice

Stage Fright and Performance Anxiety

Certainly, we want to play at our best level when it matters most: in a concert, audition or contest. Being aware of the importance of this moment, we get to experience the anxiety of performance and the stage fright.

Why some musicians manage to play on stage at their maximum, while others give 70% or less of their potential? Is it just the native aspect or something more which makes the difference?

Personally I believe that every musician feels “something” (more or less) before and during the performance. Instead of running away from our emotions, we can start to understand and to use them in our advantage.

In her book “Beyond talent”, Angela Myles Beeching says that to experience stress before the performance can be a positive thing. It gives us more energy, which is usually lost in studio recordings.

We can also reflect on this statement made by Don Greene : “Powerful performance is not about being relaxed”.

Do you think that little stress before playing on stage can be useful?

To be or not to be a musician?

This is a question which appears at some point in a musician`s life.

Each of us knows to enjoy a successful performance, admiration, competitions awards, recognition, a strong motivation or a clear goal in our career. But how do we overcame the moments when we are facing with stage fright, critiques, mistakes, memory slips, lack of motivation or a way without perspective in such a competitive environment? 

A career in music requires many sacrifices so we need: passion, motivation and perseverance to go further, especially in the hardest moments.

What else do we need ? Share your opinion!