My worst distraction!

[dinosaurtales]

OK.  I can't stand it.  We all know about distractions during performance, and how some of them are harder to deal with than others - people coughing, moving around in the audience, piano *feels* funny, etc etc.

But tell me if this one happens to you - it's the distraction that happens when you do something better than usual.  This is how it happens with me - I play a passage or part of a piece that goes much better than usual and I think *hey that sounded better than usual*  then I think, *in fact that went really nicely*!  and just about that time I flub the next thing.

I hate that, mostly because it's entirely self-inflicted.  My flute friend says this happens to her, too.  What about you guys?

Mindy

[eddie92099]

Read "The Inner Game of Music". It's full of Americanised jargon but then so are most people,
Ed

[Magnus]

haha. Its kind of funny. It happens to me too.

[janice]

This makes me jittery.  I absolutely CANNOT handle someone sitting within a few feet of me, and LOOKING at me as I play!!  It doesn't make me nervous in front of an audience of a trillion people (and of course, they are looking at me).  I have no problem with that.  But if someone sits within a few feet of me when I am performing or playing at church, then I am a basket case!!  When I do my final run-thru of a piece at a lesson, right before a performance, my teacher knows to sit across the room!  When I have done a solo at church, I have actually told the people who are sitting in the first pew that I will be doing a solo and to please not look at me.   Please tell me that I'm not nuts!! lol  

[Chitch]

Oh that's nothing, Janice, I've seen people literally come on stage and try to move the piano so that they weren't facing the audience. When you think about it, you're a head of a lot of people.

[xenon]

My biggest distraction is playing on a 9' grand.  I tend to get both intimidated and fascinated by the long strings.  I am sitting on the bench, playing, then I glance upwards, and the strings hit me.  Then I think, "Wow, that's huge.  I'd love to have this piano." Then, I begin to admire the hammers.  And then, I notice my reflection on the shiny varnish on the lid, and that's when I mess up.  It only happens on 9' pianos.  Good thing I usually perform on 7'6" types .

[krenske]

I suppose it wouldn't be so distracting now, but in 1993 at what was probably my 1st recital the tuner left one of those felt spacer things on bottom g... not a problem in the Bach.. but later..  

In answer to the question though.. mobile phones rank pretty highly.. especially if the person answers. How about jack hammers - they can be a problem. And janitors with one cow short upstairs who don't realise it is the actual concert. Leaking roof was a problem - just above the keyboard of course.. its like ice skating down there

[bitus]

There's a thing that many of you missed: you actually practice every day to play for the audience... not to please yourself. (that is, of course, not an option... i wish i could only have to play for myself ) Therefore you should learn how to concentrate in every situation. Unless you are some kind of genius (i.e. ed  ) you do not have the option to chose your audience (many of us are happy if there is an audience

The Bitus

[eddie92099]

Unless you are some kind of genius (i.e. ed  ) you do not have the option to chose your audience

Quite,
Ed

[Askenaz7]

I absolutely agree bitus just you have  to exercise for various situations

[scriabinsmyman]

I find that i'm most distracted during practice. the time i concentrate the most-but not exactly on technique or the actual piece- is during a performance. adrenaline, combined with an enthusiastic audience gets me really excited.  i cant afford to be distracted.  i feel that when i perform, i forget anything and everything, and try to really LISTEN to the music, and HEAR it for the first time.

[trunks]

Stage fright is one thing. Hyper-excitement can even be worse - a thing I often have. It's the "Oh boy, I'm now playing this masterpiece that I love in front of an audience!" feeling that distracts more than stage fright.

Another problem is "OMG . . . what stiff/loose keys!" although this can be somewhat alleviated prior to the performance through lots of rehearsals on the piano.

[jr11]

This all comes down to playing in unfamiliar settings on unfamiliar instruments. One of the problems many of us encounter is we are used to our own piano at our own house and our teacher's at his/her house. Then when we have to perform or be adjudicated we are tossed into a totally foreign and most intimidating environment.

There are many suggestions to deal with this. One is to go out of your way to play in as many different places/instruments as possible. The tip that has helped me more than any is to realize that EVERYONE is pulling for you and wants you to do your best... your family, everyone in the audience, and even the judges. With all this positive energy, how can you help but shine?

[Motrax]

I disagree with the assertion that piano is for others. If I only played for the promise of a large adulating audience, I'd stop right away.

Even when I play for an audience, I play only for myself. I'm satisfied when I feel I've done a good job, and am disappointed when I feel I played poorly. Audiences tend to clap as long as you hit 90% of the notes correctly, and I've little patience for that...

Actually, that's most distracting to me, when I'm playing and somebody walks by and says: "Wow, you're incredible!" Makes me feel really cheap, because invariably they say that right after I've messed something up.