1st Bad Experience/Performance

[instromp]

SO today was the day that I had to play the march part of pompand circumstance for this program and it went soo bad.This was the first time i ever choked before in my life.The beginning started out just fine, but then I felt an adrenaline rush and my heart started  beating faster and my hands went cold as ice and shook terribily .Its like I couldn't recognize the keys and i played a bunch of wrong notes .I couldn't believe that it happened at a time like that.Its like i went totally blank, i feel so bad about it,I never thought my nerves would ever get the best of me . I dont know if this has ever happened to anyone else??

[allchopin]

So what else is new?

The membership fee for the brain-fart club is a slightly tarnished piece (depending on degree of infraction) and possible chance of embarassment.

[instromp]

So what else is new?

The membership fee for the brain-fart club is a slightly tarnished piece (depending on degree of infraction) and possible chance of embarassment.

Hahaha , yes i c....I now know the feeling of embarrassment and disappointment in a performance

[jayanat]

oh matty, it's okay. It's normal to have that. Don't worry too much

[zheer]

oh matty, it's okay. It's normal to have that. Don't worry too much

  True, if you are a member of an ochestra then its like safety in number, but as a solo pianist there is no safety net, its just you and the music.

[sinspawnammes]

My first performance was in a competition, so thankfully it was only the judge.  I was playing Chopin's Op. 42 Waltz.  I don't know if any of you are familiar, but you know that section near the end where it crescendos, and the left hand starts doing silly jumps?  I could never get that down.

I go into the room and start playing.  The easiest section, where the theme is introduce, I start making wrong notes.  Slightly freaked, I keep playing, and it's good so far.  Eventually, I get really really nervous, and my right leg starts shaking.  This is the leg sitting on top of the pedal, so I unwittingly produce this flutter pedal effect that goes beautifully with the crescendo'd section, which I didn't make a single mistake on!  And then I got a Superior rating!

[jlh]

I've never had a problem with nerves until last fall when I played the Rach 2 with orchestra.  For this performance I was only playing the 2nd movement for a orchestral TA's recital.  I was doing fine all day -- no nervousness at all.  The piece was well prepared and I was really looking forward to playing it that night.  As I walked on stage, suddenly my arms went numb and I couldn't hardly feel my hands!  It wasn't until a few minutes into the performance that I could actually feel my hands and have good control over the performance.  Talk about panic!  It's a good thing that movement starts out slow -- I think it would've been horrible had I been playing either of the other movements!

[wako_kato]

yes, i think weve all been there!! im still working a lot on nerves. when i go into concerts i start thinking 'im gonna show these guys what im made of' so the first bit is gr8, then i start thinking im going to go wrong, and then i shake all over, my heart is beating so fast and hard, then my mind goes blank and it all goes wrong!!! its awful, but im sure you will grow out of it with experience like im praying i will. so good luck with all future concerts and comps im sure your nervousness with improve soon

[instromp]

yes, i think weve all been there!! im still working a lot on nerves. when i go into concerts i start thinking 'im gonna show these guys what im made of' so the first bit is gr8, then i start thinking im going to go wrong, and then i shake all over, my heart is beating so fast and hard, then my mind goes blank and it all goes wrong!!! its awful, but im sure you will grow out of it with experience like im praying i will. so good luck with all future concerts and comps im sure your nervousness with improve soon

Yeah i hope so too, but i've never had a problem with my nerves like that before, I guess it was just one of those times it happened.