Managing nerves before performing: my personal approach

[rhimmon]

Hi all!

I am a dedicated pianist and want to find a solution for optimizing my piano practice efficiency, productivity, and satisfaction. It would help me to understand any input from fellow pianists on:

If you had a magic wand, what would your ideal experience practicing piano look like?

(e.g., problems you want solved, things that work great for you and you want more of, missing things you wish you had, etc.)

Any input -- *even if it's just one thought* -- would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you,
Rhimmon

[bryfarr]

You've created this post 4 times in the past day! 
Each is under a different category, but the volume is so low here that no one is going to miss even one post.

It appears you're gathering ideas for a book, blog or vlog or something ...

[rhimmon]

I made a post in different sub forums assuming different people viewed different sub forums... if it is true everyone sees all sub forums, that would make sense to delete the duplicates. How do I delete a post I made? I can't find any delete buttons for my posts.

Is that sort of gathering of ideas not allowed?

[rhimmon]

Hey everyone,

Performance nerves are something I’ve dealt with for years, and I wanted to share what’s helped me along the way. I almost always get butterflies before I play, and sometimes even lose my appetite. But once I’m done, the relief and happiness make it all worth it. Even if things don’t go perfectly, it’s always a learning experience.

One thing that really stuck with me was during a Masterclass with Andre Laplante at Orford Music Piano Masterclass Camp several years ago was when he actually emphasized that performance anxiety can be a good thing—it’s adaptive: it narrows your focus and keeps you in that heightened state of vigilance, which can actually improve your performance. the key, though, is finding that balance between using that 'edge' while staying relaxed enough to keep your shoulders down and your movements fluid.

The other thing for me is, preparation is key. The more I know my pieces, the better I feel. I also practice in performance-like situations by playing for friends or recording myself to get used to the pressure... which, I should emphasize, is a fantastic tip for improving your playing, aka, record yourself and listen back and actually really listen so you can make tweaks and improve the playing... this is also key for learning how to listen to yourself *while* you are actually playing.

Also, I can't say enough about breathing techniques. They have been a game-changer for me. a few deep breaths before I start always help calm me down. I also try to visualize a successful performance beforehand, which helps boost my confidence and thus calm my nerves... When the nerves are really kicking in, I imagine I’m just playing for family or friends—because keeping it casual helps shift the focus away from stressing about the outcome... performing and making music effectively about the process as much as it is the outcome.

I’ve also come to accept that nerves are just part of the process. It means I care about what I’m doing, and that’s a good thing.

Just thought I’d share what’s worked for me. Hope it helps someone else!

PS: @bryfarr, I made this a different post, which solves that initial duplication issue