Overcoming Performance Anxiety

Performance anxiety is a natural response to having to get up in front of others to showcase a skill. If you have a child preparing to perform? Are YOU nervous for your child? We’re going to share some tips with you regarding overcoming performance anxiety.

 

Before we get into tips for your child, lets talk about you for a moment. As your child prepares for a music recital, if you are experiencing performance anxiety on your child’s behalf, that’s perfectly normal, but what you decide to do with that anxiety can have an impact on how your child is able to handle his/her own nervousness. If you are stressed about your child performing, try to relax, at least in front of your child. Your stress is contagious, and if your child is already nervous, your stress will make it worse for him. She will pick up on your anxious cues and become anxious herself, even if she wasn’t really that nervous to begin with. And just remember: playing in a recital is a wonderful growth opportunity for your child, and even if he/she does make a mistake it’s not the end of the world. So try to enjoy the process.

 

Okay, so how can your child deal with his performance anxiety? Well, the first thing is to recognize that feeling nervous is not a bad thing! Most performers (even professional) get jitters before they go on stage. These jitters are from adrenalin rushing through our bodies. Musicians need to learn how to harness this adrenalin and use it to their advantage to power their performance with confidence, passion, and power. This adrenalin is a signal to the brain that it needs to “turn on” and work with excellence.

Here are a few tips to gain control over performance anxiety:

1. Think positively. Don’t focus on what you might do wrong. Set goals for yourself, and repeat these goals to yourself. For example the student can say to himself, “I am going to play wonderfully.” Or “I will be calm and confident and give a fantastic performance.”
   • Don’t focus on negatives or timid thinking such as, “I hope I don’t mess up.” Or “I won’t forget my songs.” Make sure the thoughts stay positive, focusing on what you WILL do as opposed to what you WON’T do or HOPE you will or won’t do.
2. Breathe! When we are scared we start breathing quickly. Focusing on taking deep breaths and slowing down the breathing will effectively help relax the body and mind.
3. Rehearse. Obviously we all know practicing the songs is very important, but also important is actually rehearsing. Make sure to run through the performance routine many times in the weeks leading up to the recital. If the student goes through the motions enough times it will become second nature to her. Stress often comes from the fear of the unknown, or unanswered questions. As I was developing my music abilities, much of my stress before performances came from not knowing how things would play out. When do I bow? When will I walk on stage? Will I be in the audience or backstage, etc. I knew the music very well, but not being confident in all the other little things can shake a person’s confidence. So, rehearse many times so you don’t have to worry about the little extras. Click here to read Starlight’s Recital Preparation Tips.
4. Visualize. Imagine (with a positive attitude) what it will be like to walk on stage. Imagine yourself playing the song perfectly. Visualize how pleased the audience will be. Hear the applause in your head. Smile! See yourself stand up and take a bow. Imagine the satisfaction and victory you will feel by working so hard and performing well.  
5. On the day of the recital, relax. Get a good night’s sleep the day before, eat nutritiously, and relax. Try to allow extra time to get ready so you’re not rushing around. If the performer is stressed about other things, that will carry over into their feelings about performing.
   • Note on nutrition: parents, be mindful of the food you’re feeding your children on the day of the recital. It might sound fun to make a special breakfast or lunch loaded with white flour and sugar, but be mindful that sugar, white flour, caffeine, etc. will make the child feel more anxious leading up to the performance. It will truly help them if you feed them proteins, vegetables, and good fats.

Well, there you have it, hopefully some of these tips will help your child harness the adrenalin rush that comes from getting up on stage instead of experiencing performance anxiety. At the end of the day, focus as much as possible on making the performance fun and enjoyable!

October Newsletter: It’s Your Turn to Shine! And… Preparing for Family Gatherings

Music Lessons for Adults

You know, we don’t only offer music lessons for kids. Many adults take music lessons as well, and so can you! If you have children taking music lessons, you already have a teacher coming to your home, so why not go ahead and take lessons yourself?

Music teachers repeatedly hear people reminiscing about their musical experiences:
“I always wanted to play an instrument when I was a child, and I never got to.”
“My parents made me take piano lessons when I was a kid, but I never practiced so they let me quit. Now I really regret that.”
“I’d love to have a grand piano in my house, but I don’t know how to play.”
“I used to play the clarinet in high school and I really loved it.”

Do you find yourself wishing you could express yourself through music? Maybe you would like to be able to enjoy playing music as a family. How about giving back to the community musically? Playing at nursing homes, joining the church worship team… Or maybe you would simply love to be able to sit down and play something beautiful for yourself. Did you once know how to play but have let your skills fall by the wayside in the busyness of life? You don’t have to let musical skill simply be a dream or a thing of the past! You can learn as an adult!

As a matter of fact, learning music might even be easier for you now that you are older!

If you would like to learn more about some of the benefits of learning an instrument as an adult, as well as some of the pitfalls to avoid, you can read more here. If you would simply like to talk to someone about possibly starting music lessons as an adult, give us a call! (214) 477-8006 or reply to this email.

We would be so thrilled to help you do something for yourself. Maybe it’s time for you to take a risk! If you’ve been toying with the idea of learning an instrument, give it a shot! We would love to work with you to help your dream become a reality!

---

Musical Preparation for the upcoming Months

Alright! The end of the year is quickly approaching, which means lots of gatherings, so make sure your family is prepared musically! This is the perfect opportunity for you or your child to learn some special songs to perform for family and friends. Now is the time to start preparing! Wouldn’t it be fun to have a musical performance during your Thanksgiving gatherings! If this sounds interesting to you, talk to your teacher about helping put together a repertoire of songs that can be played at all of your upcoming family gatherings. This won’t be a formal recital, but it can be a lot of fun and a great motivator for students to work extra hard at their music and practice more.

---

Speaking of practicing, if you haven’t taken advantage of our Practice Pals program yet, now might be a great time to give it a try!! Practice Pals can truly be the missing factor a struggling student needs in order to make that desired musical progress. Check out the details here, and enroll in Practice Pals today!

Happy Fall everyone!

How to kill laziness and boredom when practicing the piano

We all have “those days.”  Days when everything is a struggle. Days when we are so busy or exhausted that things like exercising or doing the dishes are put off till “later.” Adults have these kinds of days. But what we often forget is that kids and teens have these days too; except when a child or teen has an off day, they put off things like homework, or practicing their piano.

Learning the piano needs discipline and a bit of hard work, whether you are 3 years old or 83 years old. When laziness looms, follow the tips below to help get yourself (or your child) out of your funk and get your daily practicing in.

STEP 1:
Give yourself a break.  Keep your body relaxed and your mind free from frustrations. Think about why you should  practice, and what your specific goals are for this particular practice session.

STEP 2:
The hardest part is STARTING! Pick one section to start with and decide what your goal will be for that section. A Chinese proverb says, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.” This is true in playing piano! More often than not, once you start working on that first section, you’ll keep going. Before you know it, you’ll have finished your practicing for the day!

STEP 3:
Make small and large goals, and work towards them.
Start with small goals: “I will learn the first section of this peice by the end of the week.”
Small goals will lead to larger goals: “I will have this peice performance ready for our next recital/talent show/family gathering.”
We hear from students and parents after every recital, all saying the same thing: “Having this recital as a goal has really motivated my child/me to work harder.”
Whether your larger goal is for a music recital or simply having a peice ready for the next time your family is in town, one thing remains true: setting both small and large goals will increase your effectiveness and enjoyment.