Reply To: Have an important performance very soon, how do I use this course appropriately?

[Noa Kageyama]

Thanks for the input, DC!

Indeed, playing in the privacy of a practice room, and performing in front of others are very different challenges. And the way we practice to improve our skills (self-monitoring, analyzing, critiquing) cultivate skills that are counterproductive when performing (the need to avoid self-monitoring, analyzing, critiquing, but instead play freely, and create).

With just 3 weeks, I’d encourage you to practice performing as DC describes, in front of people when you can, but even in front of a video recorder (i.e. iPhone?) on a daily basis, and using that to dictate what is most important to work on that day. And to do your practice performances early in the day, before you do the practicing, instead of later in the day after you’ve already worked on things. That will be a better indicator of where things are really at.

While practicing performing, it’s helpful to know what TO do when performing. As in, what should you be thinking about right before you start playing? What is the most helpful thing to focus on as you’re playing? To that end, I think working through the Focus section, and then the Energy Regulation section will help you have a clearer “mental script” for the performance.