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Hi Leah,
This is a good looking checklist for memory. If you can do this, I suspect you do have things pretty well memorized. But I’m curious about two things. 1) What happened in your memory lapses? Did you blank out, or take a wrong turn? This might help you troubleshoot how to strengthen your memory in these areas, if it’s something specific you can plan for. 2) I’m also curious what you were thinking throughout the performance. Often, our memory can fail us when we’re spending too much time worrying about memory, rather than focusing on what’s most relevant in the present moment. Could it be a focus-related memory slip?
Have you tried the memory palace technique in the preparation lesson? It wouldn’t hurt to create additional paths to retrieval (other than just sound or notes on a page) that can help you to navigate the program more securely from beginning to end. Even if it’s just the shorter storytelling version of the memory palace technique.
At the end of the day, I think there’s a balance between not thinking about memory and thinking about memory. As in, you don’t want to just let your mind go wherever and trust your muscles to do the work. You want to be intensely present mentally, and engaged, and focused on what you want to say in each moment – but that means being focused on what you want, not all the things that could happen that you don’t want (like memory slips). Does that make sense?
Regarding sleep, don’t worry too much about how much sleep you get the night before. Make it a priority to get 8-9-10 hours of sleep (including 20-minute naps as needed) from now to the competition, and you’ll be fine. The sleep you’re getting now is going to be more important than the sleep you get the night before. I’m a little hesitant to endorse the watching videos bedtime routine (in theory, for a variety of reasons, this is supposedly not so helpful), but if it works for you, I wouldn’t change it!
In the meantime, get good sleep, drink plenty of water, get some fresh air and exercise (if that’s something you normally do; if not, just go for a short walk to clear your head between practice sessions), and avoid aggravating/stressful people or situations in the last week if you can. Simulation/adversity training should be a priority in the last week (as opposed to woodshedding), as you’ll be “graded” on your ability to perform, not to practice – and this will help with memory too.
Good luck!
Noa
