Sunday, January 14, 2018
3180 Peachtree Road • Atlanta 30305
Enter driveway off W. Shadowlawn Ave. There is parking on both sides of the street.
Enter building by going DOWN the steps and immediately to the left.
You will see signs to guide you to the CHOIR SUITE.
Open to all professionals, students, and other interested musicians
PLEASE BRING INSTRUMENTS. There is a piano available for pianists.
Beating Anxiety (1:00 – 2:30 PM)
Elite athletes have known for decades that physical preparation alone is not enough to perform optimally under pressure. After all, why is it that we can nail even the most difficult passages in the practice room, but fall apart when we are in front of other people? And why does this happens in some performances, but not others?
Performing doesn’t have be such a random or nerve-wracking experience. And increasingly, musicians too are beginning to engage in mental skills training – ways of practicing and preparing which can lead to more consistently inspired and engaged performances.
In this session, we’ll explore the three components of performance anxiety (and why we usually focus on the least important one). Plus, we will work on several strategies designed to help you perform up to your full abilities when it counts.
Optimizing Focus for Peak Performance (2:45 – 4:15 PM)
It’s easy to stay focused, let loose, and enjoy ourselves in rehearsals. But on stage, why is it that our inner critic tends to get louder and make us doubt and second-guess ourselves – leading to tentative, tight, and cautious playing?
In this session, we’ll explore five different ways to quiet that voice, get into a more optimal state of mental flow, and ultimately play more like ourselves when it matters most.
Practicing for Performance Success (4:30 – 6:00 PM)
Olympic diving coach Jeff Huber once remarked that his job is not just to teach his athletes how to dive better, but also how to dive better in competition.
Indeed, performing at a high level in practice, and being able to demonstrate that same level of playing in performance settings are very different challenges, requiring unique methods of preparation.
In this session, we will explore four key practice schedules which facilitate learning that “sticks,” and experiment with three modes of preparation that elite performers utilize to solidify their skills, increase confidence, and demonstrate their true abilities on stage.