WHAT YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
Tomoko Harada
On October 15 Phyllis Alpert Lehrer gave a wonderful and
informative lecture on “Coping with Performance Anxiety.”
Ms. Lehrer discussed how students can overcome the stress of
performing by understanding why it occurs and how to
analyze it in detail. Stress stems from our personal experience
and how we cope with unexpected situations, from insufficient
practice or repertoire that is too difficult. She emphasized the
importance of realizing how deeply we need to prepare for the
unexpected. It is also important to know how to prepare on
the day of the concert and what to do when a distracting
situation occurs during the performance. Ms. Lehrer also
pointed out the value of immediate feedback after the concert
in order to close the event and not wait until the next lesson.
The three master skills consist of Awareness (while performing), Will (commitment made before performance), and Trust (imagery while performing). Ms. Lehrer then gave us some exercises to try, including breathing and focusing techniques. She also introduced several recommended books and DVDs related to musicians’ wellness, tension in performance and performance anxiety.
Tomoko Harada, Hostess