Category: Performance Anxiety

Going with the flow

Nicole NealLeave a comment
English: The Lyvennet river in full flow.
Make like a river and flow. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Going with the flow. Being in “the zone”. Being in the moment, in the “now”, being entirely present to what it is you’re doing. Thinking neither of the past, and the moments that have just passed, nor what is or might be to come.

 

 

 

What is “the flow”?

 

 

 

Being in flow is precisely that feeling or sensation during a performance situation where time almost seems to stand still. It is like finding that sweet spot where the magic of making music can really happen.

 

 

 

Getting into the flow reveals to us that shining, sparking, glorious world where the music just flies from the fingers, the music plays itself, the tone quality full, fat and fruity, the melody gleaming and irridescent, the bass rich and deep.

 

 

 

But you’re not even thinking about that. You’re not thinking at all really. You’re just playing. Just doing. Just being in the moment. Trusting yourself and letting the music happen, letting your fingers, your hands, your arms take the lead and using the training and practice you’ve given them countless times.

 

 

 

It’s the feeling of “ooh yeah… this is awesome….”

 

 

 

So how do you get into the flow?

 

 

 

Good question! Getting into the flow in a performance situation can be tricky if you’re not sure how you find that flow, particularly if you’ve glimpsed it only in patches previously.

 

 

 

Here are some of the things that I personally have been road-testing in this respect:

 

 

 

  • Control over my attention and directing my awareness towards my sound and tone quality
  • Significantly increasing my overall awareness and having control over my physical state – i.e. identifying if and where I’m holding tension in the body and learning to release it
  • Relaxing
  • Maintaining a positive mental attitude
  • REALLY knowing what I’m playing – theoretically and physically (both left and right hands)
  • Recognising that the hard work part has been done and the performance is time for sharing and to heck with it if I make a buzz or scrape or fluff a note
  • Setting out with intention of actually enjoying what I’m about to perform and sharing the work I’ve been doing
  • Letting go of notes and the music as soon as it’s been played, especially if it was a wrong note!
  • Not taking myself too seriously – after all we’re making music here it’s supposed to be fun and enjoyable!

 

This is something I’m very much continuing to explore. What things you do to help you get into the flow state when you’re performing and playing? I’d love to know, so please feel free to leave a comment below.

 

 

 

Just get out there and do it!

Nicole NealLeave a comment

I’m talking about performing…. Performing in front of others…. Others that don’t include your teacher, significant other, the goldfish or the dog.

Ooh the mere thought of it sends some into veritable conniptions!

Feelings of nausea, dread, impending doom, going into battle or even to one’s demise are feelings that most of us have experienced at one time or another when nearing a performance.

And that’s ok. Seriously. It’s a completely natural reaction that the mind and body has to a perceived threat. That threat is obviously not a physical threat – no one’s going to punch you out for fluffing a note or two, at least you hope not. It’s a threat to our egos and our self-esteem. I’ve spoken a bit about this subject before in a recent post.

And for those who are stepping up to the plate for the first time these feelings may not really have been experienced before or not in the intensity with which they now appear, I can tell you that it’s all perfectly natural. It’s ok. In fact it’s more than ok to have these feelings (first up, it means you care about what you’re going. Always a good start). Not only that, you have permission to feel these feelings – don’t try and run from it, suppress it or hide from it. What challenge or issue was ever really truly solved by taking that course of action, hey?

It’s just our brain’s protective system trying to look after us. It’s trying to do us a favour. It’s trying to keep us nice and comfortable.

Some people are happy with comfortable. But nothing much was ever achieved with comfortable. To learn, develop and grow one needs to get a little uncomfortable. Think on the nerves as growing pains. An inevitable part of growing up.

And I applaud wholeheartedly those that step forward, step up, willing to take the feedback, willing to learn from their experience. It does take courage, it is a little bit icky and challenging. That’s half the “fun”! If it were so easy everyone would be doing it! But you, considering performing, or getting up there for the 100th or 1000th time, you’re special for doing that. Don’t forget it! You’re bloody awesome whatever the outcome of the performance. Just remember to use the experiences of the performance to make yourself, your playing, even better.

So my advice for those just getting into performing just get out there and do it! Like most other things, the more you practice performance, the more you do it, the better you’ll get at it. So dive in and roll with it, feel the feelings, embrace shaky hands, embrace fuzzes and buzzes and memory black spots and grow with the experience.

Related articles