Raise your standards. Most people have one set of standards for how they perform when they are practicing, and a much higher set for the big day. Nelsen said these double standards are harmful because it takes so much mental energy to switch from your everyday mindset to your higher performance standards. A more effective approach is to have the same high standards every time you practice your craft, he said. You want to maximize your habits so you dont have to use your intellect to remember what to do, he said. Meticulously executing every action requires dedication, but it pays off when you can relax during your performance and trust the habits you have established, he said. Its exhausting, but worthwhile. Simulate the entire performance experience -- 50 times. Once you know how to complete each element of your performance, put it all together and go through it again and again. For a golfer, for example, this would mean not just swinging at the ball, but walking up, assessing the situation, assuming your stance, swinging and following through. For a musician preparing for an audition, it would mean walking onstage, taking a moment to prepare in silence, raising the instrument, and then performing. Repeat the entire process a minimum of 50 times before any performance, Nelsen said. Your level of nerves will be inversely proportional to your amount of preparation. Flawlessness is not the primary goal. Its important to minimize mistakes, but an error-free performance is not the ultimate test of your abilities, Nelsen said. In my opinion, only a computer is flawless. What makes a performer good is that he or she is human, and brings to the art something more than what is written on the page. Otherwise computers would be doing all the recordings, he said. The best performances are memorable not because they are perfect but because they are extraordinary. He tells the story of a performer trying out for the Montreal Symphony who, despite missing more notes than anyone else, won the audition. The director told me that he made so much music that they couldnt not hire him, he said. Focus on what you want to convey, over and above the technical qualities of your performance, and trust your preparation to keep your errors to a minimum. Dont compete. When you compete, you lower your standards, Nelsen said. Was Mozart competing? Was Einstein competing? You also run the risk of misjudging the playing field, he said. If you show up knowing Billys the best, and you showed up ready to do better than him, then what if Sally shows up and Sally blows Billy out of the water? Aiming for the best possible performance you can imagine is a far superior goal, he said. Believe the audience is rooting for you. When it comes time to perform, Dont choose the mental trap of thinking theyre waiting for you to mess up, Nelsen said. Instead, choose to believe the audience wants you to do well. Whether they really do or not, thinking they are a supportive group of listeners can constructively affect your performance. Think of what to do, not what to avoid. Telling yourself not to do something only focuses your attention on the very thing you want to avoid. Its like saying dont think of an elephant -- you immediately think of an elephant, Nelsen said. Replace any negative injunctions with positive mental instructions. Instead of telling yourself not to look down, think about looking up. Rather than concentrating on not dragging your feet when you run, think of picking up your knees. Nature abhors a vacuum. You have to replace your donts with powerful dos, he said. Sell the story, not yourself. Rather than aiming to showcase your talents, allow your enthusiasm to infect the audience. You may want the audience to love you, but instead, Nelsen said, make them an audience that loves what you love. This requires a constant effort to stay focused on what you are doing, not how you are being perceived. Its about now. Now. Now. Stay in the present moment every second, Nelsen said. Think of something you did right. After a performance, take a moment to note the things you did well, he said. Dont start out by thinking about all the things you did wrong. You have to have a low tolerance for destructive thinking, he said. Once you have listed several things you liked about your performance, a process Nelsen called strength-collecting, then you can move on to critique and identify a few areas for improvement. Broaden your base of self-esteem. The best thing I ever did for my horn playing was quit for several years, because when I picked it up again I didnt have all of my self worth and dreams invested in the one pursuit, he said. With other interests (such as magic, an element he occasionally adds to horn performances), Nelsen said he is able to approach his craft not only with more composure but also with the life experience that can enrich his music. I tell all my students to be sure to have a life -- have friends, fun, date! he said. Otherwise, how will you understand the things that music is about? Aim too high. Its essential to reach for goals beyond what you think you can achieve, Nelsen said. One of his favorite quotes comes from late motivational speaker Bob Moawad: Most people dont aim too high and miss, they aim too low and hit.
Posted on: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 15:39:06 +0000
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