What I say to myself before my performances

I didn’t realise how important my pre-performance rituals were until I slacked on them. They make such a huge difference!

Here are 3 things I do/say to myself before my performances.

1. Every famous musician understands nerves

Think of you favourite musician. No matter who they are, they understand what it feels like to be nervous — you are no different. This is a mindset shift that helps to ground me because it helps me to realise that if they were nervous, then I can go as far as they have gone. It not only grounds me but also inspires me.

2. Nerves don’t negate your abilities

This is such an important thing to remember. Think about your practice and preparation being like a cake. Then when you are nervous, that is like having some icing or sprinkles on the cake. Those toppings are there, but so is the cake. And when you eat that, you will taste the cake.

So when you are nervous, that doesn’t take away from the hard work you have done, and that can still shine through.

3. Creating your own personal performance goal

You know the goal of what you are doing: to get into the program, to pass the exam etc. But that is not something you can control. The judges decide that. What you decide is what kind of performance you give.

So create your own personal goal for this. It could be sharing the tone that you have been working on or performing with all the joy you can. Focus on that. This can help get your mind off the actual performance goal and focus you onto enjoying your playing more.

In your performances, I wish you all the best!

All my best,

Eleanor