My One Trick To Transform Performance Prep

What if I told you that you could show your brain what it feels like to play the best you can in that performance? Because there totally is.

This way is called visualisation. It is a method to visualise how you want that performance to go.

Let’s dive into what visualisation really is and how I use it for my performances and auditions.

1. What is visualisation

Visualisation is a method of meditation where we imagine a situation and how we want it to go. This is really helpful for performances and auditions in showing our brains that we can do well on the stage.

When we imagine something, our brains understand it to have happened. So if we imagine how we want to feel in a performance, it feels more attainable to our minds — and therefore easier to actually achieve.

2. How I use visualisation in my performance prep

A few days before the performance, I will do some visualisation every day. This is not a form of mental practice, but a way to see how I want my performance to go.

I will sit down and imagine playing on the stage or in the room. Asking myself how I want to feel about the specific situation. I focus on imagining feeling contented and calm in my performance. Therefore showing my brain that I am able to stay calm in this situation.

I also imagine how I might if different unexpected things were to happen. I show my mind that I can get through the performance if my reed is dry or if the room is a tad hot etc. I don’t dwell too much on the unknown though, because I ultimately can’t control that. I can, however, control my reaction to that.

This method of visualisation has been crucial to my performances, and I hope it helps yours as well!

All my best,

Eleanor