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STRESSORS FOR MUSICIANS:
• FEAR OF:
INADEQUACY
CRITICISM (LOCUS OF CONTROL ISSUES)
THE UNKNOWN
• COMPETITION
• INNER AND OUTER DISTRACTIONS
• LACK OF PREPARATION
• MEMORY SLIPS
MANAGING MUSICIAN'S STRESS
COGNITIVE SKILLS:
• USE ANXIETY AS A KEY TO PRACTICE
• PLAY WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF YOUR
TECHNICAL SKILLS
• MOST PERFORMERS EXPERIENCE ANXIETY
• MAINTAIN NORMAL ROUTINE WHEN
PREPARING FOR A PERFORMANCE
• "WHAT AM I REALLY AFRAID OF" (WORST
CASE SCENARIOS) A SOPRANO ON HER HEAD
MANAGING MUSICIAN'S STRESSORS
BEHAVIORAL SKILLS:
PROBLEMS & POTENTIAL EXPERIMENTS:
TROUBLE LEARNING:
PERFORM COMPETING TASKS (PEDAL WHILE MOVING A PENCIL)
LEARN A NEW PIECE FROM END TO BEGINNING
TRANSPOSE CHALLENGING PASSAGES
LACK OF SENSORY AWARENESS:
PRACTICE IN THE DARK
VISUALIZE HAND MOVEMENTS/FINGERINGS
OR MOUTH THE WORDS IN DETAIL
PRACTICE SILENTLY (NO STOPS ON ORGAN)
MAKE A SLOW-MOTION ANALYSIS OF MOVEMENTS
ERRATIC MEMORY:
IMAGINE PLAYING THROUGH ENTIRE PIECE
PRACTICE WITH MEMORY- ENHANCING SOUND CUES
TRANSCRIBE CHALLENGING PASSAGES INTO A NOTEBOOK OR LOG
DISCOMFORT WITH PERFORMANCE SITUATIONS:
"COLD" RUN-THROUGH WITH MINIMAL WARM-UP
PLAY IMMEDIATELY AFTER PHYSICAL EXERCISE
PRACTICE WHILE PLAYING A CASSETTE TAPE OF
AUDIENCE NOISES OR OTHER BACKGROUND EFFECTS
MAKE VIDEO OR AUDIO CASSETTE RECORDINGS OF PRACTICE/PRELIMINARY PERFORMANCES
• IS IT THE END OF THE WORLD?
• PERFORMING IS AN OPPORTUNITY, NOT A DEATH
SENTENCE (GIVE THEM COOKIES!)
• IMMERSE YOURSELF IN THE MUSIC
• DON'T TRY TOO HARD; JUST LET IT GO
AND ACCEPT WHATEVER HAPPENS
COMMON IRRATIONAL THOUGHTS AND BELIEFS:
- Everyone I know must love and approve of me.
- I should be thoroughly competent, adequate and achieving in everything I attempt.
- I should never feel bad. My life should go smoothly at all times.
- People should always be concerned for my welfare and should look out for me.
- If things do not go or stay the way I very much want them to, it would be catastrophic or terrible.
- Things should remain the same. Change should occur only when I'm ready for it.
-Unhappiness is externally caused, and I cannot control it unless I control other people.
_ One should remain strong or courageous if faced with a dangerous or frightening reality.
- It is easier to avoid responsibility and difficulties than to face them.
- There is invariably one right, precise, and perfect solution, and it would be terrible or catastrophic if this perfect solution is not found.
- Bad things happen only to bad people.
- If I make one mistake, I am a failure.
- All of my successes are due to luck.
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