Scared Yet?
I remember hearing or reading advice a long time ago that suggested you do 1 thing everyday that scares you.
Let's dispense with the extremes for a moment and just make it - do 1 thing a day that makes you nervous.
Yesterday - before my solo performance at Bass Day - there was nervousness. Not severe- but noticable.
Being asked to come back and play again today - not really much nerves associated with that. I've already played in front of most of the people that will be there - I'm familiar with the room and the tunes I play are tunes I know I can get thru fairly well.
So what to do? Since I'm only playing 1 tunes I'm going to play something that the very thought of playing live makes me nervous.
It's a piece I haven't finished and I'm using the mild pressure of todays performance to force me to come up with beginning and a middle and an end. Yeah - its' really not THAT ready yet.
But I really love the piece. And the thought of playing it creates nerves. I don't "need" nerves. I'd rather not have them - but the only way to get past having them is to have them, and not let them take you off course. That's a skill as precious as being able to play all the Keys all over the bass.
In case you're wondering why I'm not just working on the stuff - I'm also following some great advise Todd Johsnon offered the group yesterday. Practice for 15 minutes on - 5 minutes off. You'll have much higher retention that way. This is one of my 5 minutes off.
Okay - times up - back to 15 minutes of practice.
Comments
BTW - the performance went well. Had a great time and moved a new piece into the "performance" pile.
Posted by: Jeff | June 11, 2006 09:13 PM