Re: Adrenalin


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Posted by Shakey Steve on October 03, 2001 at 19:15:08:

In Reply to: Adrenalin posted by Rick Denney on October 03, 2001 at 15:17:14:

Well, I occasionally find myself feeling nervous in small ensemble performances. Of course, the less thorough the preparation, the more the nerves come into play. All I can really do is the typical relaxation technique stuff -- deeper breathing, *try* to relax, etc.

Of greater concern is performances as a guitarist, where shakey fingers is a death sentence. Again, preparation helps quite a bit. Also, isn't it interesting how you relax completely after the first obvious mistake occurs . . . . maybe you should just plan to screw up the entrance -- the rest will go fine! ;;^^DD

But the biggest thing that has helped me relax more as the years pass is realizing that nobody is going to throw anything at me if I screw up. Even if there's a big mistake, the world will go on. The mark of a true professional is not that they NEVER make a mistake -- it's their ability to recover quickly and move on, minimizing the impact of the mistake when it occurs. (IMO)

Just use a "labelmaker" (you youngsters probably don't even know what this is!) and stick a small sign on your tuba where only you and the band can see it: "Don't shoot the tuba player!" That should provide the appropriate perspective and comic relief. Now, if you're playing behind chickenwire ala Blues Brothers, then I quite understand your nervousness! ;-)

Of course, exceptional professionals seem to never make mistakes. That's fine if you are this good. If so, then you're the one I give standing ovations to, and you sure deserve it. [Last winter, Tony Kniffen played a solo recital in Indianapolis on his F tuba. The works weren't memorized, and it was in a very intimate auditorium at the University of Indianapolis -- very casual and enjoyable. He played to segments with a brief intermission. In close to an hour of tuba playing, there was not a single missed note (that I could detect). There were perhaps two or three entrances where the initial note seemed to be lacking something -- as if there was a weakly played note -- a "wobble on the tightrope". I was absolutely amazed! I don't count the number of mistakes I make per concert -- I count 'em by the song!]

Good luck,

Steve Inman
Kokomo, IN


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