Performances

Performances are hard for most people. There are, of course, quite a number of people who are completely at ease with performance but then they are the lucky ones. They are the ones that we all want to be yet still wish we were somewhere else. Something about public performances just makes people feel nervous. I guess that brings us all back to one of man's greatest fears. That is the fear of being judged by other people. Psychologists have shown that this is one of our greater fears so much though that it can turn the bravest of us into nervous wrecks.

Image Source: http://www.macanxiety.com/information-about-anxiety-disorders/social-phobia/

There are many different types of performances out there which can have a diverse range of effects on the performer. For example, tonight I had a piano performance for the Music Society of Victoria (MSV) which went really well. The thing with me is that when I practice at home I make all these mistakes, especially right before a performance. However, when I play it in front of a crowd it is played almost perfectly. This even happens to me during my Piano Exams and is part of the reason as to why I get such good grades. I stress out before hand and make heaps of mistakes in practice. When I go to perform it is as if I never made a mistake in practice. That is just one of my reactions to public performances. Some people have the exact opposite reaction and play it perfectly alone yet choke when they come to performances. I am just one of the lucky ones although I do become a nervous wreck. Then there are the people who need absolutely no practice for their performance (musically or otherwise) and yet still perform perfectly. I guess they are just the lucky ones.

Practice generally makes perfect, see you tomorrow!