How to bring down practicing time by using a different mind set. You need to prepare a new piece. Fun, you think. You start practicing, the way you always do: take one chunk and practice it slowly. With the metronome, … Continue reading →
How to beat procrastination You are preparing for an audition. This time you are going to do it right. Only… you find yourself keeping busy with a million things except the very one you are supposed to be occupied with: … Continue reading →
And why you need to let go of perfectionism During my studies at the G. Verdi Conservatory, in Milan, I heard Yehudi Menuhin live in ‘La Scala’. He played the Beethoven concerto and well… it wasn’t perfect. Actually not even … Continue reading →
How to become a more courageous performer My first experience with improvisation was… terrifying. I was a teenager when I took part in a jazz workshop, given by a wonderful sax player (regrettably I have forgotten his name) in my … Continue reading →
How your self-talk might be holding you back and how to change that Oh yes! Finally you’ve been asked to play with that prestigious orchestra. You cannot believe it, and filled with anticipation, start practicing your part. There is a … Continue reading →
1. Stop fighting the stress Allow yourself to feel what you are feeling. Choose to experience it as ‘excitement’. It really is just a question of perception. (Read here more about that.) 2. Compliment your mind The extra adrenaline … Continue reading →
How to prevent choking under pressure The big day has arrived. You are totally prepared for it… 100%, no 1000%. You warm up, feel great…everything sounds just exactly as you want it to sound… nothing can go wrong today. Knock … Continue reading →
Is stress your friend or your foe? I hope you had a lovely summer. I did. I spent time with my family, got a lot of sunshine and sea… and got to do one of my favourite sports: scuba diving. … Continue reading →
How to restore full colour to your over-practiced, now gray-sounding concerto, in 7 steps You know the feeling when you discover a great recipe and you can’t stop making the dish… You share it with friends, everyone coming to your … Continue reading →
Reason vs Emotions Imagine… back in the 18th century… The reaction to the intellectualism and the rationalism of the ‘Age of Enlightenment’ (1650-1780), when men questioned the traditional line of authority (ending in the French Revolution) and especially the Catholic … Continue reading →
