Page 103 - How to Shine on Stage

Attention is selective, which is why we usually notice only a lim-
ited number of aspects of any given situation and ignore the rest. The
outcome of a performance is therefore critically dependent on the per-
former’s ability to manage distractors and allocate their attention ef-
fectively to the performance rather than allowing their attention to be
diverted to the audience or the performer’s own concerns.
Good attention is complete focus on a goal. Such effort is thought
to depend on the interest and enthusiasm regarding a subject. This kind
of attention is called “natural” attention (Kohut, 1992). The process of 101
natural attention comprises four phases: the phase of directed attention,
demanding self-discipline; the phase of interest, demanding internal mo-
tivation; phase of absorption, which involves focusing on something in a
way that requires a very powerful distractor to divert attention from it;
and the phase of fusion with experience, which demands complete inte-
gration of body and mind, whereby the individual, the instrument, and
the music function as one.
A performer who is capable of good attention is able to focus on
the music itself. Their thoughts are directed towards a physically and
mentally harmonized experience of the music, and their psychomotor Direct Factors of Musical Performance Success
skills required by the technical demands of the piece are so automat-
ed that they can focus their attention on the expressiveness. Such atten-
tion also produces optimal arousal. The performer does not dwell on
thoughts of possible mistakes, on the audience’s reactions, or on the fear
of failure. Their focus is narrow and directed exclusively towards musi-
cal recreation.
One of the most notable features of attention is its selectivity (Vičič,
1998). With attention, the performer gathers relevant information from
the external or internal environment and directs their consciousness
or mental energy towards it. Meanwhile, the performer is able to keep
irrelevant information away from their consciousness. Selectivity also
entails bringing attention to the right things at the right moments (the
ability to fluctuate attention). This is very important in musical per-
formance. Musical performance requires a full set of simultaneous
activities, requiring the performer to be highly agile in directing at-
tention. In orchestral settings, members of the orchestra typically os-
cillate their attention between multiple relevant stimuli, including the
conductor, their sectional colleagues (e.g. the first violin), and their own
instrument.
Although attention is a selective process, a person can focus on sev-
eral elements at once. Cognitive psychology experts explain the exist-