Page 117 - How to Shine on Stage

traits in everyday life. If one tends to be suspicious of others, cautious, in-
ward-oriented, in short, wanting to control things in their environment,
one will also have considerable difficulties in relinquishing control dur-
ing a performance. (4) Another important factor here is the extent to
which we are able and to which we allow ourselves to experience vari-
ous emotional states in our daily lives, for example sadness, joy, or anger,
since the performance setting usually arouses extremely strong physical
and mental sensations. For a person struggling to manage strong emo-
tions in everyday life, this burden will be too heavy. Since almost every 115
performer is affected by at least one of these factors, mental preparation
for performance is all the more important. Preparation strategies should
impact particularly self-trust and self-confidence by boosting them.
Playing in front of an audience is one of the ways to prepare oneself
mentally for a performance. In this context, the performer should gradu-
ally approach realistic circumstances and increase the complexity of the
performance, with consideration to the size and status of the audience.
First such performances are organized in front of a smaller, more famil-
iar, domestic audience. Later we gradually approach the characteristics
of the specific performance for which we are preparing. If possible, we
should also to hold one of the preparatory performances in the same ven-
ue as the actual performance.
Salmon and Meyer (1998) state that the following techniques, in-
dividually or in combination, can encourage the increasing complex- Stress During the Various Stages of Preparation for the Musical Performance
ity of the performance setting: gradually increasing the audience size,
gradually increasing the audience status, using audio or video record-
ings of the performance, performing the piece by heart, and perform-
ing in situations that are as similar as possible to the setting in which the
main performance is to be performed. It is also recommended to use a
performance assessment sheet, as it allows the performer to systemati-
cally monitor their progress. Keeping a performance assessment report
equips them with a sense of readiness and supports their self-confidence.
It is crucial to allocate time following each performance to thoroughly
complete the performance report, since it provides the performer with
useful feedback. Another effective tool is the subjective/objective assess-
ment/plan (SOAP) self-assessment scale (Salmon & Meyer, 1998), since
the feedback obtained provides the grounds for planning the next steps.
When setting goals, we need to be as precise as possible.
Research in developing public performance skills has identified the
therapeutic value of non-threatening, friendly audiences, accurate feed-
back as constructive criticism, gradual exposure to anxiety-provoking