Page 23 - How to Shine on Stage

Useful information on the skills needed to achieve optimal musi-
cal performance is presented in a simplified manner on the Peak Perfor-
mance for Musicians website. 2
In Slovenia, experts specializing in psychological preparation for
musical performance are psychologist and NLP (neuro-linguistic pro-
3
gramming) instructor Aleš Pogačnik, academic pianist and practitioner
of the BMC (Body-Mind Centering) method Assist. Prof. Dr. Ilonka Puci-
5
har, academic flautist Alenka Zupan, and academic saxophonist and
4
6
practitioner of Chen Taijiquan Špela Kolenc. The Alexander Tech- 21
nique is taught by singer and the Alexander Technique teacher, Nina
Rotner. 7
One of the first Slovenians to address this topic was Damjana Zu-
pan, an academic pianist and sound therapist. Marina Horak, who in-
8
troduced the course on the dimensions of performance at the Academy
of Music of the University of Ljubljana, was also among the first to fo-
cus on the skills of successful psychological preparation for performance, Musical Performance Success
with Nejc Lavrenčič following in her footsteps. 9
If musicians need psychotherapeutic counselling, they can contact
10
Dr Milena Lipovšek. We also successfully collaborate with a team of
sports psychologists. 11

1.3.2 Elements of Musical Performance
Performing music is a complex creative activity requiring, in addition
to professional skills, imagination, aesthetic sense, cognitive investment,
intellectual curiosity, perceptual sensitivity, and mental agility, as well
as discipline, motor precision and speed, sustained attention, emotional
expression, and communication (Gjermunds et al., 2020). Musical per-
formance requires auditory and visual perception abilities, attention,
precise timing, extended movement control, learning, memory, and
emotion (Kanduri et al., 2015). Many of these characteristics are also re-

2 http://www.musicpeakperformance.com/what-mental-skills-do-performers-need/
3 http://www.glasbeninastop.si/
4 https://bmcassociation.org/locate/professional/IlonkaPuciha
5 https://www.alenkazupan.com/en/home
6 https://www.yinyang-taiji.si/spela-kolenc
7 https://www.ninarotner.com/individualne-ure-alexander-tehnike/
8 https://www.obrazislovenskihpokrajin.si/oseba/zupan-damjana
9 https://nejclavrencic.si/
10 http://www.psihoterapija-lipovsek.si/
11 https://sprememba.com/