how matt howard used mental practice to win LA phil

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matt howard won the principal percussion position in the la philharmonic orchestra at the super young age of 26! he used pre-shot routines, a technique used by golfers, to win the audition. in this video i tour the walt disney concert hall and i find out more about matt's mental practice techniques.
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ABOUT ME
i'm a percussionist in the metropolitan opera orchestra in new york city, and i create videos and blogs to help you stop sucking at drums and master your craft. there's so much more at www.robknopper.com.
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CREDITS
shot and produced by rob knopper
edited by adam tan

[@nicholasswoboda7619]

One thing that helps me in my "pre-shot" routine is hearing/ playing the music in my head; this helps me relax, focus on the music, tune out distractions and nerves, come in at the right tempo, and perform as if I were performing under more "normal" conditions. I've never given much thought to how I treat the instruments themselves prior to playing them however, and now I certainly have some ideas to work with! Thanks Rob!

[@robknopperstudio]

yes pre-shot routine should definitely include hearing the music in your head, to get the tempo and character especially. have fun with this!

[@AidanMmusic96]

For me, I do a shortened version of that snare routine (although some of my teachers hate the idea of preparation strokes in that way), and I like to visualise my eyes on tuned also. Oddly I can't remember if I ever did this before I started getting nervous in auditions, I think I did but I didn't think about it as anything 'different', I just did it.

[@robknopperstudio]

really??? who doesn't like preparation strokes? i'm gonna have to have a talk with them. 😂😂😂

[@brianhanner1]

One of the things I do to deal with nerves before playing (auditions or otherwise) is to try to feel my feet on the floor. Bringing my attention to other parts of the body helps disperse some of the nervous energy. That and take a breath before I start.

[@robknopperstudio]

yeah brian - these are great ideas for mental tricks to overcome nerves. keep trying these things!

[@steveperkins7009]

Excellent perspectives, buddy!

[@blackwatch_TV]

so sick...love this kid!

[@robknopperstudio]

yessss me too!!

[@missscontrarymary]

Just started doing something similar to this for the audition I just took. It was mostly determining embouchure position for the start of each excerpt, and knowing what I was going to think to find the tempo and start in character. I tested my plans with a few mock auditions, so the plans actually worked when I got in the actual audition! But I didn't advance so they must not have been that good after all... :-/

[@robknopperstudio]

Mary K.S. it's a good start! doesn't mean you did the pre-shot routine wrong it just means maybe there are some more things to do next time ☺️

[@Dutchiepercussion]

Thank you for sharing a video. That is Inspire me a lot.

[@tmossperc2716]

"percussionists eating tacos" interview series?

[@robknopperstudio]

Torrell Moss yessssss who's next?

[@tmossperc2716]

If you want to stick with people who just won their jobs, maybe the guy who won the met audition, or Jay Ritchie who won Detroit? If not recent winners, maybe someone from the Cleveland Orchestra?

[@robknopperstudio]

good idea! i have one of jake nissly too, and i'm gonna interview will james tomorrow i think in NYC. but yeah - steven white or jay richie would be great too! what should i ask them?

[@dominoplay3712]

percussionists are really nice everywhere, I wish violinists are like that 😖

[@austinsmith5101]

Does someone simply "land" a principal spot or do they start as a regular player then get that spot once the old principal leaves?

[@robknopperstudio]

you almost always have to take a principal audition and directly win that position. sometimes people start in a section position and then audition or are promoted upwards but either one of those is somewhat rare.