Performance Anxiety Isn’t What You Think - Here's Why

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[@trevorjensen2706]

I played at my first piano recital. I went in early, warmed up on the piano, in the hall, on stage, no emotions. Then, WAITING to be the next person, to play (I was one of several playing at the recital), was BRUTAL! By the time it was my turn, my heart was pounding, I was sweating, I was cold, and hot at the same time. When I sat at the piano, I was shaking. Visibly shaking. It wasn't until towards the last two thirds of my second of two pieces where my anxiety went from a 9.5/10, to a more manageable 7.5 out of 10. Ashley, even when I play in front of a cell phone camera to upload our, "Fearless Friday," videos, I get so flustered from the nerves, I often forget the music!

[@rogeralleyne9257]

As a musician when you get to a point that you CAN make mistakes & still pull it together..🤔.. you are then truly 🆓!! You already know how I feel about your playing but the overall production of the video is also to be commended!! I'm inspired by your commitment to never "mail it in" with these videos!!! 👏👍🙏🔥👏💯

[@AshleeYoungMusicStudio]

Thank you so much!!! I appreciate that! I also have to give a shout out to my amazing team member Heriya who edits the videos! She does incredible work!

[@rogeralleyne9257]

@@AshleeYoungMusicStudio Cudos to her as well! Namaste Ash 🙏

[@dreamlavendermusic6694]

I love that you showed us what you were thinking throughout the performance! So good!

[@AshleeYoungMusicStudio]

Thanks so much!! 🙌🏻

[@K_Art4845]

What a lovely piece. Thank you for sharing.

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

I had never heard this piece before, and loved it. And if you hadn't shown the Oops, I would have said it was flawless.. Music is a journey, and it's a pleasure that you are our tour guide. Merci beaucoup.

[@AshleeYoungMusicStudio]

Thanks so much! I figured as much but thought it would be fun and honest for everyone to know where it was :)

[@lisa0206]

Thank you for this.... All the advice, and the beautiful performance.

[@AshleeYoungMusicStudio]

You’re very welcome! Thank you!

[@543BeeBop]

You are an amazing pianist! Thank you for all you share. I heard, at some point in the past, that if you get the beginning and ending right, any mistakes you make in the middle will be forgotten by your audience, if you just keep going as if they never happened.

[@AshleeYoungMusicStudio]

Thank you thank you! And yes, so true! And if you can connect, no one cares about the mistakes

[@foxjacket]

Great video. I agree with everything you said - each performance is different and you have to take in everything in the performance venue - the room, the audience, the piano, and adjust. 😋 Ray Chen said on Reddit that you have to practice performing in front of an audience so often that your brain doesn't distinguish between practice and performance 🤯 which I have done and I have almost no nervousness when performing now. (This is why he created the Tonic practice app) Loved the annotations on your performance. I'm sure you learned a lot by doing that too. When you said you made a mistake, I didn't notice and had to rewind to hear it and still didn't notice 😂 I don't know this piece though 😋

[@vic6695]

I’m 67 and started piano lessons almost 5 years ago. I’ve played in 2 recitals for my studio and bombed both times. I knew the pieces cold, the problem was I couldn’t stop my hands from uncontrollably shaking. I tried breathing slower, concentrating on the music rather than the audience, but to no avail. I made it through the music somehow, but cut them off very short just to get out of there. I’m afraid my performing days are finished.

[@AshleeYoungMusicStudio]

Oh no! Don’t give up! I used to struggle with that and meditation (for 15 mins) was the key to fixing it. I would do a super deep meditation about 30 minutes before the performance… And it would stop the shaking. After doing that around 5-8 times I stopped shaking

[@rjanuary]

What's really helped me get over my performance anxiety is volunteering to play at a cancer center weekly. The smiles I get make me want to keep going back and have broke that anxiety I used to have for public performances. Now when it comes to recording myself, that's a different story, as I turn into a perfectionist. Thanks for the tips!

[@AshleeYoungMusicStudio]

That’s awesome - my mom used to drop me off at a retirement home once a week for an hour as a kid - that helped me too :)

[@ChristianPianoMusic]

That was a beautiful performance! I planned a solo piano recital so I can play for my family and friends. At times, I think I must be crazy. It's in January, so I need to do a lot of performance practicing before the big day. Thanks for the great tips! I love your channel!

[@AshleeYoungMusicStudio]

Thanks for the kind words and good luck! I’m sure it’ll be great and at the end of the day - you’ll definitely learn from the experience :)

[@PianoPaladin]

What a great video! I especially like the tips on making yourself uncomfortable - recording does this for me and on top of that when I record the room is usually pretty dark. Im curious did you work on your piece leading up to the making of this video... Bc for myself I find that if I havent played a piece for awhile I have to play it a bit to get it back in my fingers... Overall great video, great tips and I especially like how you showed us with an actual performance! Thank you!

[@AshleeYoungMusicStudio]

Thanks so much! And honestly I didn’t have a ton of prep time so I played it about 3 times the week before I recorded and practiced the large chord roll for about 3 mins.

[@PianoPaladin]

@@AshleeYoungMusicStudio That's awesome!

[@iannizzero]

Great... as usual! Thank you!

[@ziegunerweiser]

performance anxiety, stage fright I read something a long time ago was an interview with a violin soloist I can't remember who but she said anxiety can either paralyze you or you can channel it into pushing yourself to play even better than you have ever played something before then she said there were times as though I were in a trance it was as though I was reading my own thoughts when you play with poeple looking at you is different than sitting in your room and no one is around, it forces you to play the best you can I read an intervoew with Janina Fialkowska who studied with Rubenstein she said he could play everything three different ways, that made me rethink about what a performance should be you know 100 years ago you werent supposed to play something the way it was written I read an interview with michael rabin it said he practices playing a piece 10 times on a row perfectly, if a mistake is made start at 0 until you play it 10 times perfectly before moving on to a different piece It easy for me to walk on a stage and be confident if I have been playing a series of tunes well in practice for an entire month -the music is in your muscle memory, it almsot plays its self. I also think I'm my worst critic and best psychologist so if I think something is good then other people will like it and for the most part that has been true if a performance is recorded even if its good its a snapshot how many performers recorded a piece 10 or more years after an initial recording ? Moment Musicaux Op.16 No.5 almost want to say sounds a bit like a Brahms intermezzo, what I think about your performance I think legato comes in different flavors one is holding the keys down with your fingers the other is using the pedal, I'm a little curious about what blend you use there is definitely a pscyhology to being an artist 8:37 get curious I remember hearing jass karp say I like to pretend im a child discovering something for the first time, ill tell you what is curious i just got a new kitten less than 6 months old, if only I was as curious as he is ablout my music 9:00 interesting to hear you talk about how playing music helps with establishing the mindset of a postitive mentality to problem sloving and developing the skills a person uses to adress challanges in life, the salt lamp and creating a bubble is an intersting metaphor you told me things I didnt know about chopin, you obviously love rachmaninoff as much as I do and I cant believe you played ginastera, it took me a long time to find the double cd of solo piano music by ginastera recorded on the brilliant classics label - I was so happy and excited when I got it, I discoverd his music on a cd of martha argerich playing the schumann fantasiestucke, the rhythms coming from ginastera are so undeniably interesting and infectious, some of my favortie modern music What is the value of listening to a recording of a piece if not to ask how would I play it differently ? Maybe different is not always better. art tatum was blind, have you ever practiced piano with your eyes closed ?

[@AshleeYoungMusicStudio]

Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments! It’s great to get to know you a little bit better. I have absolutely practiced with my eyes closed and it is something I recommend in preparing for performance :-)

[@ziegunerweiser]

your legato is alluring id be curious to hear talk about your preferences and thoughts about the right blend of finger legato vs pedal legato obviously I saw you holding down a lot of notes with your fingers

[@hippophile]

Really nice performance. Love Rachmaninoff! I really need to learn to play through those mistakes the way you do... I am getting better, but having to stop and pick it up is so awful. There again, I am still alive! 🙂.

[@sunving]

thank you very much.

[@AshleeYoungMusicStudio]

You’re very welcome! ☺️

[@backtoschool1611]

"Performance is not about perfection, its about connection . . . " You go tell that to my university piano prof!!

[@AshleeYoungMusicStudio]

Hahaha edited: unless you’re trying to graduate with a music degree. In that case, the goal is different until you’re out ;)

[@backtoschool1611]

@@AshleeYoungMusicStudio He did not help me with performance at all. I left in the middle of my third year

[@thebones]

Lovely, expressive performance, I know very little Rach ',

[@AshleeYoungMusicStudio]

Thanks so much!

[@MotifMusicStudios]

Great thumbnail! Eager to listen in!

[@MotifMusicStudios]

LOVE the thought of the 'bubble' that musicians create alongside the audience through music. Beautiful reminders.

[@MotifMusicStudios]

Loved hearing your dreamy performance too. Beautiful musical moments. Thanks for inviting us into your musical space with courage and beauty!

[@AshleeYoungMusicStudio]

Thank you!

[@AshleeYoungMusicStudio]

I know you know :)

[@AshleeYoungMusicStudio]

Thank you so much for the kind words - I appreciate this!

[@DUAJAGADEESH]

Love you mam❤❤❤❤❤