A Couple of Tips
These are just a few tips I have for you. I'm not trying to sound like I know everything, these are just a few things I find helpful and think you might, too. First off, I have tips on performance anxiety. I get horribly nervous before a performance, especially an audition. I know most of the advice I am going to give you won't help. I always get it set in my mind that I will do badly, and no advice can help me, but you never know, it just might help you. Second, I have some practice tips. I know, I know, you don't want advice on how to practice, you just want to do it and get it over with. But if you want to get better, and everyone does, you need to practice.
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Performance Anxiety, we all have it.
- First, remember that you won't die if you don't get in. If you don't do very well at an audition, oh well, it's not the end of the world, most likely you can audtion again next year.
- Breathe. Take deep breathes to calm yourself down.
- Have confidence. Having a little confidence isn't a bad thing, just don't get full of yourself.
- Don't practice the piece of music you are going to play 15 minutes before the performance or audition. You are probable very nervous and will mess up in places you never have and then you will do it again in the audition/performance.
- Eat a banana (of course you will have to rinse your mouth out really well before you play) I haven't tested this yet, but something in a banana is supposed to help with anxiety.
- Know the music. If you know the music inside and out, you can close your eyes and pretend you are practicing for yourself, and that no one else is in the room.
- This next one might sound really stupid, by I believe it helps with nervousness. Take your shoes off. For some reason I play so much better without my shoes on. Some of the other flutes I know agree with this. It helps, trust me.
Practic Tip
- Sit straight in a chair or stand when you practice. It helps the air flow. I have a really bad habit of sitting crosslegged on my bed looking down at my music. Which brings me to my second tip.
- Don't look down at your music. Put it on a stand or tack it to a wall. Cocking your chin downward is bad for your air.
- Practice your scales EVERY day. I know most of us hate them, but we need to do them. The only way to master the hard stuff is to master the easy stuff. Start with scales.
- Practice appregios with your scales.
- Practice your scales in long tones.
* Remember to clean out your flute every time after you play.
- Take a soft cloth and run it through your flute. Also, you can use sliver polish on the exterior of your flute, but be VERY careful not to get it on your pads, it will ruin them.
