Vocalist.org archive


From:  John Alexander Blyth <BLYTHE@B...>
John Alexander Blyth <BLYTHE@B...>
Date:  Mon Jun 4, 2001  3:30 pm
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] How we get "in the zone"


Personally, sanity is an optional extra that usually just gets in the way.
As the performance time approaches I go through all sorts of scary stuff,
and am not entirely good company - I need to be with people, but I hate it
when they talk to me. Maybe if I was an old pro I wouldn't go through the
stuff again and again in my head, but I've only been in the memorizing
business for a few years, and and not likely to do more than 2 to 6
performances of particular repertoire in the same season/semester.
Backstage I often feel like I'm going to faint (I never have).Once I get on
stage it's usually fun, though by no means carefree, as I'm trying to
balance the needs of the moment with what's coming up. It's very exciting,
and the possibility of crashing and burning just adds to the drama for me.
I actually like having to concentrate, and to have to think really quickly
if I sing the wrong word, so the whole thing still makes sense. Except for
not really being comfortable about my hands and arms I'm pretty good on
stage, and the audience picks up none of all this calculation and
balancing. And it's over so quickly!
We're all totally different though! Don't be like me, unless you are! john


At 05:10 PM 6/1/01 -0500, you wrote:
>Hi, Vocalisters,
>
>As I approach a full length solo recital next week, I've been trying
>to decide how to occupy myself all day without wearing myself out
>(I've got the whole day off, and the recital is at 8:00 pm).
>
>My usual routine is to try to distract myself completely. The last
>time I did a full recital, I was in the middle of reading Tolstoy's
>"Anna Karenina", so I had my nose in the book almost up until I had to
>go onstage. I find that if I don't distract myself, I start to freeze
>up. I also have found that I need to be by myself; having other
>people around me in the last hour or so before performing makes me
>crazy.
>
>On the other hand, another friend of mine who does recitals on a
>frequent basis prefers to hang out and talk with friends right up to
>the last minute.
>
>What do you all do to keep your sanity on a heavy performance day?
>
>
>-- Vicki Bryant mailto:MezzoNotte@e...
>Naperville, IL
>
>
>
>Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>
John Blyth
Baritono robusto e lirico
Brandon, Manitoba, Canada

emusic.com