>Which is probably the key here: I tense up.... I've performed this
>duet before, once without any problems, once with a nice g# instead
>of a g... Not very pretty. How do I ged rid of this tension? This
>fear that I'll do the g# thing again? I've worked on the piece with
>my teacher, but that was before the slip-up I made. My teacher is
>currently quite busy, so I won't be seeing her before the concert
>(she's also in it...). And I can't wait!
>
>Any hints, tips, etc. are very welcome!!
Is it absolutely imperative that you sing on this number? Can you
get someone else to cover for you? It's no great shame to admit that
you're human and are not performing at your best and to try to make a
different arrangement.
If this is not an option (and sometimes it's not), there are several
things I would recommend. They may seem contradictory, but I believe
they will all help you.
1. When you're practicing on your own, isolate the phrase and do
some sort of relaxation technique (5 minutes of yoga or deep
breathing or whatever) before you sing it. Retrain your body and
mind to think of the phrase as an easy, natural thing for you to do.
Lie on your back and sing it. Hum it, float it, reclaim some aspect
of enjoyment of it. Don't expect yourself to be perfectly relaxed,
but do take the edge off your fear in any way you can. Be
disciplined about it. You can rack up a lot of relaxation if you
purposefully do it every day between now and the 23rd. (There's no
reason to stop after the concert!)
2. Talk to your teacher in rehearsal and ask her for feedback about
just how bad that G is. For all you know, it's not nearly as
disastrous as you think. Ask her what you can be working on to
improve your comfort in the phrase. Even if she doesn't have time to
give you an hour's lesson, surely she can take ten minutes to do
triage on this one difficult phrase.
3. Get your head together. Stop obsessing on the one phrase. Allow
yourself twenty minutes each day to do all your worrying. Set a
timer. Then, throughout the rest of the day, when you find yourself
drifting back to that tension and fear, say to yourself firmly,
"Thank you very much. We've already had this conversation. We'll
worry again tomorrow at the appointed time." Give yourself a key
word or phrase to substitute in your mind as a mantra whenever you
catch yourself trying to obsess. (Some of my favorite key words are:
connect, communicate, be present, breathe, and shine.) Open the door
in your mind to the possibility that you can do it.
4. Get it in perspective. Even if it goes horribly wrong on concert
night, it's one note. One moment in the context of a whole evening's
entertainment will not ruin anyone's enjoyment. Not even yours,
unless you let it. You've attended enough performances to know that
each of them has some blemish or imperfection and that oftentimes
those blemishes make the audience cherish the performer even more.
Let the audience into your heart, let them love your humanity. I
promise you they will, if you simply allow yourself to be present and
real with them, imperfections and all. Audiences are comprised of
human beings, and they appreciate heart and soul as much as they
appreciate technical accomplishment.
5. Prioritize communication over technique. Say the words with intention.
Best of luck! Let us know!
Naomi Gurt Lind
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