Staying In The Moment

“I’m sorry, can you say that again please” you say as you blink a couple times trying to figure out how you just got here.

We’ve all had those moments when we totally zoned out only to come back a few seconds, or maybe minutes later, totally unaware of anything that happened during that time.

Getting distracted is easy, especially in the fast paced world we live in. But getting distracted on stage can have unwanted results to say the least.

And that’s why I find that a lot of performance anxiety advice is lacking. It actually just adds to the list of things we have to do, and further distracts us from the music that is happening around us.

Anxiety happen when we are living more in our head and thoughts, than in the moment around us. Anxiety is caused by and then further causes a disconnect from the moment.

YET…

A lot of anxiety advice I read just further adds to the list of things to take us out of the moment.

When looking for solutions to your performance anxiety, look for things that help you stay present in the moment. What does that mean? You want to be hearing what’s going on around you: the pitch, the rhythm, the timbre, the emotion, the fluctuations, etc.

When you are focused in the moment, you don’t have time to let your mind wander and make you anxious.

About Edward

Edward House is a dynamic horn player and teacher committed to sharing his love of the horn. He is at home with many styles of music having played in chamber, symphonic, studio, and musical theater settings. He is currently an active performer and teacher in the Los Angeles area.

Recent engagements include the Schumann Konzertstück with the Stony Brook University Symphony, Gounod’s Petite Symphonie as part of the Staller Center’s Starry Nights series, and Principal Horn for Stony Brook Opera’s production of Britten’s Rape of Lucretia, as well as numerous appearances as a freelance player in New York City.