Does going on stage feel like rolling the dice?

Many of the musicians I have talked to want to bridge the gap between the practice room and the stage. Things sound great…until they have to perform and then it’s like all the hard work just vanished.

How does that even happen? These are accomplished players who know how to practice, and they spent a lot, A LOT of time doing it. So why can’t they bridge that gap?

That’s because they are already bridging it, they just don’t realize it.

Performance anxiety happens because we are trying to control something we can’t. Often that’s “I want the audience to like me” or “I want to win this audition”

…But those things don’t exist in the practice room, so how am I supposed to practice not thinking about them.

What you can change is your goal! If your goal is to sound good so you can win the audition or please the audience you will carry that goal into the performance. With every repetition in the practice room you are burning that goal into your subconscious and your muscle memory, making it harder and harder to fight against on stage.

Change your goal to play your best because it’s fun, in order to show off your interpretation, to share yourself, etc. Whatever it is make it something in your control.

Then, with every repetition you are training your brain not to control those things outside your control, and to focus on things that you can.