The Mind Over Finger Podcast - 163 Mock Performances, For Real

Starting point is 00:00:00 You're listening to the Mind Over Finger podcast, episode number 163. Welcome to the Mind Over Finger podcast, discussions on mindful music making, efficient practice, optimal performance, and building a purposeful life and fulfilling career. I'm your host, violinist and certified performance and life coach for musicians, Dr. René-Paul Gauthier. Hello, everyone. I hope you're doing fantastic today. I have a fun one ahead for you in this episode. As I've shared with you in the past few weeks, in March, I share applicable tips to include in your performance preparation to get leverage over performance anxiety from the start.

Starting point is 00:00:52 Also, I've shared that I have a great workshop coming up for you where we're going to bring all of this and so much more together at the end of March. The reflection exercises are going to start on March 27th, and I'm going to go live on April 1st and 2nd with everything you need to know about performance anxiety and how to tackle it. I'm going to share more information at the end of the episode, but if you are already intrigued, head to mindoverfinger.com slash P-A-S and sign up right now. The link is, of course, in the show notes. So today, I want to talk about another excellent way to prepare for performance and that is doing mock performances. You hear about this all the time. I know I'm not telling you anything you don't know, but I want to bring your attention

Starting point is 00:01:44 to the fact that there are many ways to do it, quote unquote, right, as well as many ways to do it wrong. Mock performances are a form of what I call conditioning. Now, if you have not watched my free webinar about being confident as a musician, it's called The Confident Musician, go download it right now at mindoverfinger.com slash resources. Like I said, it's absolutely free. And in this webinar, I share with you the reasons why we don't feel ready for performance, why we're not confident and how to change that. And I cover my three pillars of a thorough performance prep, which are number one, preparation. That's the part where you learn the music and you practice it until you can play it well. Number two, conditioning. That's the part

Starting point is 00:02:37 where you as a human being get ready to perform. And number three, mind management, which cements all of this together. Technically, mock performances are a part of the second pillar. But as you can imagine, all three pillars are intertwined and they work in symbiosis and they affect each other. So of course, mock performances influence your preparation and it affects what you're thinking and your mind management. And mind management will impact your mock performances and your preparation will impact your mock performances and yada, yada, yada. You get the idea. But why I'm saying this, that there are right or wrong ways to do it, is that depending on how you approach it, how you approach mock performances, you can condition yourself positively

Starting point is 00:03:30 or you can condition yourself negatively and create micro trauma for yourself and actually cause more performance anxiety, which is the opposite of what you want. So today, that's what I'm going to talk about. Mock performances, why we do it, and how to do it. So I want to talk about who to play for, how to set them up, when to do them, what to do before a mock performance, what to do during, and what to do after. Let's do this. Okay, so first, who to play for. I would say play for anyone you can play for, as many people as you can. One of the best ways to prepare yourself for performance is to perform. Actually, the only way to learn how to perform is to perform. It's by doing it that you learn how to do it. Makes sense, right? So you want to play for as

Starting point is 00:04:26 many people as you can think. So start writing down a list. I think it's good to play for a combination of people, people you feel comfortable with and people that make you really nervous. And you can ease your way in. Start with playing for people you feel very comfortable with and make your way to people you are increasingly less comfortable with. But, and this is a big but, while I think it's good to challenge yourself to play for people that make you nervous, anyone you put on this list should be someone you know you can trust. Someone you know will be extremely respectful of you and careful with your heart. Of course, there might be some people you don't know on that list, and that's okay. You can still play for them. Just know going in that

Starting point is 00:05:12 you're playing for a human being, and that is their opinion. So you have to put that through the filter of your own self-respect. Keep that in mind. So who to play for? As many people as you can think of. People you're comfortable with, people you're not comfortable with, but people that are worthy of your trust. Because when we play for people, we can be in a very vulnerable place and we want to be with people who will be highly respectful of this. Now, how to set up a mock performance? That's the easy part. Just do it. But I guess it's not that easy because a lot of people don't do it. But I'm telling you, it's as easy as that. Just do it. When you know who you want to play for, email them, call them, text them, whatever you do, and schedule the performances

Starting point is 00:06:03 and put them in your calendar. You have to put them in your calendar. What you schedule happens. What you don't schedule just remains a neat idea in your brain. So make those calls, write those emails, schedule those performances, and put them in your schedule. When it comes to when to do mock performances, I recommend starting as soon as you think you can somewhat perform the repertoire and not wait until the last minute. If there are some high stakes teachers or performers that you want to make sure you're very ready for, schedule those closer to the performance date and have some friendly mock performances early on in the process with people you feel more comfortable with. That's a nice way to ease into it. But as soon as you can

Starting point is 00:06:55 somewhat played the repertoire, I would go for it. Now when not to play, I would say is in the last few days before the event, because you can really cite yourself out. So I would say three to four days before performance, don't schedule any mock performances. This is the time when you want to really tune into yourself, you hunker down, you increase your mind management and your self confidence. And you just really trust your own thoughts about your own playing. You can keep recording yourself, of course, and you can definitely keep using record, reflect, refine, which is what I share with you in episode 162. But I would not do any mock performances at least four days before. Okay, let's talk about what happens before and how to prepare for mock

Starting point is 00:07:48 performances. I would say prepare for mock performances the same way that you prepare for any performance. And I'm still using the word mock for this episode because everybody knows what that means. It's not quite the real concert, the real audition. But ideally, we would not even use that word. The thing is, when we walk in the room to play for the person, we have to put the word mock aside and treat it as a performance. Period. Go all in. So here's what I would recommend to do before. If possible, try to have the same pre-performance routine you're going to have for the real performance. Now, I do cover those in detail with my clients in Practicing for a Peak Performance and the Music Mastery Experience. And of course, in one-on-one, very much in depth

Starting point is 00:08:43 there. And I will cover that in the Performance Anxiety Solution, that workshop coming up at the end of March. So make sure to sign up now, if you haven't already, at mindoverfinger.com. And that is a shameless plug, yes. So whether you center or visualize, whatever you do, if possible, try to follow these rituals. It's not a bad idea to wear similar or maybe even the same apparel you're the wear for the performance? At least the shoes. Wear at least the shoes, if not the whole outfit. And if you can't, do it in the same hall. But it's also not a bad idea to deal with different acoustics. It's a great adversity training technique. So the hall is not that crucial. But if you can, it's kind of neat. On the mindset side of things, keep in mind that you always have

Starting point is 00:09:31 to meet yourself where you are. The purpose of the mock performance is for you to learn how to perform. So be ready to play in the state that things are in at the time that the performance is scheduled. Don't postpone, hoping that you can get to the next level. Go in with a sense of curiosity. And you wonder, hmm, I wonder how it's going to be today with the level of preparation I have? Let's find out. And this brings me to one more very, very important thing about preparing for a mock performance. Set your intention on what you want to accomplish with this performance and how you want to feel while you play. Very important. So know exactly what you're trying to get out of this? Are you working on stamina to play through the repertoire? Are you wanting to

Starting point is 00:10:30 check some problematic passages? Are you wanting to keep a close up on your emotions and your thoughts while you perform? I'm guessing it's going to be a combination of all of those and probably many more things. But have clarity on what your goal for this performance is. Journal on that and write it down on a piece of paper. Anything that's written down will be a lot more vivid for you. Also, know exactly how you want to feel during the performance. You want to channel the same thoughts and feelings you're going to want to experience during the performance in your mock performance. So decide what those are ahead of time. What feelings, what emotions, what physical sensations do you want to experience during the performance? How do you want to feel physically

Starting point is 00:11:26 while you play? What thoughts are you going to keep in your brain while you play? What thoughts are you going to gently guide away if they pop in while you play? Again, I strongly recommend journaling this on paper. It's going to be a game changer in your performance. I promise. Trust me. And when you know the answers to those questions, keep them nearby. Maybe even write them down in your score if you're playing with the music. Another thing to decide is whether or not you want feedback and if there are specific aspects you're looking to get feedback on. If there are certain things that you want them to pay attention to, make a list and share it with them. But ask yourself first, are you asking for feedback on this aspect out of curiosity?

Starting point is 00:12:16 genuine curiosity? Or is the request fear-based? If it's fear-based or based on insecurity, I would say use your recording device for that. And I'm not going to go into it right now because that's a really deep area for coaching. And that's something that you could explore with a coach. Definitely something we would explore together if you work with me as your coach. But for now, simply make sure that your requests are coming from a place of genuine curiosity and out of the desire to be thorough with your preparation and not because you're looking for exterior validation. And while I think those lists are a good idea in some instances, there are times it might be better to go in without dictating the agenda of what they will be paying attention to

Starting point is 00:13:07 because you might be surprised with what they come up with. And isn't that the point? Anyway, going into a performance, you would not be telling your listener what to pay attention to. So your listener going into the mock performance without guidance might bring you invaluable insight on some aspects that you might have neglected. So sometimes it's great to make requests, especially if you know that there are very specific ones that must be met.

Starting point is 00:13:35 for example, in the context of an audition, rhythm, style, intonation, all of this. But keeping things open-ended can be equally great. So think about that before you make a list. Regardless, bringing an unmarked copy of the score for your listener might be useful. So have that ready. Now, one last thing. A lot of us go into a mock performance with apologies, with caveats, with excuses. You know what I'm talking about, right? You walk in and the first thing you do is tell the person, oh, you know, it's not quite ready. It's not going to be great. It's not where I want it to be yet, blah, blah, blah. I want you to stop this right now. Stop it. It benefits nobody and the least you. It will taint the objectivity of your listener. But more importantly,

Starting point is 00:14:31 it will powerfully impact your self-confidence. When you say those things, you grow small, you shrink, you collapse on yourself. This is not what you want when you perform for someone. This is one of the things that can create a sub-power performance on your part. And it's something that conditions you to perform with fear. At the subconscious level, it will shrink your confidence. I'll say it again. Don't do it. Resist the temptation, no matter how insecure you feel. So you walk in, no apologies, no explanations. You thank the person who's listening to you. You're gracious and courteous, but do not belittle yourself under any circumstances. Behave with the person listening to you that day the same way you would behave with a jury or an audition panel

Starting point is 00:15:27 member or an audience member. Be gracious, smile, and be professional. In that circumstance, you show up as your performer self. Whatever relationship you have with the person listening, you are a performer and they are your audience. So put the relationship you have with them aside, whether it's a friend, a teacher, or colleague. And in that moment, you are the performer and they are their listener. That's it. Now, during the performance, play without stopping. I'll repeat it. Forget the word mock. It's not a fake performance. It's a performance. Again, if you have any pre-performance rituals, try to include as many of those as possible. And while you play, focus on channeling the thoughts and feelings you chose on purpose. And very much like in meditation,

Starting point is 00:16:24 whenever a thought enters your mind, one of those thoughts that are not helpful, practice guiding them away gently and come back to the present moment. Come back to your body. Come back to the emotion you want to experience. This is what this performance is all about. this is why you're doing this it's to practice those things and it's the only way to learn how so as you're playing focus on the present moment on those things that you want to experience and train yourself to go back to this time and time again every time your brain offers you a distracting thought oh and a little tip don't make faces it might sound silly but what you practice is what you bring on stage with you. So if you make a mistake, and you make a face,

Starting point is 00:17:17 and oftentimes, you know what I mean, we do this so the listener knows that we know we've made a mistake, right? Forget that. If you make a face because you're upset, you miss something, or you're not satisfied with something, stop it. Don't do it. That is never helpful. That is another thing that affects your self-confidence, that belittles you in your own eye, that at the subconscious level affects your self-respect and your sense of self. It also keeps you away from the present moment. It keeps you in the past, keeps you thinking about what just happened instead of being in the moment. So no faces. Remember you're a performer in that moment. Embody your performer self.

Starting point is 00:18:04 No faces, no wincing, no bunching up of your nose, no raising eyebrows. Re-channel your focus on the present moment and move along. Now, afterwards, again, no excuses, no explanations. You're not here for your listener to know how it was for you. You're going to assess that for yourself later. You're going to process the experience a lot better, actually, if you keep that information to yourself. What you're here for is to listen to their perspective and get their feedback, if you

Starting point is 00:18:40 ask for some. Remember, no explanations, no excuses. Simply pay attention to what they're saying objectively. And I know for a fact you recorded the performance, right? I did not mention it at the beginning because it goes without saying, but of course you're recording this. So keep the recording going with their permission as they give you feedback. Then here's a powerful exercise for you.

Starting point is 00:19:10 Right after you're done, without waiting too long, isolate yourself in a corner somewhere and take a couple minutes to log your immediate thoughts and feelings about what just happened. On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the most positive, rate the following aspects. How did you feel while you played? 10 being the most comfortable. How close did you feel to your ideal performance? How do you think you executed technically and musically? And then write down a few notes, just maybe some words or short sentences.

Starting point is 00:19:48 make it easy to do right and hard to go wrong by not thinking you need to journal on this for an hour just put aside five minutes jot down your quick impressions as soon as you come out of the performance and put it aside then a few hours later or a day later whenever listen back to the recording of the performance objectively as you're listening back imagine that you are the listener this time. Imagine that it's someone else playing. And of course, you can listen back with the score and take some notes. And then after you've done this, go back to your post-assessment sheet and take a minute to answer the same questions from your new perspective and compare the score. What I often find fascinating is how wide the gap often is between our initial impression

Starting point is 00:20:40 right after it happened, and our assessment once we've had some time to process it as a performer. If you're like me, you will often find that you sounded better than you felt. And I always find that extremely comforting. This is another reason why doing mock performances is so valuable. So there are many more things you can do to prepare. There are many more things you can do while you play. There are many more things you can do after you've played. And I encourage you to schedule tons of mock performances to find out how you like to have them, how they work for you. But I hope this is enough to get you started with this amazing process. So this week, try this. Make a list of people you think you would like to play for. Get in touch with them and book

Starting point is 00:21:38 those performances. Gain clarity on what your goals are for the performance and decide how you want to feel physically and emotionally and what you want to think about while you play. While you perform, slide into your performing persona, your performer self. Stay focused in the present moment and channel those thoughts, emotions, and sensations you want to experience in the performance. Then assess your performance both right after you've played and after some time has passed to give you a chance to process it and gain perspective. And don't forget those questions to help you gain clarity on the goals you have for the performance. What is my deepest purpose for this mock performance? How do I want to feel as I play? Who do I want to show up as?

Starting point is 00:22:37 Now, if any of this is helpful, there is so much more waiting for you starting March 27. So go to mindoverfinger.com slash PAS right now and join me for the Performance Anxiety Solution Workshop. We're going to dive in everything that goes on around creating the kind of performance you've been dreaming of experiencing. you're going to gain insight on where you are right now where you stand and you're going to understand the mechanisms of performance anxiety and how you can turn everything around how you can turn performance anxiety into performance enhancement it's ready for you inside the performance anxiety solution workshop you're going to walk away from this training with so much clarity and knowing exactly what steps you need to take to understand and master your performance

Starting point is 00:23:35 anxiety so you can start performing exactly the way you want. I'm telling you, freedom on stage and flow state are accessible to you right now. Again, that's mindoverfinger.com. We start the inside the platform on March 27th and we workshop all of this live on April 1st and 2nd. And when you sign up, you have access to all of the replays indefinitely, all of the handouts and the resources, all of this. So join us now and I can't wait to see you inside the Performance Anxiety Solution. That's what I have for you guys this week. Until next time, much love going your way and à bientôt! Thank you guys so much for listening.

Starting point is 00:24:31 I hope you enjoyed this episode of the Mind Over Finger podcast. If this content was helpful for you, please share with everyone you think could benefit from it. Take a screenshot, share on social media, and tag me, I'm mindoverfingereverywhere. So reach out, send me a DM, and let me know how this content helped you. Let's keep the conversation going. As always, I have all the information related to this episode in the show notes. You can find them via your podcast app or by visiting mindoverfinger.com, where you can also find more free resources on efficient practice and performance preparation,

Starting point is 00:25:13 links to sign up to my free workshops and information on how to work with me don't forget to sign up for my newsletter to receive your free guide to a productive mindful practice transcripts from the mind over finger podcast episodes delivered to your inbox every week and more also join the mind over finger facebook community my private group for access to my live videos and to exchange with a community of like-minded musicians. So make sure you're subscribed to the podcast and if you have specific questions for me or my guests that you would like answered in an episode, share them with me using the link in the show notes or send me a DM on Instagram or Facebook. That's it for today. Again, thank you and à bientôt!

Starting point is 00:26:07 Thank you for watching.

The Mind Over Finger Podcast - 163 Mock Performances, For Real

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