Getting back on stage after covid
Haven't performed in a long time? Thinking about taking an audition or performing in front of an audience?
Getting back on stage after the coronavirus pandemic might be challenging, but with the right routine, you should be able to get back on track in no time! Here is what you need to do:
Define your goal and plan how to achieve it (Ask yourself what are the short-term goals that you need to set to accomplish your long-term goal)
Commit to meaningful practice and focus on improving yourself
Start preparing mentally for your next performance (It's never too early!)
Mental preparation is one of the most important elements needed for successful performances, especially under pressure. Whether we’re about to perform at solo contest or give a speech to a crowded room, our performance depends greatly on how we’re feeling when we enter into the situation. According to experts in the field of human performance, we will not achieve optimal results under pressure unless we get into a so-called “challenge state”. This is because the "challenge state" enhances performance, while a "threat state" interferes with performance and negatively affects our skills.
How to get into a challenge state? Here are a few things that you should do to get into this optimal state of mind:
Increase levels of your self-confidence
Increase your sense of control (Focus on the things that you can control.)
Focus on the success of your performance (Focus on your strengths and prepare your brain for a successful performance by visualizing it in advance.)
Eliminate thoughts about the outcome of the performance and focus on the process and the task at hand instead
Put things in perspective
Whenever you get ready for a solo performance, audition, or contest, you should see this particular performance in the context of your whole life and realize that even if things don’t go the way you wish, it won’t mean that you are a failure, or that it will be absolutely unbearable. You can acknowledge that this particular performance or an audition is important to you, but you should remind yourself that you have what it takes to bounce back even if things won’t go your way. You shouldn't also become too attached to the outcome of your performance, but rather focus on the present moment, on the task at hand, and on the creation process. The rest will work itself out.
Yes, we have been through a lot. Musicians have been among the hardest hit by the pandemic. But we are strong. We are creative. And we are needed in this broken world which seems to need live music now more than ever! So roll your sleeves up and start getting ready for your next performance!