It’s a snow day here in the GTA. Mother nature certainly has a sense of humour! The quiet and stillness of a Canadian winter storm is both peaceful and a bit eerie. There is a calmness in the air. A moment for pause and introspection.
Performance is practice. Yes, I said it. I know there are artists and educators out there who would disagree with me on this point, but I truly believe that performance is a practiced discipline. Somehow in the arts world we have made performance the pinnacle moment, the foremost goal, the one-and-only focus of arts education, the destination, the sparkly object…which is why there is so much fear, resistance and anxiety surrounding THE performance. (Do you feel your anxiety rising? Is your heart beating a little faster? Breathe.)
Performance is a skill to be mastered (just like any other skill), not an event to be feared. Live performance is powerful; even transformational. Performance is exciting and energizing. It provides an opportunity to bring comfort, share a nostalgic moment, inspire, encourage, think deeply, be creative and express openly. But we know that two things are true. Performance can create feelings of nervousness and vulnerability too.
Performance skills, along with the perception of performance, begin to develop at the onset of your artistic journey. There is no “perfect” time to begin performing, nor is there such a thing as a “perfect” live performance (seriously – you can ask any professional artist about this!). Your age or artistic skill level have no bearing on your success as a performer; however, your willingness and openness to practice your performance skills will.
As artists, educators and parents we need to reframe our view and the goal of performance. In order to become comfortable and more “excited” rather than “scared” (remember the term “sca-ited” from last week?), we must PRACTICE performance skills. Performance is an amazing teacher. We learn a great deal about ourselves, our bodies and our emotional responses to stressful situations through the art of performance.
Here’s an embarrassing personal story for you! I used to hate performing the piano in public. It’s true. Singing was no problem, but playing the piano was a completely different story. I used to get extremely nervous when playing the piano and my right leg would shake. And when I say shake, I mean uncontrollably. My entire right leg right down to my toes would shake. Not my left leg, just my right. Why? I have no idea. It was embarrassing, awkward (especially since my right foot controls the sustain pedal and is typically audience-facing), and just plain bizarre! It’s as if my leg had a mind of its own and I’m sure it was really distracting for the audience. This never happened in my lessons or when practicing – only in performance. With each performance my shaky-leg-itis got worse. My immediate response was to avoid any and all piano performances, but of course that wasn’t an option. I had to work to overcome this strange quirk.
The first step was awareness. I was nervous. Really nervous. But why? I was prepared, I had practiced and I knew my music well. It just didn’t make sense. I had to dig deep. The truth was I didn’t have the same experience or practice performing the piano as I did singing. I would sing for family and friends all of the time both in formal and informal situations. I would sing in the car, at parties, and at church, but I hadn’t had the same opportunity to practice performing on the piano. My nervous energy had to be released somehow and it chose my right leg as the conduit!
Once I understood this I knew I needed to practice performing. I would look for opportunities to play for anyone who would listen. I would play for family and friends, accompany students, and say “yes” to performance opportunities that would come my way. The more I practiced, the more comfortable and relaxed I became at the piano. Each performance became a practice session for my performing arts skills as a pianist. Slowly the nervous energy began to dissipate and my leg stopped trembling every time I performed. It took awareness and practice to develop a certain ease in the skill I desired.
It’s similar to that first time on a ski slope. You have no idea what to expect, but the instructor gives you a few pointers and tells you you will be just fine. You are excited, but a little nervous. You have all of the gear and the weather conditions are perfect. The lift drops you at the top of the hill and your nervous energy ignites butterflies in your stomach, maybe your knees feel wobbly. But this is something you’ve always wanted to do and you love winter, so down the hill you go. The waves of emotions wash over you as you take the plunge. It may not have been a perfect run, but you did it. Each time you ski down that hill your technique improves and your confidence and love for the sport grows. Artistic performance is exactly the same. The more we step out onto the stage, the more comfortable and enjoyable sharing our music with others becomes.
Each performance experience is a new opportunity to practice and improve your performing arts skills. We know that action brings clarity so any performance, big or small, is a valuable tool for your growth and development as an artist.
My challenge for you is to practice performance as often as you can – don’t avoid it. Perform for family or friends at every opportunity. Take the plunge! It will get easier and easier, I promise. The performance is not the destination, it’s a meaningful and authentic part of the artistic journey. These are the moments that have a huge impact on your artistry. Action leads to awareness, which leads to confidence, resilience and a true love and appreciation for the arts. These are the skills that flow into all aspects of our lives.
Let’s begin to see and appreciate performance for the beautiful learning opportunity and teacher that it is.
xo
Andrea “shaky leg” Donais
