FluteInfo.com

Flute

Performance Anxiety

  • Know your music. - Make sure you have your music almost memorized. This way you can be confident that you will be able to play it perfectly.
  • Don't worry about messing up. - Don't worry so much. Don't go into the audition room saying "I am doing this to win," Instead go into the audition room saying "I am doing this for fun." Music is not about who is better, or who will you beat, but about having fun.
  • Don't focus on one thing in the audience. - One thing musicians will do is focus on one thing in the audience. This works well until that thing moves or gets blocked by something. When you do this you are focusing on that one thing and when something happens to it you lose focus and concentration and mess up.
  • Don't eat or drink anything with sugar or caffeine before you play. - When you eat sugar or caffeine it makes your body jumpy and unstable, this extra energy will drop quickly and if it is during your audition then you may have a problem.
  • Make sure you are warmed up well. - When you warm up, you get your muscles ready to play. Usually when I get out my flute I don't sound perfect at first, but after 5 to 10 minuets I'm at my standard. Make sure you quit warming up about 15 minutes before you play so that you don't wear yourself out. Keep the instrument warm.