Practice Thoughts | 10: When to Start Performing (Patreon)

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Hi Everyone,
Here is some food for thought about how/when to start performing. There is a delicate balance to find for yourself between practicing enough to feel confident on stage AND waiting for the right moment/people/location to get started.

I start with the most basic way to practice performing and that is to record yourself. Don't book studio time! Just record to your phone or a simple device to listen back. For most people, this gives you the first chance to imagine what you sound like and imagine how other people might hear you. With this sneaky trick, you can practice playing in front of people without actually playing for anyone! It's a great first step.

From there I guide you through some positive ways to imagine listening back to your own recordings and practice being less fearful and less critical. This is a great way to start learning how to perform - how to develop your mindset toward performing in front of people, how to walk yourself through some of the jitters, and how to imagine you're listening to someone else.

Then we gradually walk through a handful of ways to approach getting on stage with some questions - should you start playing for family or strangers? Should you play alone or with another musician? Will you perform something difficult or something simple? And more!

I hope you enjoy this lesson and I hope you're able to make safe choices while we all navigate how to perform and attend live music events again during a pandemic!

If you'd like to discuss elements of this lesson, let's talk about it on the community forum!

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