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Perhaps you are interested in using hypnosis to help you achieve the goals you have set for yourself, or perhaps you are just curious and interested to learn more. If you are thinking of trying some of the many hypnosis … Continue reading
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The performance anxiety problem begins to look too big to solve for most, impossible to actually eliminate, overwhelming and improbable. Each time you attempt to change something in your life and don’t, the more you actually believe that you can’t. … Continue reading
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You’re reading this because you want to know how to win a songwriting contest. Having produced music that has won first place in songwriting contests, sometimes for many thousands of dollars and having also been a songwriting contest judge I … Continue reading
It is often easy to forget how physically demanding playing the guitar can be. It is not uncommon to see guitar players who are suffering from a variety of problems, including tendonitis (an inflammation of the tendons) and carpel tunnel syndrome (when the median nerve is compressed at the wrist, leading to pain, paresthesias, and muscle weakness in the hand).These can be debilitating problems, but they are preventable. There are some important things you can do to protect yourself from having these problems now or later down the road.
First and foremost it is important to stretch before you play or practice, which not only helps to prevent injury, but will also allow you to play more effectively.
The best way to do this is to start off by stretching the fingers one by one.
Start by placing your left hand thumb against your right hand palm and pushing back slightly, not so far that it hurts but far enough so you can feel a stretch. Hold for about 30 seconds. Do this with the rest of your fingers on your left hand, and then repeat the same stretch for all the fingers on the right hand.
This next stretch is great for both your wrists and your forearms. Start by putting your palms together in front of your chest. Slowly push out your elbows and bend your wrists, holding once you feel a good stretch. Next, rotate your wrists forward so your fingers are pointing away from you. Stop and hold when you feel a stretch. After stretching it’s always a good idea to warm up by practicing a few scales, riffs, or chords.
There are some things to keep in mind when you are playing that can help to prevent any problems. First of all, try to keep your wrists as straight as possible when you are playing. When your wrists are bent it will cause unnecessary strain, and also makes it harder to move your fingers. While there are some chords or passages that require you to bend your wrists slightly, it will be better in the long run if you can keep them straight for as long as possible. Just do your best. Also, try not to press on the strings any harder than is absolutely necessary, as doing so will cause a great deal of strain.
Another important tip is to take a break. 15 mins for every hour of playing should do, but take a longer break if you have to. And if you feel any pain or discomfort whatsoever while playing it is important to stop. Trying to play through the pain will only make things worse, so do yourself a favour and stop as soon as you feel any discomfort.
Take care of your hands and wrists and you will be able to experience the joy of playing the guitar for many years to come.
Michelle is a guitarist from Québec, Canada. She is currently completing the master certificate program in guitar at the Berklee School of Music in Boston.
If you liked this article and would like to read more, then head on over to Michelle’s blog, The Guitar Player’s Guide.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michelle_Monette
Performance fear or performance anxiety takes on several different forms. However, it is associated with the growing awareness and the need to perform according to the standard of your own field of activity, whether it’s your workplace, or an upcoming presentation or speech you must give, or for a specific sports activity. With the pressure to perform ones best, there is always a preconditioned mindset for the person suffering from performance fear that if anything should go wrong, that will eventually impact their performance and reduce it to failure.
Studies are still ongoing to determine exactly the cause of this fear but it is closely coupled to a persons desire to do better at something. As humans, we are not perfect so you need to recognize that experiencing performance fear is considered, completely normal. But some may often have an unrealistic level of fear or misconception about a given situation that impair their logical decision making capacities and can lead to substandard performance.
There are various types of performance fears or anxieties, whether it’s work related, public speaking, or sports event. Therefore, the ways, although similar, in which you deal with a particular fear, will differ as well. Following are some basic methods suggested in order to minimize the level of fear and associated level of anxiety with performing these different tasks.
In sports, the best way to get rid of any performance fears associated when competing at a sports event is to take it easy on yourself. Even the worlds best athletes have their days off, where they may not perform at their maximum potential. When engaged in sports, you cannot expect to win all the time and you must realize your team may lose on occasion. Whatever your sport or related activity, setting realistic goals is the first step that will help you deal with sports performance fears and anxiety. However, you can turn the adrenaline produced by your anxious feelings into energy that you can harness to perform better at your sport. And when you are performing the actual feat, try to enjoy the experience and you will find the process of competition more rewarding.
When Delivering a speech, many people have this fear of speaking in public. Most of that fear is produced by the pressure of having to deliver a flawless speech that is able to communicate the message to the audience effectively. Instead of letting that fear overtake you, harness it into a systematic plan that will ensure you have control over the situation.
Here are a few tips you can apply when preparing to deliver a speech. Be sure you plan ahead and allow time for research for your speech, even if you are an expert in your field. Doing some research can help to confirm your facts and reduce some of your anxiety. Plan ahead the schedule and location where the speech is going to be held. And I’m sure you heard this before, Practice. Practice. Practice.
As for the workplace, there are a few inherently stressful jobs that require a high level of standards for their employees to meet. To stay on top of job related performance anxiety, it is always a good idea to stop and talk about it, with either your boss, co-workers, or family members. Existing in isolation and trying to confront your fears alone could increase your fear thereby increasing your level of anxiety and make the situation worse. It is important to have the support of other people around you. Also, try to change your perspective. There are times where you may experience job inadequacies but view it as a learning curve or just an off day. Aiming for perfection is good but you need to realize that it is unachievable. You should focus on what you can contribute to the company instead of what you are failing to deliver. Is the glass half empty, or half full.
When managing and conquering fear, you need to understand that only you have power over your fear, especially when it determines how well you perform at something. Following are some tips that can be taken in order for you to overcome these fears; Try to identify the source of your problematic perception or anything that could trigger such fears. Once you have identified the external source of your anxiety, look within yourself. Determine how you react to it and why you react in that way. Desist from criticizing yourself or questioning your ability to perform. Instead of letting fear consume you, take the necessary steps and preparations needed for your optimum performance. After completing the performance of your speech, athletic event or job task, do not focus too much on areas of mistakes or failures in a way that it impairs your self-confidence. Instead, look at them as conditions that need improvement in order for you to do better in your next performance.
One final note in dealing with conquering your fears is to seek out some self help information such as articles, audio tapes or videos dealing with this subject. Realize you are not alone in these feelings and many people have contributed some very helpful tactics that will help you to conquer your fear.
The author has been studying the reasons for and remedies of our fears to better his own. He believes that all fears can be conquered, which if not dealt with, can hamper a persons ability to achieve all they want from their lives. A video tutorial is available at [http://www.conqure-your-fears.com]
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andre_Beauchamp
Let’s face it.. there are a bunch of us who get the butterflies before we step on stage, hit record in the studio, or read for a part at an audition. For some people this can make or break their performance before they even begin. But it’s not just about stepping in front of an audience. Some just have difficulty getting the best out of their performance in certain settings, like the studio or reading for a certain director. We understand.. & we’d like to help.
Join Master Hypnotist & Fellow Musician Collin Sonny Rosati for an afternoon of.. you guess it !
Hypnosis for Overcoming Performance Anxiety
Have you tried all of the tricks and you still can’t get the words out right? Try coming out to our Performance Anxiety class where we combine common sense and experience with Hypnosis Meditation. It might sound a little strange at first.. But Hypnosis Meditations are great for quieting the nerves – & when you quiet your nerves – your real performance can begin.
Did you know.. ?
Sonny has been a practicing Hypnotist for a long time.. It’s been almost 14 years since he left Hypnosis School and began helping with hypnosis…
Here’s a link to some of the old TV clips – http://thesunnyside.net/about/
Sonny has been bouncing around a bit this summer but he’s back home in Vancouver, and helping Actors, Musicians, Speakers, Comedians, Sales People, Teachers etc.. with Performance Anxiety.
Did you know pt2… ?
Sonny designs and writes the Hypnosis Meditations for his classes. As a Master Hypnotist, Sonny wrote a “Script Book” for practicing hypnotists and he still writes and records Hypnosis Meditations for his FaceBook page – I Love You Because..https://www.facebook.com/pages/I-love-you-because/121132551291069
Next month’s class will be.. Hypnosis to Overcome Approach Anxiety – This is based on the best of both the Inner Game Guy classes for confidence and the Romantic Magic Workshop to find true love.
Keep your eyes open for discounts through Groupon!
Want to try before you buy..? & the youtube sessions aren’t enough – check out Sonny’s Real World Vancouver Hypnosis Meetup Group that meets every Wednesday evening in Kitsilano – it’s free ! just remember to RSVP
http://www.meetup.com/internationalhypnosis/
Please register early using the form below
Cost $45 but there’s a Groupon deal available on the web!
Next Class – Sunday November 1, 2013
http://www.thesunnysidemusic.com
http://www.hypnosisvancouver.com
Presenting itself through a number of signs and symptoms, performance anxiety is a social anxiety disorder that affects people who perform in public for example; singers, actors, musicians, and public speakers or master of ceremonies. Your child may also experience this condition if s/he is made a part of the debate team or a part of the school play or such similar part. The most common root cause of this ailment is feelings of inadequacy on the part of your child. This article will reveal 7 of the most common triggers that you can learn to recognize and know if your child is suffering from performance anxiety (PA)…
1. Stage Fright…
This is one of the most common indicators of this performance anxiety according to author Martin Richfield. It mostly occurs in the form of a paralyzing fear and immobility. Your child becomes unable to move or speak; this scenario is mostly brought on due to your child’s irrational fear of humiliation or rejection by his or her classmates or playmates.
2. Lack Of Concentration…
Another common sign of PA in your child is his or her inability of to concentrate. Becoming confused of losing focus are results that can be directly traced back to feelings of fear or apprehensive thoughts which may have overtaking your child’s mind and affected his or her ability to complete the present task at hand.
3. Perspiration…
Excessive swearing from various orifices in your child’s body, particularly your hands, feet and face, is another sign that s/he might be experiencing a bout of performance anxiety. What occurs is that the brain sends signals to the body which causes “hot flashes” and results in a large volume of perspiration due to emotional stress. When this occurs, your child begins to feel uncomfortable and self-conscious.
4. Quivering…
Shaking or quaking uncontrollable is a common occurrence while experiencing PA. This shacking generally occurs around your child’s hands and knees. Adrenaline is sent through your child’s body as a defense mechanism which results in uncontrollable quivering. This is also referred to as “fight or flight” mode.
5. Dyspnea…
More commonly referred to as shortness of breath, is a very common occurrence while experiencing a bout of PA. Hyperventilation, gasping for air, an increased heart rate etc are all linked to dyspnea and occurs when your child is afraid of performing.
6. Lightheadedness…
While performing your child may become woozy or faint headed, this dizziness is a typical sign of performance anxiety and can cause your child to lose his or her balance. This is due to the brain not getting the required amount of oxygen and blood needed to function properly. Your child may begin to see a spinning hall or room and can potentially faint if the anxiety is intense.
7. Adrenaline Rush…
You will know this through your child’s increased heart rate. While experiencing PA, adrenaline will be released into your child’s body as a survival response, which is what causes the increased heart rate; in fact, the more afraid your child becomes, the faster his or her heart will beat.
Ty Lamai is an avid researcher and writer with in-depth knowledge spanning a wide variety of topics. He has hundreds of articles published online and has a blog dedicated to info about performance anxiety in children [http://analyze-more.com/anxietyblog/how-to-treat-performance-anxiety-do-this-and-your-next-performance-will-be-a-hit%e2%80%a6guaranteed] which you should visit today.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ty_Lamai
You have probably heard the phrase that most people would rather die than present the eulogy at the funeral. Yes, public speaking brings on performance anxiety (a form of social anxiety disorder) in most of us. Performing artists, job interviewees, sports people and exam participants are also performers and are susceptible to performance anxiety.
While many of us feel anxious when we have to perform, anxiety itself is not bad. When you are stimulated, scared or anxious a flood of adrenaline and cortisol is released into your body. This prepares
you to give the highest performance, one with excitement and focus. So anxiety does serve a purpose. Most experienced performers feel concerned if they do not feel any anxiety as this can lead to a flat and dull performance.
Performance anxiety is feelings of ‘butterflies in the stomach’ or in severe cases ‘stage fright’. It is the response to ‘fight or flight’.
In some people this reaction is so debilitating that they become paralyzed by fear, unable to speak or think clearly. For someone with social anxiety disorder they may even go to the extent of refusing a promotion at work if there is any likelihood of having to do a presentation at any time.
But there are ways to help prepare to perform and to lower your state of anxiety.
Change your thinking to change the way you feel. If you start thinking about your sweating palms, racing heart and wondering if you will remember your speech your attention is divided and not on the job at hand — that of giving the speech. If you are thinking about the outcome you are distracting yourself from the task. Focus on the task at hand, the presentation you are going to give. Perceive your presentation as a challenge rather than a threat.
You wouldn’t expect someone to tell you that you were useless before you went out to perform but that’s what we tend to do to ourselves — telling ourselves that we are no good at speaking, or that we’ll be glad when it’s all over. This negative self talk needs to change into something positive — “I am well prepared and will show them what I can do.”
A good way to counteract negative thinking is to practice new thinking and create new habits. For each stage of the performance process write a set of positive self talk.
1. Preparation: The time from when you know you are to give your talk until you arrive at the venue.
a. “I am looking forward to this challenge”
b. “If I feel nervous this is natural and means that the performance is important to me”
2. Before: The time before you go on stage.
a. “I have done this in practice and can do it here”
b. Remind yourself of breathing and meditation techniques to calm yourself, and breathe easily.
3. During the performance
a. “Focus on the present”
b. Remember that if you forget something your audience has no idea that it has been left out, after all you wrote the notes.
c. A tip is that pauses are effective in a speech making, use a pause to gather your thoughts.
d. Another tip is to look just above your audience’s heads. It will appear that you are looking at them.
4. After the performance
a. “What can I learn from this performance?”
b. “Next time I’ll do even better.”
The key to your presentation of course is to be prepared. And to practice, practice, practice. Self talk will not help you if you have not prepared and do not know your subject
Many well known performers have admitted to being troubled by performance anxiety. Kim Basinger Stephen Fry, Barbara Streisand, Carly Simon and even the late Pavarotti have all suffered the affliction. These performers have made a conscious effort to control their anxiety and you can too.
For more articles by Ceejay Caton please visit http://anxietyattacksymptoms.weebly.com Ceejay’s aim is to help others by sharing information with anyone experiencing anxiety disorders. It may even be a family member or a friend suffering from what is often a frightening experience.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ceejay_Caton
It is important for performers to seek methods to deal with the feelings accompanying fear and nerves. The following are several simple methods to alleviate mild nervousness.
1. Before performing, you must first remember that you have practiced to the best of your ability and remind yourself of this. You have used your practicing skills in the most effective way you know. Of course, there will always be things you look to improve in your playing, but given all the circumstances that have led to this moment, you have worked hard as you can. Now the practicing is over. What you will do now, is to use your “hook point”, (what?) something you would have encountered during practice sessions. The hook point (hp) is at work, for example, when you learn the fingering for a piece. When you repeat and reinforce the new patterns, the hp is the moment where your brain starts to recognise the pattern and become familiar with what your fingers are doing, usually after many repetitions. The information from this process is retained, so that when you go on to practice other areas like articulation/dynamics, you don’t have to think too hard about the fingering. The most comforting aspect of the hp is that when it is time for you to perform, what you do is recall what/where was the hp, or areas you played easily during practice. Usually, once your ear recognises a passage you’ve practiced many times over, your brain will trigger the familiarity that the fingers developed in practice.
2. Do not draw conclusions about what just happened or what might/might not happen. Self-criticism while performing is pointless because it takes you out of the here and now and destroys your focus and physical actions.
Whatever the criticism, it introduces a verbal aspect into an activity that is most successful when it is non-verbal. Reserve judgment for after the performance, preferably after you have listened to other people’s reactions. Rather than judge your playing, simply observe it without saying anything, and play from the heart. For example, when you are about to make a crescendo, go for it and then feel it as you are doing it. There is nothing verbal about this process. You are, rather, putting intention into action – that is, motivating.
3. Do not second-guess the audiences reaction to your playing. When performing we become mind readers and believe we know exactly what the responses to our playing are. More often than not, these thoughts prove to be completely, wildly inaccurate and only serve to further distract us from our aim. An example: I was once playing a recital, with only twenty people in the audience. As soon as I came out to perform, I noticed a guy who looked familiar, but whom I could not quite place where I had seen him before. For most of the first piece, I was only partially thinking about the music, the other part, wondering who he was and (even worse) what he thought about the playing (crazy I know).
Finally I remembered that he was a respected piano teacher and accompanist I once met at a music shop near where I live. He was undoubtedly going to listen to the music on the program with a keen attention to detail and pick holes at the whole performance. Throughout the entire time, I was preoccupied with these thoughts and not surprisingly, the whole experience became gradually uncomfortable for me. Afterward, when he came to speak to me, I discovered that this piano teacher was, in fact, a jazz and pop specialist rather than a connoisseur of classical music and was very complimentary of my performance. Later I thought, “what an incredible waste of mental energy!” How remarkable it is that the vast resources of ones imagination can be used for such futile, self-destructive mind-games! You probably have had similar experiences.
Trying to imagine what the audience thinks of your playing is useless and distracting. You must please yourself first.
Ugo Onwutalu is a musician and piano teacher, also playing the guitar and organ. He is the founder of Grade Music Tutors, a UK music tuition production and entertainment organisation based in London. Visit http://www.grademusicworld.com for information on everything music-related, from learning an instrument and preparing for your exams, to getting a job in the music industry.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ugo_Onwutalu
Sunny's Music Studio :) Professional Music Lessons now Online ! 