How can I ditch this fear?
When it comes to band, I am obsessed with the class. We have a playing test coming up. I am a percussionist and required to play a snare piece and mallet piece provided, both I have received. We go into a practice room with nothing but a recorder and are required to play both. My problem is when I go into the room I start getting panicky because of how quiet it is. This is 90% of our grade and determines our chair placements, I am more worried about my grade than anything.
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8 Answers
Totally understandable. Can you try humming to yourself to make it less quiet?
Is there any way that you can stop listening to the quiet, and play the music that fits the set or pattern that you are playing to, as chyna says?
Another thing to try, make up a pattern of words~ they don’t have to make sense.
Iwishthat -I-couldget—throughthis-class-to-day.
Would that help?
Practice, practice, practice. Why not start with a headset and traffic sounds and gradually reduce the volume.
Listen to this the night before your test. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida drum solo and when it is time, just close your eyes like he does and play your heart out.
Is there any chance you could listen to the music that goes along with your part on headphones while you play? That’s often how drummers work in recording studios, to help them tie in with the rest of the band despite recording separate tracks.
I’m not allowed to have headphones, mark my music, or make sound due to it being an anonymous recording.
You know what? You’re going to figure out a good way to get past the nerves that are making you feel so bad. You will figure out a method, go in, and do the best you can.
If you don’t think that it went well, you may be surprised that they are looking for something that you are too close to see.
Get in a sync, go in and do the best you can. Things will work out. You will be fine, no matter what the outcome. This is part of the rhythm of your life.
Practice, relax, do the best you can for that period of time, finish, relax and go on.
You’re gonna do great!
Let us know! :)
What you are experiencing is a form of stage fright. Use that nervousness to energize your performance. Just get so familiar with the performance pieces that they will be second-nature to you. Learn them inside-out. At that point, you know the pieces and you have developed the muscle memory to perform them. If your brain-memory fails, your muscle-memory will pull you through.
Mostly, believe in yourself. You can do this. You have been preparing for this for a long time. You must believe that you are an awesome musician, and that you deserve the next chair, or even first chair.
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