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Year Three, Day 211: Focus

Tomorrow is my end of term piano student recital. My programs are typed and ready to print. My students are all prepared. I am really looking forward to hearing them perform. This is the highlight of my teaching career.

Today, I asked each of my students what they felt was the most important part of performance. Many of them said, "Enjoy the moment". Or "don't worry about mistakes". I can tell I've had an impact on them! One little boy made me laugh out loud when he said, "Don't worry about the people watching you. Just don't look them in the eyes!" Lol!

But this recital, I finally reached inside if myself and discovered my secret for overcoming stage fright and giving the best performances I am capable of.

FOCUS.

I wrote this on each of their music pages.

Then I explained that the most important part of performance is what happens right before they play the first note of their piece.

I had them practice walking to the piano, sitting down, adjusting the piano bench, putting their hands in their starting positions and then...

Pausing.

Taking a deep breath in while imagining how they would like the first notes to sound. And then, as they exhale, imagining all thoughts leaving their brains.

From that point until the end of the piece, they were to be in the present moment, thinking in music notes.

I told them it was like surfing.

One of my students piped up and said, "But then you might crash and get eaten by a shark!" Lol!

I told there are no "piano sharks" hiding out, waiting for her her to make a mistake. If she crashed, she could just keep going, to back to the beginning and start over, or start at the closest section to where she crashed.

I told her not to worry about the mistakes. What mattered was that she play musically, and enjoy the moment. That is what the audience would remember. A student who truly seems to enjoy play in the piano!

We had many breakthroughs, musically speaking.

But now, my eyes are getting heavy. I am quite exhausted. I need to get some good sleep to have enough energy for tomorrow.

I will talk to you then!

Love,

Zita



P.S. Here is today's hooping video: Day 174!




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