Helllooo,
I'm doing yr 12 VCE music performance and I was wondering if anyone out there has any tips regarding becoming more confident in playing? Because whenever I'm playing naturally with no pressure, I'm usually able to play with minimal stops than I do when I'm performing in front of others. My situation is kind of ironic since I actually have performance experience and regularly perform in front of others, yet I still get excessively nervous. Can someone pleaseeeee help me? I also have another question: Is 16 minutes good enough for a music recital? What's the optimal time range a pianist should be at?
Thank you!!!!1 
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P.S. Last question, I promise, can someone with no perfect pitch do just as well in the aural component of the written exam as someone with perfect pitch?
Hello there! Thanks for your post- this will actually be my first reply to an ATARNOTES post so I hope it’s alright!
I did Music Performance last year, and I’m currently undertaking Music Investigation this year [Pipe Organ]. I’d love to share with you some of the advice that I have been given over the years from my teachers and parents as well as the things that I have learnt through my own experience in regards to gaining confidence and combatting the nerves that come with performing. I really hope you find some of my advice useful!
1) Before you even start playing, breathe, breathe, breathe. Take long deep breaths to fill your lungs and brain with oxygen. Moreover, whilst you are playing, make sure you are constantly breathing as to not build up tension in your body- be aware of your breathing!
2) For an exercise before a performance, breathe in whilst lifting your shoulders as high as you can. Maintain them in that position for a few seconds whilst holding your breath. Then, when you are ready, completely release all the tension by dropping your shoulders quickly and breathing out simultaneously. Do it a few times if you need to!
3) Give yourself time to settle down- don’t ever feel rushed into a performance. Only play when you are ready- you want to give yourself the best chance at a successful performance!
4) Believe in yourself and keep telling yourself that “you got this” and that you have nothing to lose. Have confidence that you know you can play well- If you have prepared your piece/s thoroughly and have worked hard at it, then a lot of the pressure is already off- you know you have it in you to pull it off!
5) Don’t be afraid of your audience. When you are playing to them, they are there to be inspired by your playing! They want to see you do your best, not bring you down- even the examiners!
6) Don’t think about playing wrong notes or the technical difficulties in your piece. Negative thinking and self-doubt makes EVERYTHING worse-put all those thoughts at the back of your mind. Instead, think about performing musically, artistically and expressing yourself in the music- that is above all the most important part of performing, more so than playing every note correct or everything technically sound. Also, always have the composer in your heart and mind- you want to also make them proud!
7) Keep up with performing- take every opportunity you get [although it’s already getting quite close to the exam- mine’s next Saturday!] and use each of them as learning experiences. Keep trying to implement different strategies to cope with nerves/ lack of confidence, whether it be positive self-talk, deep breathing, etc. in each successive performance- you might even discover your own methods along the way that help you to stay calm and confident!
All in all, becoming a confident performer takes A LONG time, and is best improved through performance practice. Even some of the best performers today still get nervous and anxious despite performing for years and years [they fake it very well]! Here’s an article you might want to check out which talks about mastering self-talk and how that helps us as musicians to gain confidence in performing:
https://bulletproofmusician.com/how-to-become-a-more-confident-performer/As for your question about the length of your recital, 16 minutes is cutting it a little short. Around the 20 minute mark is optimal. However, is your program balanced?- A mix between fast, slow, loud, soft etc.? If it is, then it shouldn’t matter TOO much. However, some examiners might be a bit picky about this and deduct marks in other criteria, so you don’t want to take too much of a risk!
What is your program anyhow? [I’m pretty interested in knowing haha, I’m a pianist as well as an organist] And do you have maybe one other short 2-3 minute piece that you could possibly include into your program?
And as for your question about whether you can do well in the aural component without having perfect pitch- of course you can! Why not? I don’t have perfect pitch myself [I can mostly identify notes on a piano, but my pitch isn’t reliable with other instruments/voice etc.] You just have to know all your scales/modes, chords and intervals very, very well, and practise, practise, practise- I cannot emphasise the importance of practice! Practise SINGING intervals, scales and melodies as well as they will help consolidate your memory of it all. Knowing all your scales, chords and intervals back to front will also help you tremendously with the melodic transcription part of the aural component don’t forget!!
Overall, don’t let not having perfect pitch deter you from believing you can’t do well in the aural section. You might have to put in more effort into aural practice than those who have perfect pitch but that’s alright, your hard work will pay off in the end. Keep working towards both exams and good luck!
P.S. If there’s even one thing that you can take from my post, that would truly make my day. Sorry if I went off on a tangent HAHA! I just couldn’t help myself!
Thong
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