Have you ever wondered why a perfect practice session can sometimes lead to a perfect mess on stage? It's a paradox that a lot of players face, and I want to tell you about how Jess overcame this tricky problem.
Jess was a dedicated singer-songwriter, who had insightful lyrics and beautiful instrumental solos in her songs. She practiced almost every day, perfecting her gorgeous songs. But when it came to performing on stage, she was overwhelmed with mistakes. She couldn't get through a set without getting upset about the errors she was making. It was a frustrating cycle that she couldn't seem to break.
The issue wasn't her talent or dedication, but her mindset. Jess was stuck in the learning phase, practicing perfection, and unknowingly setting herself up for failure on stage. She didn’t realize that while she was practicing her music, she was also practicing (or habituating) the wrong mindset.
The mindset for the stage is different from the practice room. Yes, you need to get the music right, of course, but at some point, you need to practice letting your training do its work, to practice letting the music flow without analyzing it for corrections. You need to be alert, aware, engaged, and feeling the music. That's the performer's mindset.
This realization was a lightbulb moment for Jess. She suddenly saw an obstacle that had been totally invisible to her. She asked, “Now I know what has been screwing me up but what can I do about it?”
I worked with her to practice letting the music flow, letting it play itself, in a way. The result? She played her next concert with drastically fewer mistakes. But the BIG story was that when she made a slight mistake, an unintended note, she didn't react to it, so she completely short-circuited the snowball effect. One thing didn't lead to another, and she found she could roll over the bumps and leave her grimaces behind. She had a great show and a great time!
This newfound confidence was so inspiring that she booked two more shows that same week! She was pumped because she knew what to do and how to do it. Once she decided which new songs were ready to be performed, she began to practice these songs using the performance mindset.
So, do you get your songs right in rehearsal but get thrown off by mistakes on stage? Could you be habituating the practice mindset for the wrong songs?
Drop a comment below. This was a game-changer for Jess, and it could be for you too.
Cheers,
Bryan
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