The Mind of a Performer

[darkhalo121]

well, i was thinking today*as i often do*................and i was wondering what goes through some of your minds when you are performing..........this question goes out to anyone who has performed............for concert, for band, for orchestra, for solo's..............even if you only perform for friends, even if you haven't done it in years, even if you only did it once........................i am curious to see if there is any, one thing in common...........................

well, lets see

when i play *now that i think back on it*................i usually dont hear anything else but the piano........and this is not becuase the roomis totally silent...........i dont know how to explain it precisely...........and its not because i am right up on the piano either............its just that everything else until i stop playing seemed to be blocked out...............close to being totally focused on playing...............

also i find that i am constanly thinking about the next part of the song while i'm playing one part *which i shouldn't*...........i dont know, since i have it all memorized i tend to do that.......A LOT.........in thinking about that i constantly think about where my fingers are as well, making sure each finger gives the right amount of pressure, the right amount of delicasy, the right amount of whatever the next note needs.........

next i would say i am thinking about how fast my heart is racing..............i mean i only notice it when i first start to play, like, it almost feels like it is going to explode...........and that is the beginning, into the piece i realize that i need to try and calm my heart rate down some, and i do so, somewhat, honestly, i think it doesn't slow down at all, i think i just forget about it...................

the last thing on my mind happens when i finish playing, and that is whether or not the audience enjoys it...............i mean, sure people clap, but sometimes you cant tell the difference between a courtesy clap, and an enjoyment clap...............i think that is why i think about that the least............i just want to play the music to the full-fillment of my satisfaction, becuase i mean, if you dont enjoy how you played it yourself, then how can you expect the audience to have enjoyed it......................

oh well..............thats my mind.................*waiting to here from many of you*.................

[Venus, Queen of Faeries]

I'm always reeeeeeeeeeally nervous right before a performance. It always takes me a moment to settle in. Usually, once I start playing (or singing), I start to calm down, but the anticipation -- I'm sitting in my chair with my flute on my thigh, looking out at all those people who expect to hear good music -- gets to me a bit. Sometimes I don't shut up, and that's nerves, too.

When I do finally settle in, though, I get into the zone. You know what I'm talking about. My fingers know what to do, my whole body knows what to do, really: my breathing, my eyes, the rest of me... it all comes together.

Bah, I can't pull my thoughts together on this one. I'll finish this post later.

[ShikamaCHU]

I have HORRIBLE stage fright (Like shaking and the whole deal), but it passes quickly.
When I have Stage fright (Which actually seems to come and go) , I think about what's next, what I sound like...Sometimes...
And Sometimes I just don't think...
That's what makes me comfy.

When I get comfy, I think.

"WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE HA HA HA HA HA"

And everything just...happens, and I'm smiley like DOOD.

I also tend not to remember.

My Dad says I tend to look AT the audience, which is rare in performers, so I'm probably looking at how they did their hair (I tend to uh...perform in places where hair is done Freaky...like Japan...and Cons...)
But I don't remember.

Much like when I practice, I tend to either not think, or think about whatever sound I'm producing (Making sure it's perfect) so like...

Just zoning and having fun in a big whirl of pretty sound. It's pretty psychedelic.

[MadameKisaragi]

*laughs* This is funny cause I had a performance singing this morning and when I perform there are always the same things I go through. Days before the performance, I'm totally chill and not nervous at all and this goes right up to about five minutes before I perform where I are start to worry slightly about things like my voice cracking. Once I get up on stage and see everyone, I get a little more nervous... but when I start to sing everything goes away and I look people straight in the eye when I sing cause they don't matter. Working and keeping everything steady and on key is what matters the most, so the audience never effects me. It's pretty schway. And once I finish I'm always like "Dude, this kicks monkey butt. I should do this again sometime... real soon." Hehehe, and that's why I love to perform. But I guess being chill is a big part about it cause if I was always too nervous my heart wouldn't be able to take it. *kicks her heart in the face* Damn these weak hearts.

[ShikamaCHU]

Dude, I HAVE TO comment on you cool lingo. Like, the cosmos compels me with a can opener (The evil Japanese stabbidy kind that suck).

I've never met anyone else who uses schway EVER.
I always thought that word was lonely.

Dude? What was this morning (COOL! I love performance stories.)

[MadameKisaragi]

My school has a pep-rally thing for teachers every year where they invite all the teachers in my city (only about 1,000 of them) to come in and hear some motivational speaking and whatever, and then get ready for the school year. I got a call from my friend's mom (who I don't think I've ever met before that time) and she asked me to sing the national anthem, so I said sure and, sure enough, there I was on Monday morning at an ungodly time singin the national anthem. My voice got a little hoarse on one note cause it was eight in the morning and I still wasn't all that awake, but it went pretty well, methinks.

*huggles* And shank you on the schwayness. *curtseys* The word schway will never be lonely with me here, and the phrase "Schwing! Shibbity schwayness" shall always have a home.

[zenzetra]

i am a preformer, so stage fright doesn't faze me.

this is what goes on in my mind: "awright, i'm starting.. wonderful start! oh i can't wait till i reach that one part wehre the chords modulate in that strange way..."

in the middle of the song/preformance: "OH i nailed it.. ah, that's a nice sound... now it's time to concentrait.. this part's hard."

at the end/finale: "i really did it... i had so much fun. i wonder when i'll be able to play this one again?"

thenagain, if i mess up at a part, i usually slow it down to pick up where i messed up... but that's why we practice. =^n.n^=

[StellarFury]

Heh. It used to be that whenever I'd perform, my hands would start shaking. Which isn't all that great for piano players. Generally I keep that under control these days, probably because I just have more confidence.

I never have any stage fright when I'm performing on stage, singing, or with an ensemble. It's only when I'm playing solo on piano - and it's not precisely stage fright either. It's just this knowledge that if I screw up, everyone will know because there's nothing to hide it. Lately though, I've discovered a little trick to fixing it. I just convince myself that I don't really care what the audience thinks. That the performance is nothing.

Then, after the performance, I go back to thinking - "Wow, that was AWESOME."

[thejohncheng]

eh, I don't know.  I used to get nervous, but because I've already messed up so many times on stage I don't get nervous.  Now, i'm more like, "i wonder what the crowd is thinking" and "where should we eat after this"

[Genesis Rose]

when I was in band and drama club, or I had to read in front of the school or something I would think only one thing...

"Damn I hope I don't suck." After that I would plunge into whatever kind of willynilly.

Once I had to read a poem in front of my eight grade class.  It was the year before my dad died and he was supposed to be there...he had forgotten about it because like me his memory was kind of bad but I was worried that something had happened and I almost cried.  Then somebody said "Oh she forgot her lines" and other people started laughing in the crowd so I got pissed and went through it like I was a professional.
(>_<) laugh at me will they...
then my teacher was all impressed.

I was still sad though.
I can't believe I told that story...I've never told anyone that one....
<_<;
>_>;

Halo forget you read that okay... 

[darkhalo121]

wow Gen......
i almost feel like an foolish mortal now.......
why haven't you told me or most likely anyone else about that.......i mean i'm sure your siblings my know........but does strife........if he does we aren't going to be friends until saturday if i can make it over for the gathering.....if i can't then..........well..........we'll resume friendship:P damn you .........if he doesn't then alright.......that means i know, and he doesn't......mwuhahahahaha.......

[Genesis Rose]

Rhonda and Jr. don't even know about that one...that was kind of a painful memory.  You're the only one who knows it.  .  Strife wouldn't know something like that.  Performance only comes up in conversation when you bring it up cuz I don't perform anymore.

[thejohncheng]

Sorry to hear about your dad, but congratulations on proving your whole class wrong!  Seems to me like you'd be a great performer, I mean I can't really think of any other pressure worse than the one you just described.

[Duo no Tsuin]

The fact that you proved them wrong is just... I'm just in awe.


Trust me, I have a million stories of "performance" gone awry.

Like the ol'........."Insert Foot in Mouth" just to start. Done that so many times... it's a wonder I even bother to talk anymore.



When it comes to people I'm just...


.... like ugly wallpaper.

[Genesis Rose]

Ugly wall paper Duo, that's a little harsh.  I'm sure your better than that...

Like lickable Wall Paper in Willie Wonka

you taste like Schnausberry....

And I can't stand it when people think I can't do something.  Especially if I know I can do it.  It irked me so bad that they thought that I'd forgotten my lines that I practically wanted to write each word of my poem on a brick while shouting the lines and cram it down their...

 *This part of the post is censored due to it's extremely graphic and hostile nature...thank you and have a nice day.*

and then laugh...

but I didn't.

I think I was rather nice about it. 

And I'm not made for performance arts apparently...my Drama club memories in high school aren't exactly happy ones.  I shouldn't even be taking theater right now.