Click here to download this episode.
Introductory remarks
Adrenaline is one way your body works to protect you in a dangerous situation. Part of that protection includes making your heart and lungs work faster and stronger, making your muscles stronger, and helping you think more clearly to you can make quick decisions. The problem is, your brain wants to protect you and kick these things into action if you're in real danger, say being chased by a bear, or not in real danger, say waiting to play your recital piece.
Another group of muscles your brain puts on red alert is your stomach muscles.
Since the early 1900s, that constriction of the stomach muscles has been called "butterflies in your stomach".
Maybe 'butterflies' sounds more gentle and calming that hummingbirds or ocean waves.
The presence of butterflies shows that you care about this performance and that's a very good sign. Because you care, you want to do your best. When you have the feelings and symptoms I'm describing on today's show, don't let them cause your more stress, recognize that your brain and your body are responding to the situation.
When your brain is in protection mode, it will cause your heart to beat faster to quickly get blood to all the places your body needs (like your legs if you're running from that bear!)
They are ready for action! Remember I just told you your heart is beating faster to get the blood to all the places your body needs. This is to help you when you run. The problem is, if you're sitting in a chair in a performance hall and not running, your muscles, with all their freshly oxygenated blood need to do something!
Once again, this symptom should assure you that your brain and body are in normal working order and are ready to protect you if you ever find yourself in a dangerous situation (I hope you never have to put it to the test!) Sweaty palms - actually sweaty anywhere - when you are nervous is a way your body can control its temperature. The moisture in your hands would also come in "handy" if you needed to tackle that bear or climb a tree to escape. Since you don't need extra moisture on your hands when playing the piano, keep a tissue or a handkerchief close by to dry them off before you play.
Just like your heart is working extra hard to help you protect yourself from that bear, your brain is also in hyperwarp speed. Once again, this is great news if you really are in danger; your brain is thinking quickly and clearly to help you find solutions and get out of danger. If you're sitting at the piano playing your recital piece, however, you may not realize just how fast you're going.
Now that you know some of the things that happen when you're nervous about a situation, I hope you can feel more confident. Your brain and body are doing exactly what God designed them to do - protect you! Since you know to look for these, they will not take you by surprise and they will not cause you even more stress or nervousness. When you feel any of these symptoms, butterflies in your stomach, heart racing, shaky hands, sweaty palms, remind yourself and your brain that you are not in any danger. Remind yourself to take deep breaths and think about the beautiful music you are going to share with the audience.
Remember I told you that your brain doesn't know when your body is in real danger or if you're just nervous about performing in your recital? This is called the "fight or flight" response; your body is preparing to fight that bear or run away from it really fast. One way to trick your brain and help it calm down is called "Hook Ups". No, I didn't say hiccups!. This is tool developed by BrainGym.com
By crossing your arms and ankles and intertwining your fingers, your brain is too busy keeping your balance to worry about being scared or nervous; fighting or flighting.
Watch this demonstration to see how to do hook-ups.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URs23JGgknU
When it's all over, you may have feelings of excitement and you may be ready to go again, like that roller coaster ride. You may feel tired, now that your heart has returned to normal speed, you may just want a nap. Since your stomach muscles have calmed down, you may feel hungry - this is a good time to suggest a celebratory trip to the ice cream parlor with your family!
Preparation brings peace.
I've told you that you have to remind your brain that you are not in danger. I'm not joking, I think you should whisper to yourself, "I am not in danger. I've been practicing my piece and I know I am prepared to play great music for my friends and family. Now, if you haven't been practicing, you might rather face that bear than go up to the piano! I don't want that to be the case for my students so for the last few weeks, we've been working toward the goal of playing their recital piece 100 times. After they have played it 20 times, I record their performance. After another 20 we record again and compare the two. For more listening on recorded rehearsals and helping prepare for piano recitals, check out these episodes:
028: Learn How to Prepare Your Child for Piano Exams
128: Keep a Video Journal of Your Child's Musical Journey
To help my students prepare for their upcoming spring recital, we've been working to practice their recital piece 100 times!
If you'd like to join us, add your name and email address below and I will send the Practice Tracker directly to your inbox!
To share your thoughts:
To help out the show:
