5 Ways to Reduce Anxiety Before a Cello Performance

Cellists of all levels get nervous. And sometimes those nerves can ruin a great performance.

Here are a few ways you can reduce your anxiety and play as well in front of people (or better) as you do in a practice room.

Only Perform Pieces You Know Inside-Out

This may seem obvious but a lot of cellists get on stage with pieces they are not prepared to play. This practice will throw off your confidence and the quality of your performance. Do you know that Pablo Casals spent 13 years practicing the Bach Suites before playing them in public? I’m not suggesting you take this long, but carefully consider the difficulty of the music you are playing, the kind of performance you are doing, and whether you are truly ready. It is often better to choose an easier piece that you can perform well than struggle to perform something that is at the edge of your abilities. You will feel more confident and your audience will notice!

Prepare Sheet-music Carefully

In my studio I often see cellists becoming “confused” by the instructions they have written on their music. Practice notes are really important things to write into your music when you are learning but by the time you get to performance, be sure you have erased any markings that are not helping you play better. Some experienced cellists will even go as far as using a fresh copy near a performance to eliminate visual distraction.

Ideally, these things will be automatic and if you really know your piece well, you will have memorized it so you don’t need to look at the music at all.

Arrive at the Performance Space Early so you can Get Used to It

Humans perform better in high-stress situations if they have already experienced performing in that environment. You may not have access to the performance space to practice, but you may be able to get there early on the day of your performance to get a feel for how your cello sounds in that space.

If possible, try to do one run-through in the space on the day of the performance. If your program is long and you can’t perform the whole thing, try playing the start and ends of pieces you intend to perform

A note about practicing on the day of a performance:

You don’t want to overdo “Day-of” practice. If you find yourself panicky on the day of the performance, resist the urge to play through everything a thousand times. It’s possible to tire yourself out and then not have the energy and focus you need for the performance. Do a run-through if it makes you feel better, but don’t “Practice” on the day of a performance.

Play the hardest parts of your pieces at half speed to create a sense of calm.

The adrenaline you feel before a performance will make you likely to play faster than you are comfortable. The last thing you want to do is play the hardest part of the piece faster than you have practiced it. Playing it at half speed before a performance can help you feel more grounded and stay in tempo.

Visualize yourself playing with success and confidence.

The power of mindset tools like visualization is greatly under-rated in the world of music performance. Top performers know how to use visualization to improve their confidence and abilities.

When I was preparing to audition for the Performance program at the University of Toronto, I wrote down my ideal scenario several times in a journal. I pictured the jury panel reacting positively to my performance and I imagined myself feeling calm and confident. When I arrived at the audition, the visualization helped me to feel familiar with the scene, even though I hadn’t been there before. If you are interested in learning more about mindset tools for playing cello, you can register for free mindset training HERE