Understanding Attention

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Stage fright stems from an anxious "monkey mind" dividing focus with judgment.

Close monitoring is vital for practicing, but it becomes a distraction on stage.

Musicians must practice playing pieces whole, completely focused on the present.

It has been my experience that most issues of performance and practice, including “stage fright,” can be alleviated through the development of sustained and focused attention. Although every person’s experience is different, for many the internal dialogue that takes place while we play can become a distraction during performance. The mind does not efficiently manage multitasking between highly demanding activities, such as accurate performance, and the internal chatter of judgmental observation. The goal for musicians who deal with excessive or pronounced internal chatter is to cultivate the ability to actively choose to focus complete attention on playing, rather than on critical commentary while we are playing.

When we practice, we are in the habit of closely monitoring and examining our playing. Self-observation is a necessary aspect of practicing. This critical reflection helps us to identify areas in our playing that need to be worked out and polished through careful, repeated practice. However, this habit of self-critique also becomes a distraction during performance. When we practice with a high level of........

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