zen

Got a great question from a performer a while back, and I'd like to share my reply with everyone.  If you have a question, I'll be happy to do the same for you!  Anyway here we go:

One of your posts suggest that people try NOT to give it that extra 10% on stage because you might make it worse. It you want to give 110% give it first in practice then duplicate that on stage; don't surprise the rest of the quartet with something they haven't heard before. We went on stage with that goal; to bring our best on stage, no more, no less. In spite of that the energy of performing did something positive. This is obviously one of those Zen issues with contradictory goals. There is clearly a right and a wrong way to use performance energy and tension. Used wrong it can lead to over singing or breaking the unity of the group. Used right it can be great, but what does that mean?

Ran across a fascinating article about how young brains work that really sheds light on the ideal performance state of mind.  It's not every day I read an article that pulls together and explains so many of my pet topics, like being in the moment, creativity, and flow! 

Here's the first quote:

I've heard that if you don't know where you're going, any direction will get you there!  But if we're going to talk about how to be a better performer, we should probably agree about the goal.  How will you know if it's working?  What does it feel like to stand on stage and "do it right"? Well I happen to be a guy who has been performing on stages an awful lot for the last 20 years, and I've been fortunate enough to back into some amazing stage experiences.  A few of them stand out above the rest for me, because they felt so wonderful, and based on the audience reaction I'd say the audience thought it was special as well.  So for what it's worth, I'll give you my opinion.