You’ll no doubt have seen that quite some time has passed between this post, and the previous one. This is because I have been deeply involved in some new projects, including giving lectures about “Performing in The Zone”, fine-tuning the “Orchestral Auditions 101″ 3 day workshop, establishing a new website, BrassMusician.com, and playing trumpet with the Gothenburg Opera!
It’s been a busy period to say the least, and will no doubt continue for quite some time.
What I encourage you to do though, is to use the Categories and Archives navigation (in the menu bar to the right) to browse through the many interesting articles here on the Performing in The Zone blog.
Using lessons learned from BrassMusician.com, The Zone blog is due for a makeover, and that will be happening in the near future (hopefully!)
Until then, if you’d like to get in touch, try using the chat feature in the menu bar to the right. Or, send an email using the address found in the footer of the main site.
With “Performing in The Zone” growing in popularity as a book to help overcome stage fright, I’ve been receiving private performance coaching requests from performers in many parts of the world.
Thanks to skype video chat, I’m now able to give 1-on-1 performance coaching to anyone, anywhere in the world!
Here is the information from the Private Coaching page of thezonebook.com
What you get:
1-on-1 Personal Performance Coaching online via Skype, or in person where available.
What is the aim of Personal Performance Coaching?
Personal Performance Coaching is different for everyone. However as a general goal, Personal Performance Coaching aims to help you to feel more calm, confident, and in control in your performing situations.
Your individual aim for Personal Performance Coaching is discussed early in the first session, so that a clear path of achievement can be mapped out for you.
How many Personal Performance Coaching sessions do you need?
This varies greatly from person to person, and performing situation to performing situation. Two or three sessions may be enough for one person in one particular performance arena, whereas another person may require five or more. This is very individual.
It’s more than just another chat session!
Personal Performance Coaching is not about you going on skype for an hour and then suddenly you are a master performer. Personal Performance Coaching is about having your current situation assessed, goals defined, a path made to help you achieve those goals, tools to help you get there, and support to lead you through the process.
A very important point to note here: You will get given the tools, but it’s up to you to use them.
Depending upon your requirements, you will be given mini assignments to carry out between consultations. These may be short and simple, or more involved, depending upon who you are, and what your current situation is.
Is it confidential?
Yes. Your Personal Performance Coaching sessions will be treated with the strictest confidence. If you decide to give a review of your Personal Performance Coaching, you can choose to use an alias, or your real name – this is completely up to you.
And finally…
The more you advance, the more you’ll discover that Personal Performance Coaching is not only about getting better results in performing situations – it’s all about you – it’s about learning how to develop yourself into a natural and confident performer in all areas of your life.
Rates:
1st session: US$90 (usually lasts between 1 – 2 hours)
Subsequent sessions: US$75/hour
Payment must be made via PayPal prior to each live personal coaching session.
What now?
Here are the simple steps to follow to receive Personal Performance Coaching.
2) After you have sumbitted your form, I will contact you via email and suggest possible times for your first coaching session.
3) Once we have booked in a time, you will be sent a PayPal invoice for your upcoming coaching session. Please note that payment must be received before your Personal Performance Coaching session begins.
4) We find each other on Skype (my alias is thezonebook), and then we begin your first session.
Have a question?
Feel free to send an email to
Alternatively, you can ask your question directly through the chat feature above, in the column on the right.
As a student of an orchestral instrument, one of the cornerstones of your performing world should be positive role models – individual musicians, ensembles, as well as people outside of your performing sphere – for instance, how would you like to be able to perform in an audition with the same in-The-Zone calm, confidence, and control as Barack Obama?
Often, especialy from younger students, I hear and read that so and so is the *best* trumpet player in the world, such and such is the *best* orchestra – as if a musician and group of musicians could be rated on a scale from 1 to 10.
I believe that this is an unfortunate miscalibration by many younger students, stemming perhaps from a competition-driven dog-eat-dog society or educational institution.
As I mentioned, positive role models are important, but the younger student needs to understand that music and musical performance is subjective, and that there is an immense difference between a person being the ‘best’ at something, and a person’s intepretation ‘appealing’ the most.
I’ll try to give a concrete example. On July the 6th, 1912, Don Lippincott was the fastest man on the planet, running 100 metres in 10.6 seconds. This is not subject to interpretation, rather, it is a concrete fact. On August the 16th, 2009, Usain Bolt was the fastest man on the planet, with his time for the 100 metres recorded at 9.58 seconds. The medium for determining who was the best, or fastest, is fixed – that is, time.
Using trumpet players as an example, there is no medium or method for categotically proving that one trumpet player is the ‘best in the world’. Even if official high/low note, loud/soft, or speed-playing competitions were to exist, these elements in themselves have nothing to do with music – and a trumpet player is first and foremost a musician. Yes, musical competitions do of course exist, and all things being equal, an excellent performer will come away with the 1st prize. However, at the highest levels, it is often a case of subjectivity which determines a ‘winner’ from a ‘runner-up’. In other words, perhaps a different judging panel would have chosen a different ‘winning competitor’.
So, philosophical discussion aside, the message to young musicians is this:
Listen. Listen to many performers – performers of your instrument, performers of other instruments. Listen to many orchestras. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Philharmonic, NY Phil etc etc – not one of these orchestras is the ‘best’ – but they are all excelent and all worth listening to. You may have your favourite – and that’s ok – but please avoid the trap of saying ‘such and such’ or ‘so and so’ is “the best”.
Now, with that in mind, my next post is of the Berlin Philharmonic performing a few minutes from Strauss’ Alpine Symphony. For a R.Strauss style and sound I prefer the Berlin Phil, but that’s just me
“Just another day at the office…How to get better results in auditons and other high-pressure performing situations” will be published in 4 parts in Conn-Selmer’s Keynotes Magazine.
I’ve recently had the privilege of corresponding with Warrior (formerly The Ultimate Warrior, from the world of professional wrestling and sports entertainment). Warrior is a man with strong, no nonsense views, and he’s allowed me to reproduce one of his blog posts here.
At first, this post might not seem like it is totally in line with the other posts on The Zone blog, but there are a lot of truths and wisdom in what Warrior is saying here. If you’ve read Performing in The Zone, you’ll remember the quotes I use to begin every week of The 12 Week Performance Success Programme. The quote for Week 11 (pg.166) is “Knowledge is everywhere – in every book, in every person, in every situation. All you have to do is be open enough to receive it”.
When you read Warrior’s post, or *any* text, if you have the attitude, “What can I learn from this?” you’ll always be on the road to progress and self-improvement, and that’s what Performing in The Zone is all about.
“The Greatest Good to the Greatest Number will obviously be reached when each individual of the greatest number is doing the greatest good to himself.”
“Individualism has the strength to resist all attacks.”
The subject of beta blockers can be a rather sensitive one amongst performers and doctors alike.
If you are considering taking beta blockers (with or without a prescription) to get ahead in your next audition, think twice. With possible side-effects such as dizziness, fatigue, diarrhea, impotence, and even anaphylactic shock (sudden death!), beta-blockers are far from a cure-all!
hehe what can I say, this is a pretty original clip
But again, like the other performance videos on this blog, the performers are having a great time living in the moment – you might even say performing in The Zone!
