1b-Energy.pdf

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Lesson 1: Energy Regulation(Part II: Developing a pre-performance routine)


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Centering

You could create a routine of your own from scratch, but Id encourage you to save yourself the

time and frustration by starting with the one thats already been used effectively by many

musicians, from young performers to established soloists and principal players of major

international orchestras.

It was developed back in the 70s for athletes by a sport psychologist named Robert Nideffer.

One of his graduate students named Don Greene tweaked it for musicians, and taught it to his

students and clients, which is where I first encountered it.

Dr. Nideffer called this pre-performance routine Centering, and though it might seemcomplicated at first and will take some time and practice for you to learn, in that way its no

different than upbow stacatto or double tonguing or learning a new piece.

And like all the other things you work on in the practice room, its worth the effort.

Ok! So Im going to walk you through each of the 7 steps of centering, and then well put it all

together and practice a bit.

Step 1: Focal Point

The first step is to identify a focal point.

The idea is to select a fixed point in the distance, somewhere that feels comfortable. This point

could be on your stand, the ground in front of you, or on the back row of the hall.

This serves two purposes.

One, under pressure there can be a tendency to scan the horizon, or look around you and take in

way too many irrelevant details. Knowing who all is there, what people

are wearing, all the things that are happening outside of you are not going to help

you focus on the task at hand. So know in advance what you are going to be focused

on visually.

Secondly, and this is not universal, but there can be a correlation between looking up and more

left brain processing.

For instance, look away from the computer screen and do a quick math problem for me in your

head no cheating, ok? Whats 17 x 23?

Beyond Practicing - Lesson 1

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Did you find yourself looking up? Again this is not everybody, but its not like you gain anything

from allowing your eyes to wander around gazing at the ceiling. And note that this doesnt mean

you have to walk out with your head down, just keep your eyes below horizontal relative to the

position of your head.

Step 2: Clear Intention

The next step is to identify a clear intention. We have a better chance of hitting the target we

want when we have a clear picture of what exactly we want.

But often, especially under pressure, we forget to take the time to think about what exactly we

want. A clear intention is thus a specific goal statement. What do you intend to do when you step

out on stage? How exactly do you intend to sound? What exactly do you want the opening to

sound like?

I often see people walk out on stage and just start playing without taking the time to considerwhat they want. Itd be like stepping up to the tee in golf and just whacking the ball without

taking the time to figure out exactly where you want to hit it first.

Given that your primary objective is to produce a certain kind of sound, words may be

unnecessary. Merely a vivid sound in your head of what you want to hear may be sufficient.

Advice From the Masters

And just so you know, this is not just some sport psych thing. Many musicians, from Arnold

Jacobs to Leon Fleisher, have come to the same conclusion about whats critical to do in the

moment before playing.

Many years ago, I went to Isaac Sterns 3-week chamber music workshop in Israel,

where Fleisher was one of the coaches. For three weeks, they all pushed us to

articulate what exactly we were trying to do with each phrase. They said that if we couldnt

articulate what we were trying to do in words, we didnt have a clear enough idea of what we

wanted, and thus the audience was going to get very little (if any) of the music they deserved.

So to say that a phrase is happy or upbeat is not clear enough. We were playing the Schubert b-

flat piano trio, and they pushed us to come up with very vivid visual details of the kind of

character we thought the music represented. Ultimately we decided on a swashbuckling horse-riding hero, with a feather in his hat and great panache that was the word that Isaac Stern

used - which ultimately informed all sorts of other choices we made, from tempo, to phrasing, to

articulation.

Big Fat Man

I once observed Philadelphia concertmaster David Kim give a masterclass in which he shared


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some of the reminders he had used himself in auditions. One that I remember was Big fat man

the image he wanted to convey in a particular excerpt he was playing.

Some of my clients have written short descriptive phrases like this in their scores, others have

used Post-Its, but no matter what you do, be sure to state your clear intention in terms of what

you want, instead of what you dont want.

Because under pressure, the tendency is to state our objective in terms of what we dont want;

and also with an emphasis on technique. For instance, Dont screw up the opening. Or I hope

my bow doesnt shake. Or Dont miss the high note.

But imagine its a cold winter day, and youre carrying your instrument, a big bag, and a cup of

coffee from Starbucks. Suddenly, I point to a patch of icy looking sidewalk, and say Dont slip!

Whats the first image that pops into your head?

Slipping, your coffee cup flying up in the air, scrambling to protect your instrument, landing,and making a big mess all over, right? But what if I point at the patch of ice and say Watch your

step! or Walk carefully!

Now what do you picture?

Its like the classic line in movies where someone is hanging on for dear life, and the

person trying to rescue them says Dont look down!. Inevitably, the person cant help but look

down and falls to their demise.

Change Dont miss the high note to Nail the high note.

Uh oh, I hope my bow doesnt shake here becomes Easy, fluid, flowing bow.

Make Your Clear Intention Sticky

At the end of the day, this step is about focus. The more specific, the more meaningful, the more

compelling and vivid your clear intention, the stickier it is, and the more likely it will occupy

your attention and help you stay focused under pressure.

Hear Before You Play

But whether you use an image or phrase to cue up your clear intention, remember that your

ultimate target is sound, so this will be one of the last things youll want to have in your mind

before you play.

Here is Leon Fleisher saying this in his own words.


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When I teach centering in a group setting, I do a demonstration where I ask two students to

come to the front of the class, pick a personal story to share (whether its about the worst date

theyve been on, the best birthday theyve ever had, the funniest thing theyve ever seen, the

most scared theyve ever been), and ask the students to begin telling their stories to the class

but simultaneously.

If both students have stories they are clear about, they are usually able to focus on their own

story and not get distracted by the other persons story. But if they dont have a clear idea of

their story, or if they dont think their story is all that interesting, invariably they lose their train

of thought, or start listening to the other persons more interesting story and forget what they

were talking about and end up stopping mid-story. Especially when you hear an attention-

grabbing phrase like and then the police came or he threw up all over the windshield, and

Its a fun little demo, but it does a good job of illustrating how critical it is for us to

have a clear intention if we are going to successfully insulate ourselves from all the

other things that will be competing for our valuable attentional resources when were nervous.

Step 3: Breathe Diaphragmatically

One of the most effective techniques for reversing the stress response involves learning how to

breathe diaphragmatically. When stressed, our bodies have a tendency to revert to shallow,

rapid, chest breathing. Doing so keeps us in the so-called fight-or-flight mode.

Aside from being the most biomechanically efficient way to breathe, deep belly breathing allows

us to activate the parasympathetic nervous system response (aka rest and digest mode) which

is our bodys antidote for the fight-or-flight state.

Pay close attention to your breathing. Continue to breathe as long as it takes for you to become

fully mindful of your breathing, such that other thoughts and external stimuli begin to fade into

the background.

Ironically, when you were born, the only way you knew how to breathe was diaphramatically.

And when you go to sleep at night, your body reverts to diaphragmatic breathing. So I know you

can do this.

But if youve forgotten how to do this, here is how to re-learn.

How to Breathe DiaphragmaticallyPut one hand on your chest, the other on your tummy. First take a really deep chest breath, feel

everything in your chest expand, get tight and then release. Alright, now focus more on where

your bottom hand is, and see if you can take in a full deep breath, but allow the bottom part of

your lungs to fill up with air too. Youll find that your belly button area will have to push away

from your spine to allow room for the bottom of your lungs to expand.


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Feel the difference. Just try a few more diaphragmatic breaths. At first it may not feel like you

are getting more air, but if you keep at this, youll find that you can slow your breathing rate

down dramatically. If I do some diaphragmatic breathing, I get down to about 4-5 breaths per

minute pretty comfortably.

Youll find that just doing this probably takes your energy down a notch.Interestingly, if you want to get your energy kicked up a notch, just reverse it,

meaning, take in a regular breath through your nose, and breath out quickly and

forcefully, like this.

Do this a few times and youll definitely feel your energy go up a few notches.

Step 4: Release Muscle Tension

The next step is to develop the ability to release tension from our key muscles on command.

Whether its playing your instrument, hitting a powerful serve in tennis, setting a world recordin the 100 meters, or striking with maximal force in the martial arts, the key often comes back to

ones ability to keep key muscles loose and free of excess tension.

And much of this begins with awareness.

Scan your body for tension. Where do you feel tight? Where do you tend to tighten up when all

eyes are upon you? We all have particular muscle groups that get tight under stress. Vocalists

throats narrow. Trumpet players feel their shoulders creeping up towards their ears. Ballerinas

lock up from their neck to their wrists.

Where are your trouble zones? These are your key muscles. When scanning for tension, pay

particular attention to these areas, because when performing, these are very likely the muscles

you can least afford to have tighten up on you.

Tip: Coordinate your scan with your breathing. On each inhale, check one area, feel it, and on

the exhale, release the tension you find there. Visualizing can help as well. Imagine tension

melting away like candle wax, or dissolving away like honey in warm tea. Continue scanning and

releasing until all of your key muscles are loose and ready to work for you, not against you.

Let me walk you through a couple exercise that can help increase your awareness of muscle

tension and your ability to release it.

PMR

The first is called Progressive Muscle Relaxation, developed back in the 60s, by a fellow from

Harvard. The idea is to work your way down your body from head to toe, tensing and relaxing

one muscle group at a time.


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So, starting at the top of your head, tense up for forehead and eyes, and then slowly 3, 2, 1, let

that tension gradually melt away. Now down to your mouth, grit your teeth, hold your lips tight,

then slowly, 3, 2, 1, let that tension melt away. Now down to your neck, raise your shoulders and

try to touch your ears with your shoulders, and then slowly, 3, 2, 1, let that tension melt away.

Now youre going to do do your best Hulkamania pose, flex like Hulk Hogan, and then slowly 3,

2, 1, let that tension melt away.

Ok, we could go down all the way to your toes, but you probably get the idea.

Deep Stretching

Another exercise involves stretching.

Sit on the ground, and try to touch your toes. At first, youll probably feel your muscles tighten

up even more perhaps, but stay with it, just hold the position static, and see if you can scan the

tight muscles and let them relax or loosen up a tiny bit. Youll find that you probably can, and

then can stretch a bit further than you were able to a moment ago. Now hold that position, scanthe muscles internally again, see if you can let a tiny bit of that tension just dissolve away, and

now youll find that you can stretch a tiny bit further yet again.

You could do this a few times, but did you feel that loosening up of the muscles? That point

where you manually overrode your bodys desire to stay tight and just relaxed the muscles

anyway?

Going Boneless

Now Id like to show you an exercise you can do with a friend to help gauge your

ability to relax key muscles on command.

Step 5: Find Your Center

Ok, the next step is to get grounded and balanced. If you have ever observed the

movements of a great martial arts master or even that of some athletes or dancers,

you will notice a presence, grace, and balance about them regardless of their size or

physical dimensions. Whether you are performing while standing or sitting down,

the idea is to feel a solid foundation from your waist down.

Your center of gravity under stress goes up, above your waist, making you unsteady. If you watchsopranos who get into trouble with high notes, youll see them rise on their toes and lose their

base and balance.

But power and consistency come from stability.

If youve ever taken any martial arts, youve probably come across the concept of ki or chi. Dr.

Nideffer got his black belt in aikido when he was stationed in Japan, so this step in centering


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comes directly from the martial arts.

In western cultures, we think of it more as our center of gravity.

Finding Your Center

Either way, the way to find your center, is to stand up, feet approximately shoulder width apart,

put your hands on your hips, and imagine you have an invisible hula hoop.

You are going to begin rotating your hips, wider at first, but with each revolution, the hula hoop

shrinks, so your rotations will get smaller and smaller. There will come a point when the hula

hoop has shrunken in size so much that it is now contained within you, and your hips are

rotating in very tiny circles if at all.

Continue to visualize and feel that hula hoop shrinking in size and spinning inside of you until it

gets down to about the size of a pea.

Now, stay focused on that point, stay connected with that pea-sized hula hoop, and

then drop it down 2 or 3 inches.

Its going to be deeper and lower inside of you than you might have expected, but

thats your center. Stay connected with that spot, and imagine that there is a very

powerful magnetic attraction between that point and the center of the earth. That

attraction grounds you, stabilizes you, and gives you some weight, where you arent

going to be pushed off your feet so easily. Almost like a great oak tree and strong

roots that provide support.

With practice youll be able to find your center immediately, and be able to stay in touch with it

whether you are standing, sitting, or walking.

And even if you cant find it at first, thats ok. Because the turning inward of your focus, and

searching for your center, helps facilitate that shift to right brain processing that were going for.

Step 6: Make the Shift

This is the what it takes step of the process.

The key to shifting over to right brain processing is to focus on something sensory-based.

For instance, what it feels like when you nail the opening, what it sounds like when you nail the

opening, maybe even what it looks like when you nail the opening.

As soon as you can hear it, feel it, or see the desired end result, you will be more engaged in this

right brain type of processing, and ready for your cerebellum to take charge and execute.


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Step 7: Direct Your Energy

Now, this last step may seem a bit off the wall to some of you. At least it did to me.

But going back to the martial arts for a moment, before you break boards, or smash through

bricks with your head, youll see martial artists collect themselves, get focused and gather their

energy or chi so that they can direct it in a very focused way.

This is what we can do in music as well.

Do a quick internal scan for all of the energy that you feel in your body. Feel it gathering at your

center. You may sense it spinning at your core. You may see it as a mass of light. You may feel it

gathering momentum as it moves up and through

your torso. As it reaches your head, open your eyes and fire it out to your focal

point. Direct it like a laser.

I envisioned this being almost like one of those plasma balls you see at Sharper Image.I envisioned directing a stream of energy towards the very back row of a hall, and almost like

currents in the ocean, feeling the sense that there was this energy stream that carried my sound

all the way back to the very last row. Whether it was fortissimo or pianissimo, that the sound

would effortlessly go where it needed to go as opposed to feeling like I had to force it out there.

Commit

And this is the step where you make a commitment to really going for it. Whether its a

treacherous opening or easy one, loud, soft, exposed entrance or not. Make a commitment to

playing it like you mean it. Not being defensive, cautious, or hesitant.

You do this in golf, you do this in basketball, in football, in baseball, in tennis. You do this when

you ask someone to marry you. And you do this in music too. And it can be every bit as scary as

making a commitment anywhere else in your life.

Heres a short video of Chicago Symphony Trombonist Michael Mulcahy speaking to this idea of

commitment.

5-10 Seconds

So thats centering.

It may seem like a lot at first, but with practice you will be able to center in about 5-10 seconds.

Thats the goal; to be able to get centered relatively quickly without much fuss.


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