Monthly Archives: June 2024

Woohoo Summer!

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Woohoo Summer! 

This week Summer officially begins. Where I am, Summer will start on a day that is predicted to be nearly 100oF. Yay.

But when Summer starts like that, at least there is no confusion – it’s definitely Summer, no lingering doubts.

And certainly no time to stay home! Because Summer is also time to get out and play! I’ll be doing a couple of things and I hope I will see you there. Here’s where I’ll be for the next little bit.

At the end of June, it’s time for the Ohio Scottish Arts School – YAY! I love so much about OSAS – the people, the format, the tunes, the silly games, the hanging out with friends, the playing music, the comradery, the tradition. I’ve been going to OSAS as a student or a teacher from the very early days of my harp life and it’s like coming home. I’m so delighted to be teaching with Wendy Stewart, Kelly Stewart, Tiffany Schaefer, and Haley Hewitt! And a number of you will be coming which makes my heart happy – to see old friends and to meet friends in the flesh for the first time at Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, OH. Can’t wait!

Then in July, there’s the Somerset Folk Harp Festival which is always a maelstrom of activity (in a good way). This year there is an amazing lineup of instructors, and I am so grateful to be among them. Somerset is offering me the opportunity to do that thing I do by mashing up my technical world with my music world and I’ll be teaching two workshops.  On the Saturday I’ll be presenting Preventing and Avoiding Injuries: Ergonomics for Therapeutic (and other) Settings which is open for any level and will be helpful to all harpers not just therapeutic musicians. It will be hands on and interesting no matter where you play.  On Friday it’s Repertoire for Every Patient! with tips, techniques, and approaches to make a small but workable repertoire be useful no matter who you play for in the healthcare setting. It will be focused on therapeutic music, but the principles are the same no matter where you play. I hope I’ll see you there – please say hi! And if you’re on the fence about coming, I hope you will decide that yes, you need to come – registration is still open!

In August, it’s off to Scotland to see Glasgow, Edinburgh, a brief jaunt to Skye and a turn about the Highlands for a bit. I (really!) will try to remember to take photos, but you already know I’m so bad at that because I’m usually too busy gawping at all the beauty! I have a small but feisty group and I’m really looking forward to seeing the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. I’ve wanted to see this event for years! I know so many of you wanted to come along but weren’t able to for one reason or another – so watch this space and start planning for next year!

And then it will be September! Whew! I hope I do a decent job sharing all the fun and learning and visiting friends (and photos – really, I will try!). I’m excited to see several of you and I’m happy to share some of the experiences with all of you. I’ll share photos here and on my face–tagram.  As always, let me know if I should be looking for you in a particular place, ask questions, and share your thoughts in the comments!

Woohoo Summer!

Do the thing that scares you

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Do the thing that scares you 

What scares you? Ok, let’s scale it back to what scares you about playing. You don’t have to say it out loud (unless you want to), but definitely say it in your head.

DO THAT!

I’m most scared of doing something wrong. Not so much when I’m by myself (ok, yes, but…) more when I’m playing with other people. Because the options of doing something wrong are very uncomfortable –

     I’ll sound really bad (not fun)

     We (as a group) will sound really bad (embarrassing and not fun)

     I will be blamed for sounding bad – not just this time but every time after that (continuingly embarrassing and not fun)

(and the perceived outcome – no one will ever want me to play with them again)

DO THE THING

I had the wonderfully terrifying opportunity to join in on a final tune in a recent show. The bass player and the guitarist both told me that it was easy, just follow along. That there was only one chord. That I just had to hit that chord on the 1 and all would be well.

So, I did the normal thing – I said yes (!)

And then I panicked! (the much more normal thing for me)

It’s never that easy. I’m not good at following – especially a tune I have only heard a couple of times before (and frankly, I wasn’t really listening then)

Then they told me the key – Bb min (yup, that would be five flats – not easy on a lever harp tuned to 3 flats.

I might have hyperventilated a little bit just then.

But I dared to hope.

I looked up Bb min (thank you Maestro Google). And verified that the 1-5-8 chord would be playable (Bb – F – Bb) and that the V chord would be playable (F – C – F). And my hope grew infinitesimally.

But I would have to stay off the IV chord! And I’d definitely have to stay off the iii!

That didn’t completely calm me though – because I’m not good at catching the change (and I don’t practice it enough).

So, I looked up a chord sheet for the tune. The bass player didn’t lie – it really did only have one chord! (ok, there was one place where there was a change to the V, but only one and if I missed it, it would be over quickly).

I felt an eerie calm come over me at that point.

And then an icy chill – because the bass player and the guitar player had had a rehearsal. They knew what they were doing while I was going to have to wing it on stage in a performance.

Do you know what happened? Want to guess?

If you guessed that – no, I backed off and gave it a miss, come on – have a little faith!

If you guessed that – yes, I did it – you win a cookie! I went on stage and played my single chord – up and down the harp – in time and actually on the (right) chord. I was shocked. Then I was delighted. Then I was a little more self-impressed than the feat deserved, but – celebrate the tiniest wins, right?!

So, the next time some terrifying opportunity arises, I’d like to encourage you to step up. Breathe and step into it! If it helps, remember that, while your heart hammers and your palms sweat, you will come out with a new accomplishment under your belt. And from there, you could go anywhere!

Want to share your secret dread (it could be someone else’s if you prefer – you know, asking for a friend)? I’d love to hear it (and feel just a little less alone!). Let me know in the comments!

 

 

Don’t Get Me Out Of Here!

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Don’t Get Me Out Of Here!

We talked about why you might experience anxiety playing for other people and we shared a few reasons that might happen (you can revisit that here). And that’s all well and good – kumbaya and all – but what can we do to get past all that mess and on to the fun part of sharing music with other people? Well…

Let’s start with recognizing that it’s normal to feel a bit discombobulated before performing. That feeling is a response to a perceived threat. And few things feel as threatening as having your fears exposed like you’re the stomach of a biology class frog.  It can be a bit daunting! But it’s important to know that it’s not just you (even though it feels like it!) – everyone gets a bit tangled when they’re going to do something uncomfortable. Welcome to being human.

Of course, it can be difficult to do some of these things.  It is easy to forget to not be scared when your inner wildebeest thinks it’s been scented by a hungry lion! But if you don’t control your fear, it will control you. And besides, we do this because we enjoy it – so we might as well enjoy it!

You can’t really grow out of being human but you can learn to be better at it. So here are some ways to help yourself get out of your own way. *

  • Breathe! (or meditate or pray, as you prefer) This is so important to help you keep a clear head and to not hyperventilate! It also helps lower your blood pressure and heart rate which makes you feel calmer (because scared people don’t have a lower BP and pulse!). (Sometimes I write “BREATHE!” at the top of the set list – just in case I forget).

  • Assess the situation. I like to look over the audience and realize I don’t (typically) know the people.  It’s not like favorite teacher (or a frenemey) was watching. Those people want to be there and be part of the experience. They want to be there! Bask in the beauty of that! And let it assuage your fear a bit.

  • Name the beast. What are you most afraid of? Say it out loud (or write it out or paint it – you get the idea – make it real outside your head). When it’s outside your head, you can skewer the thoughts with questions and observations. Remind yourself that, while your brain is trying to protect you, there is no physical danger, and you are ok – just scaring yourself. If you can, laugh at what’s scaring you.

  • Sing Happy Birthday. If you’re ruminating on these thoughts, sing a song, take up the space in your brain and interrupt the thought train the same way you stop an earworm!
  • Take care of you. Do your best to get some rest and eat well. This is not the time to break your caffeine habit (or start one) or radically change your diet!
  • Acknowledge your preparation. We often start to tell ourselves that if we just had one more week, we’d be set. Give yourself enough time to prepare and use that time to make yourself comfortable that you are in fact ready.
  • Practice. The best tip I ever got about performing was to practice! Get out and perform every chance you get. Don’t just play for the cat and the curtains – but for real (and appreciative) people! As recently as just a few years ago many of us went out to share music with our neighbors. No reason you can’t still do that. They will be just as appreciative without the threat and pall of diseases!
  • Think! I know it’s tempting to focus on thinking that you’re not ready, you’re feeling sick, and you’re afraid. Instead, actually think about what you’re doing. Hear your tunes in your head. Focus on what comes next. Do this not only as you perform but also when you’re practicing at home – get in the habit of thinking before you play.
  • Turn your frown upside down. Practice delivering your internal dialog positively. Remind yourself of how hard you have worked and how well you are doing. No, I don’t mean lie to yourself. Be honest. If you can’t, pretend you’re talking to a friend of yours and tell that person.
  • Perform. Your real goal isn’t to slay it but to do better than you did before. You can only improve compared to yourself.

You don’t have to feel like you have to make a break for it or send out a message to “Get me out of here!”. You can, of course, also try just telling yourself to get over it, but I haven’t found that to be a particularly successful strategy.

Keep in mind that all of these things are not “one and done” you might have to do one, start to play, employ another, play some more, etc. You are also you (you might have noticed) so not all of these may work for you – use some and see what works best. And then incorporate it every time!

 

Have you used any of these strategies? Did they work for you? Do you have other methods of dealing with your nerves? I can always use more ideas, so let me know in the comments!

 

* As I mentioned in the earlier post, I’m talking about situational anxiety which is NOT the same as generalized anxiety. If you suspect you have more than just a twinge of getting in knots over stepping on stage – seek professional help.