superhero kid

Like most classical musicians, I occasionally have some very unwelcome guests in my mind – feelings of doubt, uncertainty, or insecurity. Having some of these feelings are quite normal and in fact, there is a way they can help us grow. However, they become a serious problem if we try to either force them out by faking confidence or dwell on them too long. The longer the negative feelings and thoughts stay, the more they push confidence and reassurance out, leaving us potentially feeling helpless.

 

This post won’t be about centering or visualization – both essential skills for improving our best performance under pressure. This is a deeper dive that explores what strengthens the roots of true confidence. I’ll briefly summarize 3 concepts as explained by bestselling author, athlete, and coach Steve Magness in his brand new book Do Hard Things. Continue reading “3 Practices to Achieve True Confidence on Stage”

6 recovery exercises

Statistics show that around 85% of violinists & violists will develop a playing-related injury at some point in their performing lives. That is an insane number. Unlike sports in which athletes retire around the age of 40 on average, musicians play pretty much their whole lives… or at least, most of us plan to… right? How terrible it would be for our performance timeline to be cut short by an injury that could’ve either been prevented or kept under control.

 

This week, I’m sharing with you a few of my favorite recovery exercises for violinists & violists, with focus primarily on the areas that get overused and hurt most often, which are the upper back and neck on the left side. Continue reading “Recovery Exercises for Violinists & Violists”