Noa Kageyama, Ph.D., explains in a recent blog how practicing performing in front of family pets or outdoor animals can be beneficial to young or new musicians during their first performances. Performing in front of a crowd can be incredibly intimidating, and having a negative experience can worsen performance anxiety, which can cause more mistakes on stage or prevent you from getting on stage all together. Have your learning performer practice their performance from start to finish, with an emphasis on being expressive, not perfect. Having someone non-judgmental like a dog, cat, or pet bird can lessen the performance anxiety, allow the performer to focus more on expressing the emotion, and generally play better.
Noa says, "Because this may be the rare context in which students can practice performing for a real, but totally non-judgmental audience and cultivate a mindset that prioritizes playing beautifully rather than striving to avoid mistakes and worrying about what others might think.". Having the student practice giving their performance from start to finish without stopping can generate the confidence they need to take on an upcoming recital!Â
You can read more from Noa Kageyama here!
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