Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Well I did my 1st "live" Recital! - My experience inside..

Thanks Cathy and it's amazing that some things just can't be described. I told my wife about your post (she's an ex climber) and she immediately knew what you mean. Then she gasped as she realized what was going on with my leg..

Congratulations TTigg. Shaking leg and all, you got through most of the composition. You are a real inspiration to those of us who are still too scared even to enter the ABF recitals, no less perform in a real recital.

Gotta ask my grand daughter who is a world champion rock climber about those "sewing machine legs."

Thanks for sharing that story with us. Gaby Tu

Just think, next time it can only get better.

I have this problem with singing. I get so nervous that my whole throat shakes. One teacher called it "my natural vibrato." And once it starts, I'm hosed.

I wonder if you might be able to practice at the recital venue before the next recital so that you feel more comfortable in that setting.

Anyway, good for you for getting through it the best you could! That's bravery!

TTigg,
The only thing that really helps is just more performing in public. Especially multiple performances of the same piece(s). That way it's not just "one chance to play this right in public forever!"

When I was in college I was the accompanist for the singing group and jazz band. We "toured" local high schools in the spring semester and played the same show 2 or 3 times each Wednesday (tour day) for weeks. By the end of that experience, I had no performance anxiety to speak of...the effect even lasted a couple of years!

TTigg, I had the exact same thing happen when I was spontaneously invited up on stage at a jazz club. I was there merely to listen, but a friend of mine knew the bandleader; before I knew it, I was up on stage being introduced in the most glowing terms, with both legs and both hands shaking uncontrollably.

I have no idea how I got through that first piece I played. At some point, I realized that even though I was playing my own composition, I had no idea how the next bit of it went; fortunately, finger memory carried me through. My hands kept shaking uncontrollably throughout the piece. But I made it through, even got some nice applause, played a few more tunes with slightly less terror, and got invited back next time.

And the next time I played there, I was not nervous at all.

wOw and HUGE for that inspiring addition. I think next time I'll ensure I will get there early enough to at least sit down and try the piano out, I think this was one of my biggest problems..

My teacher asked me if I wanted to play in the recital with the kids, this after about 6 months of lessons as a complete beginner. I just said no. But when she asked again about a month before the recital, I said I'd think about it. But as luck would have it, I ended up on a business trip that week, whew. Unfortunately I also missed my kids' recital.

She has a few other adults that take lessons, and this year she is thinking of an adult recital for the small group. I might agree to do that.

Oh my - that does bring back memories. I'm not a beginner, but I still remember my senior recital (after 12 years of lessons and recitals) when I sat down, started to play, and my darned leg nearly shook off the pedals. It was like a thing possessed, and not by me!

I've recently begun playing again after many years off, and the other night somehow I found myself standing at some strange DP I'd never played, in a local bar, playing the Aria from the Goldberg variations. Now I've never played standing, never on this piano, and never in front of monitors. Surreal! Talk about shaking fingers.

Amazingly enough, when I was done, some elderly fellow in a baseball cap came up and told me how he enjoyed hearing a bit of baroque music in an otherwise fairly honky-tonk place!

It seems that many adults want to play in recitals with kids? Why is that?

Whoops - misstated - meant to ask: It seems that many adults DO NOT want to play in recitals with kids. Why?

bex, you can edit your posts using this icon............. ^^

My Teacher is talking about a recital for his students (all ages) - sounds like fun to me... Great story TTigg - I have yet to do it and I admire you very much.

LaValse, that's great. What will you play? I have two more recitals coming up this year: one on Dec. 6 and the next on the 14th. Will play a Brahms intermezzo and a couple of Bach pieces.

TTigg, congratulations on your recital! That takes courage. I know how frightening it can be as I let myself get talked into one or two a year, thinking that it's good experience for me. It does get better and, yes, it's amazing how the shakes manifest themselves in various parts of the body. It's fabulous that you were able to complete most of the piece despite the leg issues!

Bex: the recitals I play in do include children. My feelings about this are that the audience tends to expect MORE from the adult players even if they, too, are beginners. So you feel like there's more pressure on you as an adult to outperform the kids who are likely MUCH less concerned about what the audience thinks of them AND a whole lot less nervous.

I think W.C. Fields said "Never work with kids or dogs." Unless my border collie starts taking lessons, I have no fears from that quarter, BUT the kids are another story...they can usually pull off a better performance with less practice than a scared-out-of-their-mind adult!

(Edited for typo.)

JeanieA: I hear you - I play in recitals with kids as well. I'm often the only adult, or just one of two adults playing. But as my teacher says, "You have nothing to prove. Play for yourself. Play to make music, not to impress anybody."

She said that recently when I had to play in front of two judges last weekend. After an initial bout of nerves, I performed the piece fine.