Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum What if I have to go to the bathroom during my recital?!?

Does anyone else worry about having to go to the bathroom during a performance/recital or am I the only one who thinks about that? "Ladies and gentlemen please talk amongst yourselves and I'll be right back"

I remember having this thought during my senior year jury in college. Believe it or not, it took my mind off of being nervous and wanting to be perfect. It went as smooth as silk. As soon as I finished I excused myself, then returned for the critique. I would suggest watching your liquid intake that day. It is quite funny when you think of it!

When I was ski racing we used to say that if you didn't have to go the bathroom you were weren't ready to race

Same about recitals, eh?

Cathy

Definitely not. Tell me about it.
And not just during my own recitals (which are rare), but also when I visit a concert or movie.
To prevent having to go during a performance, I usually don't drink anything one hour before the beginning, and go to the restroom shortly before the performance begins.

Obviously.....your tempo is going to pick up.

What should you do if you have to go to the bathroom during your recital?

Depends....

This is hilarious!

Stop after that 4-bar C major chord of the Chopin 4th Ballade. Quietly remove a brick from your pocket and place it on the pedal to sustain the sound. Tiptoe off the stage, and run to the bathroom. Return, remove the brick, and launch into the coda.

Don't encourage her

(ducks and runs)

Cathy

It's hilarious, unless you really have a problem with incontinence -- in which case it might be the simple truth!

My first thought was:

. . . "Condom catheter ("Texas catheter") and a leg bag".

And if you don't know what those are, consider yourself blessed.

. charles

I totally did that once. Except I never returned for the coda. I boarded a flight to another country and changed my name. Yup. The coda of the 4th Ballade is THAT scary

A coupla things:

-- Go between every piece.

-- Only play very short pieces.

BTW, someone like me has a slightly different concern: allergy attacks.

One time I was in the middle of a 9-minute piece and spent the last 5 minutes just begging for when I'd be able to blow my nose.

It has never happened to me.

and I play quite regularly in public. Not only in classical recital, but in piano bars, etc... Honestly it's never happened to me! And I drink my beer and many liquids fine enough...

I guess that my mind is so set in the task at hand (piano playing) that nothing else comes away... :-/

It is not uncommon to leave the stage after the piece is completed and applause received, and then return for the next piece. Like 2 minute break.

But I really have to ask... with my kids (aged 8 and 10 right now) I get rather bugged when they go to the toilet then enter the car and 10 minutes later they want to go AGAIN. In 95% of the cases they don't mean it!

Why can't a concert pianist go to the toilet 30 minutes prior to the recital and hang on until the intermission? Is it that hard?

That's an example of the base/autonomic mind/nervous system causing trouble. Rejecting and trying to gain control. Instead of it obeying.
It's the same base mind I'm fighting right now trying to get both hands to play at the same time.

Even in running. People will have periods where they have problems having to go to the bathroom. I have. I would do my training runs close to a bathroom until it works out.

In short, the nervous system is rejecting doing something. Trying to take control. Trying to stop you.

It's also an example of not accounting for individual differences.
For all kinds of reasons: mental, physical (including medical), age (in either direction)....

Just like people who don't take allergies into account might wonder, why can't I wait 5 minutes to blow my nose....


BTW, one of the rumors about Horowitz's 12-year absence before 1965 was that he worried about exactly what's being talked about here, because of some bowel condition, perhaps irritable bowel syndrome.

Be glad it's piano and not vocal. Singers have to stay really well hydrated (and don't get to sit down while performing).

Don't leave the toilet seat up ... my wife may be next.