EdwardsTrumpets

Sorry about posting this in multiple places, but I would like as many people to see this to offer advice. I've got a bit of a problem, and was hoping someone can help. I have been preparing a concerto for performance with the symphony I play in which is coming up early next month. I have been preparing this piece for almost a year, and I had performed it before in a recital several years ago, so I feel that I really know the piece. I have been playing it by memory for about 3 weeks now, with some minor memory slips here and there, but lately I have been really botching a lot of the technical passages in the piece. Some of the passages have always been a nag, but now I'm starting to miss licks that have never been a problem before. I'm starting to sweat because it seems like sometimes the more I practice it, the worse it gets. I've tried all sorts of things, like slowing down the passages, "aiming" for certain notes, and I am nailing them when I am finished practicing. But when I go to put it in context again in a run-through, with only that one chance, I screw it up maybe 50% of the time. I know this is some kind of mental block, because I've played the passages cleanly before, but I can't seem to stop choking. I need to feel 100% confident about this, or I'll be a wreck when I walk out on stage. And I've put in way too much work to fall on my face. Any help, advice and suggestions are appreciated.

Solar Bell

Your performance is almost a month away?

I would walk away from the piece for a week or even two. You've been playing it for a year now, and you've performed it before.

I would concentrate on enjoying playing trumpet for a while. I do not mean working out of your method books either....Play things that you like, things that you have memorized and you can just play for the sheer enjoyment of the music. Ignore it completely.

Come back to it in a couple of weeks.

I would also either play it from memory, or read the music completely.
If you just have the music on the stand and glance at it from time to time, it could be a real hinderance. Number one, it would be telling yourself that your not ready, and number two, when you feel the anxiety coming about the place you have problems with, you may have to quickly search for that spot and not readily find it and REALLY mess yourself up.

Do one or the other, memorize or read it, either is fine.

Have fun and relax. Quit worrying that you'll mess up, Know that you know the piece.


-cw-