The Mindful Musician. Practices for the Nervous/self-Judgemental Artist

Mindfulness is daily life is the key to peace of mind in the application of an art form

From time to time, I have an exchange with a musician, via email, Zoom, public talks, retreats, on issues of nervousness and the judgemental mind.

For example, a classical pianist told me in an email she felt butterflies in her stomach beforehand and found fault with her performance afterwards. A common experience for artists.

Musicians tell me they experience nervousness, stage fright, high/low expectations on themselves and a judgemental/critical mind of their performance, no matter how loud the applause or how much personal appreciation from their fellow musicians/friends, family and other lovers of music.

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Do attend a concert. Listen to live music. Sit close with the orchestra. Experience spiritual upliftment with classical/contemporary music. I attend wonderful concerts held in Totnes, south Devon,UK.

I include in this blog some extracts of my responses to musicians. The same nervous/self-criticism issues can arise with job interviews, public talks, sports activities and elsewhere in the arts.

Condition of the Mind

Stating it simply, the self has over-identified with the identity of the pianist.

The self of the 'pianist' arises in consciousness without the piano - thinking too much. There is a grasping onto the image of the musician wanting to achieve a certain goal, such as not wanting to make mistakes. There may be the desire to impress others and impress oneself, feel satisfied and experience peace of mind before, during and after the performance.

Engaged in excessive thinking and nerves, the ‘'pianist' has become isolated from the piano and isolated from the immediate world of sights, sounds, smells, taste and touch.

The musician needs to remember four primary conditions influencing the view in the mind. The view arises primarily from:

1.       The present

2.      Past tendencies

3.      Both present and past

4.      Neither of the above three (in the zone/out of the zone/fate/luck/destiny/ God’s will and more).

The musician needs to be mindful on which view(s) their mind lands on. Views arise, stay and pass. Do not make them into a substantial truth. Can the musician see if he, she or other have opted for a specific view of these common views?

Too much thinking beforehand about the upcoming performance overshadows everything else. The state of mind before playing easily gives shape to the state of mind after the performance.

Pre-performance pressure manifests as mental weight of responsibility. The weight inhibits response-ability; the ability to respond with a consciousness fused with calm and clarity. Remember to breathe, relaxing on the outbreath.

Under pressure, the self depends upon the other (audience/audition) to feel worthy, approved of and recognised as a worthy musician. The audience does not have the power to enable the musician to be at peace with themselves. Self-doubt after the performance can torment the mind so the artist cannot enjoy a warm and appreciative response.

Artists, who proclaim they work best under pressure, delude themselves and others. If it were true, then increase pressure to the max. Put the mind under more pressure. Increase the fear. Create more dependency on results. Thinking this way, the artists heads towards a nervous breakdown, not a virtuoso presentation.

The pressure also separates the musician from the audience. The love of playing the instrument takes priority, not loud claps and stamping of feet.Some people depart from their seats during the concert. Who knows their motive? The ones who leave early may not know. It only takes one person in the audience to appear indifferent, cold, showing no interest to applause, to ruin the evening of the musician.

The concert may go swimmingly well, so to speak, but that will not ensure the next gig will follow in the same way. Having the taste of so-called success, the artist can then place a high expectation on themselves to repeat history.

Telling yourself ‘I can’t please everybody’ will not dissolve fear of disapproval.

The power of the musician weakens due to inner pressure. Self-doubt then arises due to divide attention – self and other, past performance and present, present performance and future. It is like walking through a mental minefield with agitation and the judgemental mind triggering internal disruption. Doubts can become chronic.

Playing the piano out of love of playing the piano takes priority. Self-interest matters much less. Fear of failure, of rejection, of apathy of others, perfectionism takes over. The application of love to the art marginalises patterns which cripple the presentation.

Love matters. To give far too much priority to other considerations burns up love.

5 Practical Steps

1.       Give full attention to your art before you touch the instrument, during practice sessions and to calming the mind after. Give similar quality of attention to detail during the day.

2.      Develop interest in other formations of the self - house cleaner, shopper, friends, family, pilgrimages to the coffee shop, park, trees. 

3.      Love the small things of daily life.

4.      Be devoted to everything today from wake up to sleep. Look after today so you can look after tomorrow.

5.      Regard everything you do during the day as important as playing the piano.

This is the preparation so the role of the musician shrinks in size to experience a clear and balanced perspective.

When the view of the self matters less, and your view of the audience, including musicians with whom you play, shrinks, you can experience the full engagement with the art of playing.

The playing matters - not the player, nor the listeners, nor colleagues.

Practices/Reflections for the Mindful Musician

1. Walk slowly to any chair in your daily life to practice walking to your spot where you play your music.

2. Walk slow. Walk tall. Walk with calm authority.

3. Practice at home walking to the chair and making a necessary adjustment to the chair.

4. Give attention to detail, not just the details in the music.

6. Take your time before your fingers touch the instrument.

7. The audience is not your master.

8. Prior views of you, the musician, are not your master.

9. Remember the quiet power of mindful movement

10. Remember love of playing

11. At end of playing, return to silence.

12. Get slowly up from the chair. 

13. Bow slowly. 

14. Depart slowly with authority.

15. Stay alert from start to finish.

Enjoy your day.