Performance Anxiety?

[David Sasso]

Hi all. I'm pretty new to the concertina. I've been playing in the privacy of my home for a little over a year now. Every time I head off to my local session with my octave mandolin, I think, "Should I bring the concertina tonight?" I brought it once, but it stayed quietly in its box the whole night. I'm interested in how you decided it was time to go public. Was it when you had a certain critical number of tunes in your repertoire? When you could finally sustain faster tempos?

 

Thanks!

 

David

Edited June 16, 2006 by David Sasso

[Samantha]

Hmmmmmmmmmm

Well I can't play any fast tunes. I think I ventured out (apart from in the cosy atmosphere of the Swedish Squeeze In) when I had a tune or two I felt I could play. I should add that no-one else ever knows the tunes I learn, so I end up playing solo unless a kind strumperson adds some chords. With the faster tunes played at my local jam I busk a sort of slow obbligato of held high notes that harmonise with the tune.

[spindizzy]

Hi all. I'm pretty new to the concertina. I've been playing in the privacy of my home for a little over a year now. Every time I head off to my local session with my octave mandolin, I say to myself, "Should I bring the concertina tonight?" I actually brought it once, but it stayed quietly in its box the whole night.

 

The people at my session are so kind, I shouldn't worry, but I'm interested in how any of you decided it was time to go public.

 

Was it when you had a certain critical number of tunes in your repertoire? When you could finally sustain those faster tempos? How long did you play before you let others hear you?

 

Thanks!

 

David

 

[PS Hope I put this in the right forum]

I think having another instrument - and a session you know - would make things easier. You could take the tina along, and bring it out for just one or 2 tunes. (I'm still a beginner and maybe sit out at least half the tunes, chord along to a few I know well but can't play, and try to join in the rest!)

 

If your session will expect you to lead something when you produce the concertina, perhaps try for a SLOW one... and one that you think people will know. (I find tunes that I can play at home usually fall apart if I have to solo them with an audience - even if it's just the cats!! ) If you can through the first few bars, then everyone joins in, it lets you set the pace and you can feel that you've acheived something. I like Carolan for slower Irish tunes - Planxty Irwin, Morgan Magan.

 

Phew... sessions can be scary!

 

Chris

[Alan Day]

I would suggest that you record the session which will also give you all the background activity.Then practice those tunes that are favourites for the session,those that are played every time you go.Practice these on your own until you are happy with your playing,then switch on the recording and when those tunes come up play along.If you have no difficulty you are ready to happily open your concertina case and play initially quetly with the others. If you struggle then do a bit more practicing until you feel confident.

Then do what has been suggested,take a little solo number along and play that until people join in.A very exciting experience even for me now after over thirty years of playing.

Getting up on stage is another hurdle that most of us have difficulty with.

Enjoy it

Al

[bill_mchale]

Well I went public on the Button Accordion just a few weeks after I took a 6 week Saturday mornng class about a year and a half ago (after playing for little more than 6 month (and it was my first instrument). After the course there was essentially a recital of all the students at a Celi... if you think starting in a session is touch, imagine starting in front of 200 people with your instrument miked...

 

After that I started a slow session at a local pub on Thursday nights before the regular session begins. While we are speeding up quite a bit these days, when a new person shows up we are quite happy to slow down for them.. or when a regular adopts a new instrument. I had my Marcus about a week and a half when I brought it to the session .

 

--

Bill

[David Sasso]

Thanks all for the advice and encouragement. I bought a little digital dictaphone that I can play back at 0.7x the speed, which I've been using to play along at home. Once I have a few at normal speed (I'm getting there!), I'll bring out the tina. In the meantime, I might just take it along to the session in the box so it's (and/or I'm) not too shy when the debut comes.

 

David

[Helen]

Ah Bill,

 

You are so brave.

 

I am in awe.

 

Helen

[bill_mchale]

Ah Bill,

 

You are so brave.

 

I am in awe.

 

Helen

Nothing extraordinary really. Bravery is simply when you do the only thing left for you to do.

 

Besides after a while you realize almost no one in the audience is going recognize your mistakes, only have of those whom you play with will and the half that does probably is too busy making their own mistakes to care about yours .

 

--

Bill

[Helen]

Cool.

[Samantha]

[snip] ... Besides after a while you realize almost no one in the audience is going recognize your mistakes, only half of those whom you play with will and the half that does probably is too busy making their own mistakes to care about yours . ... [snip]

Ain't that the truth. Recently the brass band I play in performed The Way We Were at a concert, with me doing the solo on Flugel Horn. I thought I did appallingly, missing out all the "runny bits" (decorations) and generally making a hash of it. Several people in the audience and all of the band congratulated me sincerely after the gig. I think only my boyfriend (and the bandmaster) noticed what was missing, and he (BF) said "Well, you managed to disguise what was missing so no-one noticed".

Moral: Keep smiling (or equivalent) and everyone will be fooled into thinking it's going swimmingly!