[Harp-L] Stage fright and peformance

[Robert Bonfiglio <bon@xxxxxxxxxx>]

The best discussion I ever had about stage fright was when Ani  
Kavafian, principal violinist with the Lincoln Center Chamber Music  
Society,and I were below the stage just about to come out and play a  
tricky Bach Double Concerto with the Westchester Philharmonic.

We both agreed that sometimes when you are nervous you play really  
well and sometimes you play like crap; and sometimes when you are not  
nervous you play really well and sometimes you play like crap.  So  
how afraid you are is not an indication of how you will perform.   
Then we both said, prepare as best you can, and then go out and say  
screw it,  and play the crap out of the piece.

The Bach Double concerto, in C Minor for you snobs, turned out just  
fine with the harmonica standing up equally to a 1.5  million dollar  
Strad in the hands of one of the finest, but that's beside the point.

The point is, prepare as best you can, and then go out and say screw  
it and play the crap out of the piece!!!!!

Harmonically yours,

Roberto Bonfiglio
http://www.robertbonfiglio.com