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EDUCATION
how toscore
LEARNING
perform the score
TAKING CUES FROM SPORTS TO COACH BETTER MUSICAL PLAYERS
AS AN ATHLETE MAY HELP YOU BETTER
Dominique Bellon
Why do two equally skilled
athletes not achieve the
same results? The mental
preparation of athletes,
specialists realized, was as
important as the physical. Athletes now consult
psychologists, national teams bring them on
competitions, and sport psychology books, journals,
associations and university courses have
become common.
As in sports, playing a musical instrument or
singing requires a high degree of muscular coordination
that can be improved or inhibited by
mental states. One of the most important findings
in sport psychology is that people can control
these elements, allowing them to perform
best. Sport psychology techniques translate well
to musical performance because athletes and
musicians share the same challenge: to perform
at their best when pressure is high. The major
topics in sport psychology—goal setting, energy
levels and focus—all apply to music performance.
GOAL SETTING
Most top athletes have detailed goal-setting
programs established with a coach.
Terry Orlick and John Patterson interviewed
seventy-five 1984 Olympic Games
Canadian athletes, noting that “the best athletes
had clear daily goals. They knew what they wanted
to accomplish each day, each workout, each
sequence or interval.” 1
Three goal types associated with sports can
also be associated with music. Outcome goals
focus on the result, such as passing an audition.
Anticipation of winning motivates harder training.
Performance goals focus on a standard independent
from competition, usually compared to
one’s previous performance. 2 Musicians might
aim to improve an aspect of their technique by a
certain time. Musicians have more control
because although they should be challenging,
these goals should be within reach. Process goals
focus on the actions needed to perform well. 3 A
wind instrumentalist could follow a breathing
plan or keep fingers close to the keys in a fast
technical passage.
Set all three kinds but focus on performance
and process goals. Outcome goals are useful earlier,
giving a clear vision of what performers ultimately
want to accomplish and helping them
decide on the best process and performance
goals. These dreams of victory should be made as
vivid as possible through visualization. Sylvie
Bernier, a Canadian Olympic gold medallist, said
the only way she could win was if she could see
herself on the podium. 4 But just before an audition
or a competition, stay away from thoughts
of outcome; focus on the performance and not
on other competitors, judges or results.
ENERGY LEVELS
Some athletes need to relax in order to perform
best; others need to energize.
Through relaxation or activation exercises,
musicians can also get to their ideal levels. Try
deep breathing by slowing the breath to slow the
pulse, rhythmic breathing by making the exhalation
twice as long as inhalation, intentionally
relaxing different muscles, or successively tensing
and relaxing muscles. Visualize a relaxing
scene such as lying on a beach, or use words such
as “slow,” “calm,” or “warm.” Energizing techniques
are similar to relaxation techniques.
Increase breathing rhythm and imagine generating
more energy with each inhalation you take, or
use energy-enhancing imagery and key words.
In Audition Success, Don Greene recommends
that musicians run up and down stairs, followed
by deep breathing before practicing. The goal is
to recreate the effect of over-stimulation by
stress experienced during an audition.
FOCUS
When athletes are said to “choke,” often
they are distracted by a mistake they
made and focused on the result rather
than on the process.
Workshop participants often tell me they have
difficulty focusing during performances. They have
irrelevant thoughts or get distracted, for instance,
by some noise in the audience. To ensure one’s
focus in performance, use the same standard of
focus in practice. Concentration must be developed
just as the physical skills involved in practice. A
kayaking Olympian states: “When I’m training, I’m
focused. I train to the best of my ability. By focusing
all the time on what you’re doing when you’re
training, focusing in a race becomes a by-product.” 5
The ability to focus involves two different psychological
skills: one is attention span—one’s
60 Novembre 2009 November