The Student vs. The Artist

I have come to realize that there are two mentalities to performing in any facet of music. The first is that of the student. That mentality entails walking into a performance, nodding at the audience (or judges) and saying, "Here I am, I'm going to play this piece that I've prepared for several months and I really really really really really hope you like what I've done with it." It's basically begging the listeners to enjoy your music. It leads to playing that is somewhat timid, conservative, and not very exciting or moving.

There is, however, another type of attitude with which to approach a performance. This attidute is the Artist's attitude. You can only use it if you've practiced as much as you need to, and then you say, "Hey, I'm here. This is my interpretation, my performance, my art. I hope you like it, but if you don't, it's okay. I still enjoyed performing it for you.

This is the attitude that conquers performance anxiety, nervousness, lack of musicality, and so many of the common problems that pianists, especially younger pianists, encounter. It is that attitude that makes a Horowitz or a Perahia. It comes across in playing, and is always appreciated by any judge or listener.

Confidence is the key, and once you realize that thinking like an artist leads to great performance, you'll never turn back.