Starker Class
I'm playing in Starker's masterclass today, and I'm really nervous. Like so nervous that I woke up nervous. So nervous that I couldn't go back to sleep after sleeping less than eight hours. I hope this goes ok. Emilio said that I had to make the decision as to whether or not I was ready to play, and I did. I know he keeps people from making complete fools of themselves by having lessons with Starker when they don't really know the piece they're supposed to play, but he implied that he wants to stop telling his students what to do so much, and let them live with the consequences of their decisions. I know this Bach well, probably better than I've ever known any cello piece, but is it enough? I know I can play the notes, and that I can also play musically, but can I do both? When I'm nervous, if I stop thinking about the notes, I have stupid memory slips, but if I don't think about the phrasing, I play like I'm in a straightjacket. In general, I play better when I'm slightly nervous, because I get to a higher level of concentration, but if I'm too nervous, I get tense, and my fingers don't do what I tell them to do... and that's a bad thing. I might experiment with the banana trick: eat a banana half an hour before performing, so the potassium helps you control your muscles even if you're really nervous. We'll see how it works.
I guess it's time to go face the music. Literally.
I guess it's time to go face the music. Literally.