theperformancetrain equips performing artists, teachers and music educators with practical performance mastery strategies that are easily incorporated into practice. From one-on-one coaching to customised workshops for your school or group you’ll learn skills that are essential for you and your students to perform with confidence, remain composed under pressure and play to their abilities. Our programs can benefit any age or skill level from young performers (primary and secondary), VCE students, through to tertiary students and professionals artists.
Anneliese Gill, performance consultant and Director of theperformancetrain
Like any other musician I experienced the highs and lows of performing, ranging from performances where everything flowed freely and felt fantastic, to the acceptable but perhaps not fully inspired , through to the mediocre and downright dreadful where the terror set in and I would have uncontrollable shakes, freeze or memory lapse after memory lapse.
My problem wasn’t lack of experience or practice. I performed quite regularly, but I never felt that I was fully able to let go in a performance or be absolutely confident in my memory or preparation. Performing always seemed to be hit and miss, like winning the lottery, fantastic when it worked out but it really felt as if I had no control over the final result despite my hours and hours of hard work. I both loved and feared performing, never quite knowing whether the next performance would deliver another crushing blow to my self-esteem or lift me soaring up to the top of the world.
Throughout my musical studies (which included two performance-based music degrees at university) my teachers (performers themselves) had little advice to offer other than “you just need to do more performing” (common advice but clearly not a solution as my performances further disintegrated). I found it increasingly frustrating that for an activity that is so demanding there was little help on offer.
I spent so much time mastering my instrument, developing artistry, aural skills and technique, learning about pedagogy, theory, music history but I was never taught the skills to perform. I found it surprising that even specialised tertiary music institutions offered no classes or specialists to help musicians deal with the pressure and demands of performing. We were expected to sink or swim, muddle it out for ourselves with varying degrees of success. Keen to discover the ‘secrets’ to successful and confident performances I researched performance and sports psychology, various relaxation and meditation techniques, and concentrated on how I was practicing and preparing rather than how many hours of practice I could fit into one day. Slowly my performances started to improve. I learned that the best performers have developed a specific set of key skills known as performance mastery skills. These are a very different skills to those of learning pieces or developing technique and musicianship.
I was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study in New York and after completing my masters I was determined to help other performing artists in this area. I studied psychology and spent a number of years on staff at Monash University working with the music psychology research team, lecturing on music performance anxiety and working with the students at the School of Music.
I now work with young performers and professional artists, conduct performance mastery workshops for VCE students and schools, and professional development sessions for teachers and music educators.
PUBLICATIONS
Book Chapters
Gill, A., & Rickard, N.S. (2012). Psychosocial and cognitive benefits of school-based music training. In Rickard, N.S. & McFerran, K. Lifelong engagement in music: Benefits for mental health and well being. Nova Science Publishers, New York.
Peer Reviewed Papers
Gill, A., Murphy, F., & Rickard, N.S. (2006). A preliminary examination of the roles of perceived control, cortisol and perceptions of anxiety in music performance. Australian Journal of Music Education, 4(1), 32-47.
Murphy, F., Gill, A., Grimmet, H., & Rickard, N. (2011). Informing new string programs: Lessons learned from an Australian experience. British Journal of Music Education, 28:3, 285-300.
Grimmet, H., Rickard, N.S., Gill, A., & Murphy, F. (2010). The perilous path from proposal to practice: A qualitative program evaluation of a regional music program. Australian Journal of Music Education, 2010(2), 52-65.
Rickard, N,S., Vasquez, T., Murphy, F., Gill, A., & Toukhsati, S. (2010). Benefits of a classroom based instrumental music program on verbal memory of primary school children: A Longitudinal study. Australian Journal of Music Education, 1, 36 -47.
Rickard, N.S., Bambrick, C. & Gill, A. (2012). Absence of widespread psychosocial and cognitive effects of school-based music instruction in 10-13-year- old students. International Journal of Music Education, (30)1, 57-78.
Rickard, N.S., Appelman, P., James, R., Murphy, F., Gill, A., & Bambrick, C. (2013). Orchestrating life skills: The effect of increased school-based music classes on children’s social competence and self-esteem. International Journal of Music Education, in press.
RECORDINGS
Gardens of the Villa Taranto: And other music of Colin Brumby, CBCD -0104
theperformancetrain 