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Dear Friends,
Last week, I shared a poll about whether pianists should still be expected to perform from memory. The results are in! Out of 218 responses, a clear majority – 67.4% – said that using music in performance is perfectly fine. Only 6.4% felt pianists should always perform from memory, while the rest said that pianists should perform from memory only in specific situations or that they weren't sure.
These numbers genuinely surprised me, but in a good way. Up to now, memorizing has been considered an important part of "finishing" a piece. Throughout my training it was out of the question to appear on stage and play a solo recital using music.
For some people, this can contribute to terrible performance anxiety. As a result, an increasing number of professional pianists are simply opting out and using music when they perform, as I wrote last week when discussing this interview with pianist Simone Dinnerstein.
Over the years, I’ve watched my students go through their own experiences with memorization. Some don't mind it, whereas some dread it. But I have noticed that it does make performance anxiety worse for most students, and in the worst cases, memory slips (or fear of them) can ruin an otherwise well-prepared performance.
What’s clear to me is that music is about communication, not perfection or tradition for tradition’s sake. Whether you perform with music or perform from memory, what matters most is sharing something meaningful with your audience.
So if you’ve ever felt anxious about memorization, you’re not alone. The world is changing, and so are our ideas about what is required to be a pianist. As long as you’re communicating something with your playing, the score on your stand (or lack of it) is irrelevant. If the results of this week's poll are any indication, it might turn out that hardly anyone in the audience minds if you use the music anyway!
Happy practicing!
-Kate
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Practice TIP of the week:
Here are the most recent practice tips I have covered:
🎵 May 18: Memorize Jump Spots
🎵 May 25: Analyze to Memorize
🎵 June 1: Performance Run-Throughs
🎵 June 8: Breathing to Alleviate Performance Anxiety
Each month, I focus on a specific theme for practice tips. This month’s theme is Performance Mindset.
Today's Practice Tip: 3 Performance Mindset Tools
Performance anxiety and negative self-talk are completely normal. Every musician experiences them, no matter their level. The good news is that you can actually practice and improve your performance mindset, just like you practice scales or difficult passages. Here are three mindset tools I use with my students (after learning them myself!) to build confidence and resilience in performance.
1. Affirmations:
Positive self-talk is a way to direct your focus toward growth and potential. Try this: write down one encouraging statement about yourself as a musician. It should be in the present tense. Examples are: “I am prepared and ready to share my music,” “I am making progress every day,” or simply “I am capable of playing beautiful music.” Keep this note at your piano and say it out loud before you start practicing or whenever self-doubt crops up. Over time, these small reminders help improve your inner dialogue.
2. Visualization:
Mental practice is as important as physical practice, especially when it comes to performance. Spend a minute or two before (or after) your practice session sitting quietly and imagining yourself in a performance setting. Picture every detail: walking to the piano, bowing, and sitting, taking a centering breath, feeling the keys under your fingers, and playing through your piece with calm and focus. Imagine that you feel poised, expressive, and engaged with the music. Visualizing success helps your brain and body rehearse the experience so it feels more familiar and less daunting in the actual performance
3. Self-Compassion:
Musicians are often their own harshest critics, especially after a shaky run-through or a frustrating practice session. When you notice negative self-talk (“I always mess up here,” “I’m not good enough,” etc.), pause and ask yourself: what would I say to a good friend in this moment? Chances are, you’d be supportive, reassuring, and encouraging. Try offering that same kindness to yourself. Remind yourself that mistakes are part of learning and performing: no one plays perfectly every time.
Try adding one of these tools to your routine this week: write your affirmation, practice visualizing, or check in with your self-talk during a practice session. Keep practicing these three skills: this will improve your overall confidence level when performing.
Remember: every great performance starts in the mind, not in the fingers.
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Quote of the Week
“If you took one-tenth the energy you put into complaining and applied it to solving the problem, you'd be surprised by how well things can work out... Complaining does not work as a strategy. We all have finite time and energy. Any time we spend whining is unlikely to help us achieve our goals. And it won't make us happier.”
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🎥 YouTube Update
My most recent video is a tutorial on playing fast Alberti bass patterns with less tension. Alberti bass is harder than it seems; I decided to make the tutorial after working with one of my students on this over a few lessons. You can watch it here!
My next video will be coming out on June 17. It's the second video in my series of Q&A videos that I made celebrating passing the 25,000 subscriber milestone on the channel. I answer four questions, about balance between the hands, how to feel your way around the keyboard, syncopation, and polyrhythms.
Want to be notified when a new video comes out? Click here and I will send you a quick email the day I publish a new video.
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💜 Some of My Favorite Things
- 🎧 Performance: Cole Porter - Anything Goes. Last weekend we attended a wedding reception at the Indiana Historical Society, and spent quite a bit of time in the Cole Porter Room there. The Cole Porter Room is designed in the style of the 1940's in tribute to the composer, who was born in Indiana. As it happens, his birthday fell on June 9, so it inspired me to re-listen to the soundtrack. Here's a link to a playlist of the 2011 soundtrack.
- 📚Book: Clara Schumann – the Artist and the Woman, by Nancy B. Reich. Clara Schumann was one of the most brilliant pianists and composers of the 19th century. Her artistry and influence shaped the world of Romantic music. For a deeper look into her extraordinary life, I highly recommend this biography, which brings Clara’s story vividly to life with insight and warmth. You can purchase it here.
- 🎵Music Anthologies: Jane Magrath's Masterwork Classics series remains one of my favorite graded repertoire series. Each volume has a nice range of varied repertoire at a similar level, and the index contains a suggested order of study so the student can progress through the book and build technical and musical skills on one another. You can find these books, along with other recommended anthologies, on my resource page here.
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🎹 Stay Connected:
- 📆 Book a lesson or a coaching session with me. I have updated my available dates through the end of June!
- 🎓 Reply to this email to learn about applying to study with me at Butler University at the undergraduate or master's level. Go Dawgs! 🐾
- 📚 Check out my Amazon page, where I share my recommended books, technical exercises, gear and more!
- 🎥 Subscribe to my YouTube channel!
- 📱Follow me on Instagram!
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🎹 Pianist | Educator | Creator
Dr. Kate Boyd
Professor of Piano, Butler University
YouTube • Instagram • Website
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