bulletproof musician

the

Centering
i n 7 d a y s

Dr. Noa Kageyama

C O PY R I G H T I N F O R M AT I O N
Copyright 2009 by Noa Kageyama, Ph.D.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

My Journey..............................................................1 Centering in 7 Days...............................................12

Day 1: Belly Breathing
The Stress Response...............................................3 Day 2: Muscle Tension
Perform Like a Penguin Day 3: Finding Your Center
Control vs. Comfort Day 4: Forming Clear Intentions
Left Brain vs. Right Brain Day 5: Identifying Your Process Cue(s)
Day 6: Centering
Centering.................................................................6 Day 7: Centering With Your Instrument
Step 1: Select a Focal Point
Step 2: Form a Clear Intention Simulation Training..............................................23
Step 3: Breathe Mindfully Create a Virtual Audition Environment
Step 4: Releasing Muscle Tension Audition Simulation
Step 5: Find Your Center Rinse & Repeat
Step 6: Repeat Your Process Cue
Step 7: Direct Your Energy Adversity Training................................................25
Putting It All Together
Closing Thoughts..................................................26
Centering Cheat Sheet

P RO L O G U E
My Journey
M y journey began at the age of 2 when I said oa like
mugas (or so I am told) and was given my first
violin that violin being a Cracker-Jack box with a ruler
taped to it.
Midway through kindergarten, I gave my first performance with
orchestra as a student of Dr. Shinichi Suzuki (founder of the Suzuki
Method) in Matsumoto, Japan, and shortly thereafter, made my TV
debut on WBNS-TVs Front Page Saturday Night.
Practice, practice, practice
From an early age, I practiced every day, 365 days a year. The work did
pay off, garnering opportunities to perform as a soloist with orchestras
such as the Columbus Symphony, Springfield Symphony, and Welsh
Hills Symphony. I performed on radio broadcasts for WOSU-FM,
WCBE-FM, and Israels National Classical Music radio station, and a
fellowship to the Aspen Music Festival allowed me to play alongside
world-famous conductors, emerging concert artists, and future
orchestra members. Its been my good fortune to have had coachings
with renowned musical figures such as Isaac Stern, Leon Fleisher,
Emanuel Ax, Janos Starker, Max Rostal, Yfrah Neaman, and Natalia
Gutman.
My life revolved around music for as long as I can remember. Along
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
the way, I learned all about discipline, sacrifice, and what it takes to be
successful. But I also came to see that this wasnt quite enough.
Despite my successes, I struggled with inconsistency and felt that my
playing often fell short of what I knew I was capable of. It was
frustrating to play so well in rehearsals and then sound like a different
person in performances and auditions.
Practice, practice, practiceand more practice?
Like many musicians, I just assumed that I needed to practice more. I
figured the nerves would fade away at some point. Neither was true;
sometimes Id sound great, sometimes just mediocre. I couldnt figure
out how to control it.
It certainly wasnt my teachers fault. I am lucky to have studied with
many truly great musicians and teachers; a list which includes Stephen
Clapp, Ronald Copes, Franco Gulli, Paul Kantor, Masao Kawasaki,
Roland & Almita Vamos, and Donald Weilerstein. I could not have
asked for a better or more complete musical training. Yet, I knew there
was more I needed to learn I just didnt know what.
A whole new world to explore
My second year at Juilliard, I signed up for a course titled
Performance Enhancement for Musicians taught by Dr. Don Greene.
It sounded interesting, although I was skeptical that an Olympic sport
psychologist and former green beret could tell me anything about
being a concert artist. To my surprise, what I learned that semester
changed not only how I performed, but how I felt about performing.
My whole approach shifted. Even my practice habits changed
dramatically.
I was hooked. Performance psychology opened up a whole new world
of skills to learn, skills that I knew would help me become a more
complete musician and performer, but to which I had never been
exposed. After finishing up my masters at Juilliard, I went to Indiana
University to pursue a doctorate in psychology. I was determined to
M y J o u rn ey 1
 TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

learn the secrets of peak performance and find answers to questions

like Why do some people thrive under pressure while others choke?

A decade later
Its been 10 years since I made the decision to put my violin down and
pursue psychology, but I havent looked back and remain committed to
helping people learn what it takes to shine under the bright lights.

I am on the faculty of the New World Symphony in Miami, FL where I

help fellows prepare for orchestra job auditions. I have conducted
master classes at many of the top conservatories, including The
Juilliard School, Oberlin Conservatory, the New England Conservatory
of Music, and Indiana University. Ive also been a guest speaker at
workshops such as the Starling-Delay Symposium, and for organizations
such as the Music Teachers National Association and the National
Association of Teachers of Singing.

The point of this e-book

I wrote this e-book so that I might share with you some of what I have
learned over the years from both my musical background and my
psychology training. It is my sincere hope that you find the
information on the following pages to be of great value as you strive to
become a more confident, dynamic, and inspiring performer. If you
have questions about something you read, or if I can help in any way,
please feel free to contact me.

All the best,

Dr. Noa Kageyama

noakageyama@bulletproofmusician.com

M y J o u rn ey 2

PA RT I
The Stress Response
T
hink back to the last time you had a performance or
audition. What do you remember feeling in the hours
(or days) leading up to the moment when you finally
walked out on stage?
Nervous? Worried? Panicky? Jittery? Did you feel butterflies in your
stomach, have difficulty focusing, or feel cold and tight? Perhaps you
felt like you couldnt breathe, or experienced a sense of dread as if
something bad were going to happen? All of these things (and often
much more) are normal and expected physiological and psychological
responses to stressful situations.
Feeling this way often leads us to begin our performances tentatively
almost like a child dipping their foot into a pool and splashing around
a bit before deciding to muster up the courage to jump in completely.
This is fine if youre just warming up or playing informally with
friends, but Im sure you know from experience that this is not a great
strategy for performance or audition success. Its possible that an
audience may not notice your tentative start, and you may have
enough time to win them over by the end of the piece. An audition
panel on the other hand, will not be so forgiving.
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
Perform Like a Penguin
We could all learn a thing or two about performing confidently from
penguins. Yep, you heard me - I said penguins. Have you ever watched
penguins swimming in the wild on the Discovery channel? Ever notice
how they will just sit and look at the water for a while and deliberate
about whether theyre going to get eaten by a seal or not, then waddle
up closer to the edge and look around to see if it looks safe, and then
dip their fins in, or poke their head underwater to see if it looks safe,
and only then slowly ease themselves in and swim around tentatively
just in case there is a hidden danger lurking in the shadows? Of course
not! They just jump right in!
I once heard an established concert artist speak about her approach to
handling the inevitable nerves at the beginning of a concert. She
explained that she spends a disproportionate amount of time working
on just the first page of a piece, making sure she is ultra confident that
no matter what, she will be able to get the piece off to a good start
under any circumstances. She admitted that when the first note went
well, she would almost instantly relax and think to herself, Ahhthis
is going to be a good concert!
This is a helpful preparation strategy, and one that you should
certainly employ, but there is much more that you can do to ensure
that you start your performance off on the right foot.
Control vs. Comfort
Wouldnt it be nice if you had a quick and effective way of getting
focused and feeling in control, so you can start each and every
performance by putting your best foot forward, and captivating your
audience from the very first note?
Well, you can. That tool is called Centering.
Th e Stress Res po ns e 3

Let me be clear that Centering is not a relaxation strategy per se. Yes,
Centering will help you take the edge off of your nerves, but I see it
primarily as a focusing strategy.
What? Focus? Bah! I need to learn how to relax and feel more normal
before I perform!
Well, I hear you, but let me say this. We are typically led to believe that
being nervous is a bad thing but in reality, those nerves that you
feel before a performance are not really the enemy. Without going into
the nitty gritty details of performance anxiety and its various
components, let me just say that the problem lies in the fact that most
of us have never learned how to use adrenaline to our advantage. By
telling ourselves and our students to just relax, we are actually doing
each other a disservice by implicitly confirming that the anxiety we feel
is bad and to be feared.
Besides, good luck trying to relax before the most important
performance of your life. What are you going to do? Over the years, I
tried everything I could to get rid of the unpleasant feelings associated
with performance anxiety. I tried eating bananas, drinking chamomile
tea, imagining the audience in their underwear, sleep deprivation,
practicing more, taking various supplements, and even trying to
convince myself that it didnt matter how I played or that the
performance wasnt as big a deal as it felt. None of this, of course, took
the anxiety away or did much to help me perform any better.
On the other hand, focus is something we can learn to control.
Furthermore, our brains have a fixed attentional capacity. We all know
this intuitively, as we cant pay attention to everything all at the same
time (e.g. try convincing your significant other that you can carry on an
important conversation with them while simultaneously watching TV).
If you learn how to control your focusing ability and are able to dictate
where your attention goes, you will find it increasingly possible to
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
flood your attentional capacity with only those things that are
relevant to your performance, so that there is literally no room left in
your mind to be nervous. You will still feel the adrenaline, but it will be
there to add pop and sizzle to your performance, not to detract from it.
Through Centering, I soon learned to welcome the rush of adrenaline
and use that energy to power my performances, performing with more
freedom, conviction, and confidence than I ever imagined possible.
This is the reason why focus, and not physical comfort, is the key to
performing optimally under pressure.
Before we talk about transforming anxiety from a liability to an
advantage, we first need to understand a little about what happens to
our mind under stress.
Left Brain vs. Right Brain
Our brain is considered by many to be the most complex
organizational structure known to man, but at its most basic level
consists of just two primary regions - the left hemisphere and the right
hemisphere. While it is an oversimplification of the immense
complexity of our brain to imply that the two hemispheres are
completely independent of one another, left-brain vs. right-brain is a
very helpful model when it comes to understanding optimal mental
states for performance.
Left-brain thinking is associated with words, numbers, logic,
analysis, criticism, rules, details, planning, and judgment.
Conversely, right-brain thinking is associated with sounds, images,
patterns, kinesthetic or sensory input, emotions, the "big picture," free
association, and creativity.
Based on this information, which mode of thinking seems most
conducive to effective practicing? Did you say left brain? That's right!
Th e Stress Res po ns e 4
 TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Now, which seems most conducive to dynamic, inspired, and artistic

performances? Right brain, exactly!

Unfortunately, we often do the opposite. In the practice room, we have

a tendency to practice somewhat mindlessly, merely repeating
passages over and over until they sound or feel better - making
corrections, but doing so almost unconsciously without full awareness.
Consequently, before we even walk on stage, a part of us starts
wondering if we really know how to nail that opening chord (or that
tricky passage in the development, etc.) and our thoughts are suddenly
flooded by left brain over-analytical thinking, criticism, excessive
planning, and so on, which only serves to lead to a pre-occupation with
technical details and an inability to play as freely and automatically as
we are capable.

Are you familiar with the phrase "paralysis by analysis?" This is exactly
what happens when we know that our every move and sound is under
close scrutiny by others. The opposite of this paralyzed state is often
referred to as "flow" or "the zone," where everything just seems to
"click" into place and our playing is easy, free, and effortless.

How do we make the shift from left-brain processing to right-brain

quiet and get into "the zone?" You guessed it, Centering.

Th e Stress Res po ns e 5

PA RT I I
Centering
C entering is an example of what sport psychologists
call a pre-performance routine. It was designed in the
1970's by the renowned sport psychologist Dr. Robert
Nideffer, and adapted for performing artists by Olympic
sport psychologist Dr. Don Greene.
Centering is a highly effective means of (a) channeling your nerves
productively and more importantly, (b) directing your focus even in
extreme situations. Once mastered, it is a quick and very powerful tool
which will help ensure that you begin each performance with a bang
(in a good way) and maximize your chances of getting into the zone
from the outset.
There are seven steps, each specifically designed to move you
progressively closer to right brain quiet, focus, and poise, and take you
further away from left brain fears, doubts, and self-criticism.
Step 1: Select a Focal Point
Select a fixed point in the distance, somewhere that feels comfortable.
This point could be on your stand, the ground in front of you, or on the
back row of the hall, but wherever it is, ensure that your focal point is
below eye level.
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
Why below eye level?
Quick, multiply 36x19 in your head. Where did your eyes go? If you are
like most, your eyes will have traveled upwards. This is an indicator
that you are engaging in left brain thought. Don't tempt your brain to
engage in left brain thinking.
Why do you need a focal point to begin with?
Under pressure, your brain is literally working at a faster rate. If you
allow your eyes to scan the room at random, you will have a tendency
to take in too much task-irrelevant data (such as the facial expression
on your mother's face, the bright green dress that the lady in row 15 is
wearing, the number of empty seats, etc.) which is not only distracting,
but could easily lead to increased left-brain thinking and analysis.
Step 2: Form a Clear Intention
A clear intention is in essence, a specific goal statement. What do you
intend to do when you step out on stage? How exactly do you intend to
sound? What, precisely, do you intend to communicate to the
audience?
Often, we get on stage and go into auto-pilot mode, without taking a
moment to form a clear picture of how we intend to start the piece,
what we intend to do with the music, and what we wish to convey to
the listener. Years ago, I spent a few weeks receiving chamber music
coachings from Isaac Stern, Leon Fleisher, and others, where we
literally spent hours working on just the first couple lines of the
Schubert B-Flat Piano Trio. In three weeks of daily coachings, we only
got through the first two movements - and not even the complete
movements at that!
The gist of what they continually asked us was "What are you trying to
say?" Fleisher was insistent on our being able to explain our musical
intentions with words. He said that if we couldn't even articulate our
C enteri n g 6

musical vision through language, how could we ever hope to
communicate our ideas to an audience through music? I believe he's
right. Make sure you have a clear vision of what you intend to do
before doing it.
Think of this as the what step.
Step 3: Breathe Mindfully
One of the most powerful techniques for reversing the stress response
involves learning how to breathe diaphragmatically. When stressed,
our bodies have a tendency to revert to shallow, rapid, chest breathing.
Doing so gets a large volume of air flowing in and out of our lungs (to
prepare us for an impending attack), but when there is no danger
present, this encourages us to stay stuck in fight or flight mode.
Observe a baby breathing, and notice how their tummy expands
outwards as they inhale, and sinks back in as they exhale. Watch an
older child or adult breathe when they sleep, and you will observe the
same phenomenon. Diaphragmatic breathing is the most
biomechanically efficient way to breathe, and furthermore, is
conducive to activating what's called the parasympathetic nervous
system response, which is our body's natural antidote for the fight-or-
flight state. If you can switch over to diaphragmatic breathing when
you are under pressure, you will be able to coax your body into calming
down just enough to take that nasty "edge" off of your nerves.
You may have heard the term belly breathing by some, or even the
term tactical breathing more commonly used by military or police
personnel. These are all just different terms for the same thing.
Step 4: Releasing Muscle Tension
Perhaps the single most detrimental consequence of performance
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
stress is muscle tension. As unpleasant as many of the other effects of
anxiety can be, you can still perform at a pretty high level despite
them. Tight muscles, on the other hand, will absolutely prevent you
from performing your best. As our thinking becomes more negative,
our muscles get tighter and less facile. And not just any muscles, but
the ones that we need control over the most! These are your key
muscles. As a string player, it was generally my fingers & thumb, arms,
and shoulders which became more rigid, leading to missed shifts,
squeaks, shaky bow arm, and so on.
This is one of the most critical steps, as the degree to which you have
mastered this step will correspond directly with the degree of control
you feel you have in even the most pressure-packed performance. This
one element alone changed my practice habits dramatically. People
who watched me perform over the years often commented on how
physically relaxed I appeared, so I didnt realize how much tension
there really was in my playing.
When I became more keenly aware of just how much extraneous
tension existed in my body (back, shoulders, arms, fingers), much of
my practice time shifted to minimizing this tension and finding ways
to play more efficiently. The more efficient ones technique (i.e. fewer
moving parts and simpler, more easily replicated movements), the
more reliable and consistent the outcomes, and the fewer variables
that can go awry in a performance.
In other words, the greater the sensitivity of your awareness of tension
and the less tension you play with, the more control you will have, and
the more accurate and consistent you will become on-stage.
Step 5: Find Your Center
Are you familiar with the martial arts concept of ki or chi? In Eastern
philosophy, chi is described as being one's "life force" or energy. There
is a specific location in our body where the energy tends to congregate,
C en teri n g 7

which is essentially our center of gravity. If you have ever observed the
movements of a great martial arts master or even some athletes or
dancers, you will notice a presence, grace, and balance about them
regardless of their size or physical shape.
I was talking about Centering some time ago with the concertmaster of
a prominent orchestra, who remarked that indeed, the great artists and
conductors of previous generations often did have a much more
powerful and grounded on-stage presence than that of more
contemporary performing artists.
It doesnt matter if you are performing while seated or standing, the
principle remains the same. Click here to view a short YouTube video
demonstrating how Isaac Stern encouraged me to sit for greater
stability and freedom when performing in orchestras or chamber
ensembles.
Not only is the feeling of being Centered a very calming and reassuring
one, but the mere act of searching for you Center (due to this tasks
emphasis on internal sensory processing) will quiet your left brain
activity.
Step 6: Repeat Your Process Cue
We have a tendency to hyperfocus on tiny details under pressure. This
may be highly desirable in the practice room, but can be paralyzing on-
stage. The solution is to focus on a right-brain process cue, in essence,
a reminder of what it sounds, looks, and feels like to produce exactly
what you want.
Method #1
One way of using process cues is to brainstorm and experiment with
words that cue up the sound/images/feelings of producing the
beautiful sound, clean articulation, or solid intonation that you wish to
produce. Examples of such words are smooth bowing, light fingers,
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
even shifts, fluid, powerful, calm, or easy. I found that the word
"lightness" was all I needed to remind myself what it felt like to have
wonderfully light and free fingers that were capable of shifting and
playing complex passages with ease, instead of reverting to my habit of
clenching and pressing too hard with my left hand when under
pressure. It's not the word that is important, but the resultant mental
sound/image/feeling of performing exactly the way you want to that is
key.
For instance, golf great Sam Snead (often admired for his perfect
swing) is said to have used the cue word oily to remind himself of the
feeling of a perfectly smooth, fluid, and effortless swing from
beginning to end.
Method #2
The other way to use process cues is to avoid using words altogether
and merely hear, feel, or see yourself performing exactly as you wish.
Think of it as being like computer programming. In other words, when
you practice, you are coding and reinforcing a series of motor
programs that guide your muscles through the intricate movements
required to generate the sounds you wish to produce. If you have
programmed your mind/body effectively, all that is required in a
performance is for you to select and activate the correct motor
program.
These motor programs are actually quite robust in that your brain has
the ability to automatically adjust to current conditions and still
produce the result you are looking for even if some of the variables
have changed. In other words, even if the performance conditions
involve differences in temperature, acoustic conditions, tempo, tuning,
and so on, your brain is still capable of instructing your body to
produce the sounds you would like. Just put your mind on what you
want to sound, feel, or look like (i.e. give your subconscious a reminder
of what you want), and your mind and body will produce. Does this
sound overly simplistic? Perhaps, but you might surprise yourself.
C enteri n g 8
 TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Playing as if Step 7: Direct Your Energy

I remember having a lesson in which my teacher was having difficulty
By the time you have gotten to this step, you will have made the shift
eliciting a fully articulated vision of what I wanted to do with a
into a quieter and more focused mental state conducive to performing
particular phrase in the Glazunov Concerto. Finally, he just asked me
your best. You will have taken the edge off of your nerves, and in this
to play the excerpt as I imagined one of my favorite artists would,
last step you will channel the remaining energy that remains into a
saying Try playing it like Itzhak Perlman would. Ill never forget the
dynamic and inspired performance. This is how you use the energy
look on his face when I was finished. It was a mix of amusement and
instead of trying to get rid of it.
incredulity that told me I had done something special.
Do a quick internal search for all of the energy that you feel in your
Still not buying it? body, and feel it gathering at your Center. I often imagined my Center
One last illustration. Have you ever watched a baby try to pick up
and energy being somewhat like those plasma lamps that are sold at
Cheerios? Remember how difficult it seemed? The baby has to figure
stores like The Sharper Image (Google "plasma lamp" if you don't
out which shoulder muscles to activate, which arm muscles to utilize,
know what I'm referring to). Now, direct that energy upwards, through
and make constant adjustments with regards to the spatial relationship
your torso and neck, into your head, and blast it out through your eyes
of their fingers and the Cheerio. When their fingers are in the vicinity
or forehead like a laser beam at the focal point you identified in Step 1.
of the Cheerio, they have to decide which fingers they will use to pick
Think of this beam as a conduit for your music and the energy that will
up the Cheerio, and which muscles are involved in grabbing the
convey your clear intention to the audience. Personally, I always placed
Cheerio itself. Once they have secured the Cheerio, they then need to
my focal point beyond the back row of the hall and imagined that I was
keep those specific finger muscles flexed (but not too hard lest the
projecting my sound on this energy beam all the way past the last row -
Cheerio be crushed), and again activate the muscles required to move
even if I was playing pianissimo.
their hand closer to their mouth. Then there is the issue of letting go of
the Cheerio when it is in the vicinity of their mouth. This may sound a little hokey to some, but this energy is real. Have you
ever met someone incredibly intense, who perhaps invades your
As simple a task as this may seem, it can take weeks for the infant to
personal space a bit, and looks at you so intently that you feel
master, and is at first almost painfully frustrating (but also cute) to
uncomfortable and almost feel that they can see into your head and
witness. Do you think about all of the minute details involved in
read your thoughts? That's the same sort of energy I am talking about.
picking up a slice of pizza and putting it in your mouth, or do you just
Instead of trying to get rid of the energy adrenaline provides by
think to yourself, Hmm, that pizza looks yummy and it just happens?
relaxing or taking beta blockers, you can learn to use it, channel it
into your performance, and take your playing to a whole new level!
My point is that when youve already learned how to do something,
your mind/body just needs a simple reminder of exactly what you
want, and the details will take care of themselves.
Putting It All Together
Think of this as the how step. When you begin to practice Centering, it may take several minutes to
get through all of the steps. However, if you practice Centering daily

C enteri n g 9
 TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

for 10-15 minutes and stick with it, you will begin to notice a difference
within a week or two. The key, like anything else you do in the practice
room, is consistency and persistence.

As you become more experienced with Centering, youll find that it will
take you less and less time to become calmer and more focused. You
will soon be able to Center in 10 seconds or less.

For those of you who also teach, many (if not all) of these principles
can be shared with even your youngest students, whether they get
nervous before performances or not. Not as a means to reduce anxiety,
but as a way to improve focus and clarity of musical intentions. Many
of Centering's elements can even be tremendously helpful in practice
sessions, to ensure that one remains focused on the task at hand. Youll
find that Centering is also quite adaptable to any stressful life
circumstance, whether it be public speaking, job interviews, or dealing
with rush-hour traffic.

You may notice that Centering when you are at your normal level of
stress/anxiety (e.g. when you are in the practice room), makes you feel
a little lethargic or even sleepy. Dont worry - this is ok. Remember
that Centering was designed for use in high-pressure situations, like
walking out on stage for an important performance or audition. In
such stressful circumstances, the adrenaline pumping through your
body will make sleepiness a non-issue.

The next chapter outlines a 7-day plan for learning how to Center. It
includes daily worksheets that will help you make steady progress and
keep you focused. I encourage you to print them out, and fill them in as
you go to keep track of your progress.

C en teri n g 10

PA RT I I I
Centering in 7 Days
A t first, Centering may seem like a complicated and
even esoteric combination of seemingly unrelated
elements. Despite this common first impression, it is a very
powerful and effective tool that has been invaluable to the
thousands of musicians and performing artists who have
made it part of their pre-performance routine.
When I first learned about Centering, I thought it was a little goofy,
and didn't see how it could be all that helpful. I just put it aside and
didn't bother practicing it. Later in the year, however, I was preparing
for an international competition and happened to come across the
Centering handout from class when tidying up my apartment. It was
still a couple months before the competition, but I had allowed myself
to get way behind schedule in my preparation and was feeling pretty
apprehensive already. I decided I had nothing to lose, so decided to
give Centering a shot. I practiced Centering daily, began integrating it
into my daily practice routine, lessons, rehearsals, and committed to
making this a part of my performance routine.
The day of the first round arrived, and unfortunately, I was still not as
prepared as I should have been. I felt ok about my repertoire for the
first round, but hadn't yet memorized some of my pieces for the second
round, and there were pieces in the third round that I hadn't even
looked at yet. To say I was unprepared is putting it mildly.
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
Nevertheless, I wanted to do my best, and utilized Centering
throughout my first round performance. Despite my lack of
preparation, the first round went better than it should have. I soon
learned that I had gotten through to the next round. I was excited, but
now the nerves really hit. I had about 36 hours to prepare essentially a
small recital's worth of music. The night before my second round
performance, I was so desperate that I put on a CD of the solo Bach
piece I was to play, and left it playing all night on repeat, hoping that
somehow the music would stick in my head.
During my second round performance, I again used Centering to keep
myself focused and physically/emotionally under control. I was
playing well, and was completely focused until I had a small memory
slip in the Bach. However, I recovered quickly, stayed focused for the
remainder of my program, and all things considered, I played as well
as I could have better in fact, than I had any right to given the
circumstances. I didn't make it to the third round, but this experience
showed me what Centering could help me do. Despite my level of
preparation I was completely focused, present, and in the zone for all
but a tiny fraction of the time I was on stage (yep, the memory slip
part).
In subsequent performances, I continued to rely on Centering to keep
me focused and physically under control. As I grew even more
comfortable and skilled in Centering, I went from hoping to experience
that flow state to expecting it every time I performed.
Centering does take practice, but I am convinced that it will be well
worth the investment of time and energy that you put into it. Not only
will you perform closer to the level which you are capable of, but I
suspect that it will also change the way you feel about performances
and auditions, as it did me.
I have assembled a set of printable worksheets beginning on the next
page, that you can use to help guide your own practice of Centering. It
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is divided into 7 stages or days and will help you learn how to Center
in about a week. When you have gotten to the point where you can
Center in about 10-15 seconds, you will be ready to move on to
simulation and adversity training where things really get kicked up a
notch.

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Checklist
Day 1: Belly Breathing Can you feel the difference between chest and diaphragmatic
Today's objective is to become more comfortable and familiar with the breathing?
feeling of breathing diaphragmatically.
Can you switch back and forth at will?
Many find that the easiest way to learn diaphragmatic breathing is to
Can you breathe diaphragmatically in any position (e.g. sitting,
lie down flat on your back and place a small book over your belly
standing, lying down)?
button. As you inhale, focus on allowing your lungs to inflate fully and
feel the air push your belly button away from your spine, pushing the
Were you able to answer yes to these questions?
book up in the process. As you exhale, observe your stomach slowly
return back to its resting position.
Great! Sounds like you're ready for Day 2.

Try alternating between deep chest breaths and deep diaphragmatic

breaths. Can you feel the difference? At first, you may not notice much,
but when you get the hang of it, chest breathing and belly breathing
feel vastly different.

When you get the hang of diaphragmatic breathing and can switch
back and forth between chest breathing and diaphragmatic breathing
on demand, try breathing diaphragmatically in different positions
sitting, standing, lying down.

Breathe mindfully
Also begin paying closer attention to the process of breathing. In other
words, what does your breathing sound like? What does the air feel
like as it passes through your nose, and out your mouth - is it cold,
warm, dry, humid? Turn your focus inward and see what you notice.
The key here is to direct your attention inward, as this focus on
internal sensory processes will quiet the left brain chatter, and begin to
shift you even further into right brain quiet.

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Watch this short video clip on YouTube which illustrates an exercise

Day 2: Muscle Tension that tests your ability to truly relax specific muscle groups on
command.
There are two primary objectives for today.

Exercise #3: Set aside some time in the practice room to begin
Identify your key muscles
looking for your minimum tension threshold. Huh? It's ok, I made that
These are the muscles that are most critical for you to have control
phrase up. What I mean is, start by playing with a severe lack of
over, but are also the muscles most likely to tighten up under pressure.
tension just let all of your key muscles be so loose and floppy that the
notes don't come our right, and everything sounds sloppy, fuzzy, etc.
......................................................................................................
Gradually increase the amount of required (or good) tension until
...................................................................................................... the notes just begin to speak properly. Are you surprised at how little
tension is actually required to produce these sounds?
.........................................................................................................
As you develop a more acute awareness of muscle tension in the
Awareness & control
practice room, and are thus able to increase your control over the
Begin cultivating a heightened awareness of muscle tension pay
tension in your playing, you will be able to retain much of this
attention to even those very tiny bits of tension that have a habit of
awareness and control during performances/auditions. You will likely
creeping up on you both in the practice room and in your life outside of
find your sound opening up and experience playing more accurately,
music.
consistently, and comfortably in even the most difficult circumstances.
Exercise #1: Set aside 10-15 minutes when you know you will not be
disturbed, and sit quietly in a comfortable chair. Pick a focal point
somewhere in front of you, below eye level (or close your eyes if you
wish). Begin breathing diaphragmatically, slowly, deeply. Be very
mindful of those sensory elements related to the breathing process
(e.g. what your breathing sounds and feels like). As your breathing
begins to slow down, scan for tension from head to toe, one muscle
group at a time, perhaps scanning on the inhale, and allowing tension
to melt or dissolve away on the exhale. When you finish the first pass,
start back at the top of your head you may find that there is still
some tension remaining that you didn't quite get the first time.

Exercise #2: Throughout the day, stop and check to see how much
tension you are carrying around out of habit or during stressful
moments (rehearsal, 5pm traffic, etc.). How much of this tension can
you release?

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Day 3: Finding Your Center Without the invisible hula hoop

The primary objective for today is to find your Center.
Find your Center
1. Stand up, feet slightly wider than shoulders.
2. Imagine that there is an invisible hula hoop around your hips,
begin rotating your hips in a circle.
3. With each revolution of your hips, imagine that the hula hoop
begins to shrink, so your hips begin rotating in
correspondingly smaller and smaller circles.
Once you feel pretty comfortable with finding your Center, do it
without moving your hips.
Up, down, and all around
Once you can do it without rotating your hips, try finding your Center
while seated, while standing up, and while lying down. If this is too
easy, try finding and maintaining a connection with your Center while
walking.

4. Very soon, the hula hoop becomes so small that it is inside of

you, and at this point your hips are rotating only slightly.

5. Continue to feel the hula hoop spinning inside of you and

shrinking ever smaller, until it gets down to the size of a pea.

6. Feel that point, and then drop it down a couple inches.

7. There! You just found your Center. Take a few moments to

stay connected to your Center, and try to imagine and feel a
powerful magnetic connection between your Center and the
very core of the earth. Feel how that magnetic attraction
almost pulls you into the ground, stabilizing you like the roots
of a large tree. Feel the weight and stability associated with
this feeling.

If at any point in that process you lost the feeling of your Center, that's
ok. Just try again. You'll get it soon enough.

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Day 4: Forming Clear Intentions
Today's primary objective is to practice generating clearer and more
specific intentions. The questions on this page will help you get started.
Practice questions
What is the aim of your overall practice session?
......................................................................................................

What is your intention for the phrase you are about to play? In other
Don't say don't
words, what is the mood or character? How do the dynamics,
One key point to remember - when forming a clear intention, avoid
articulation, tone, phrasing, tempo, etc. contribute to this? Write down
using the word "don't". Doing so will only put the negative picture in
your ideas, hear it in your head exactly like you'd like it to sound, then
your head and generate fears and doubt. For instance, when you say to
give it a shot.
yourself "Don't miss the high note", what's the first image that pops
into your mind? Missing the high note, right? What image pops into
......................................................................................................
your mind when you tell yourself "Nail the high note?" Learn to focus
on what you do want, not on what you don't want. ......................................................................................................

What is your unique perspective? Did it sound exactly like you wanted it to? In what ways was it close?
In an audition, there is probably a very specific reason why the panel In what ways was it different?
has chosen the excerpts they did. What do you want to show them you
can do? What is your unique contribution to the orchestra, that you ......................................................................................................
can demonstrate through this excerpt? How do you conceptualize this
excerpt? What do you hear in your own mind, that perhaps nobody ......................................................................................................
else hears in quite the same way?
Are you going to try it again? If so, what are you going to try differently
I'm not talking about doing something crazy and different and this time? What will you try to do exactly the same?
musically unfaithful to the score just for the sake of being different.
What I mean is, what do you think this gesture, phrase, movement is ......................................................................................................
about? What picture does it bring to mind? Be specific clear enough
that if you were to explain it to somebody else, they would easily be ......................................................................................................
able to visualize the same exact picture you see.

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 TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

technique, but others find a cue word helpful as a reminder or

Day 5: Identifying Your Process Cue(s) anchor to facilitate recall of these kinesthetic and auditory elements.
Words such as balance, heavy arm, light touch, feathery, oily, flowing
Your primary objective for today is to begin identifying and
air, etc.
anchoring optimal performance states so that you can recall them on
demand in a pressure situation.
Experiment with a few until you identify some words or short phrases
that trigger that very vivid recollection of what it feels like to
Retrospective recall
generate the sounds that you hear in your mind. Write them down
Close your eyes and think back to your top 2 or 3 performances ever.
here so you don't forget.
See if you can recall how you sounded, and particularly how you felt
(kinesthetically, not emotionally per se) when performing in that
......................................................................................................
incredible state of flow where everything just clicks.
......................................................................................................
Write down some of the important details of what you recall.
......................................................................................................
......................................................................................................
......................................................................................................
......................................................................................................
......................................................................................................
......................................................................................................
......................................................................................................
......................................................................................................
......................................................................................................
......................................................................................................
......................................................................................................
If this is difficult, think about lessons, rehearsals, or even in practice
room settings, how do your key muscles and body feel when you are ......................................................................................................
playing exactly as you wish?
......................................................................................................
Rehearse this feeling inside your mind/body without actually making
these motions on your instrument. How does it feel? Can you picture it
and feel it clearly? Does it feel real?

Cue words
This step is optional. Some prefer to avoid using words in this process
as they find that it triggers left-brain analysis and thoughts of

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Day 6: Centering
Today, you will begin putting it all together.

Go to a quiet place - perhaps a practice room, your studio, or even your

apartment. Grab a stopwatch and a few copies of the worksheet on the
next page, which will serve as a reminder of each of the 7 steps in the
Centering process. Take some time to fill in the blanks before
attempting to Center.

When you are ready, start the stopwatch and go through each of the
steps one by one, taking your time to complete each one before moving
on to the next. Don't worry about how long it takes you. Quality is
more important than speed at this stage.

How long did it take?

How did it feel?

When practicing Centering under normal conditions, you will may find
yourself starting to yawn, or feel a bit sleepy. That's ok - remember that
Centering is designed for high-stress situations. You know as well as I,
that when the pressure is on, falling asleep will be the last thing on
your mind.

Find the time to go through the Centering process at least 10-15 times
today.

When you can Center successfully without having to think about which
step comes next, it's time to move on to Day 7.

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Centering Worksheet

1 Focal Point 1 Focal Point 1 Focal Point

............................................................... ............................................................... ...............................................................

2 Clear Intention 2 Clear Intention 2 Clear Intention

............................................................... ............................................................... ...............................................................

............................................................... ............................................................... ...............................................................

............................................................... ............................................................... ...............................................................

3 Breathe Mindfully 3 Breathe Mindfully 3 Breathe Mindfully

4 Release Muscle Tension 4 Release Muscle Tension 4 Release Muscle Tension

5 Find Your Center 5 Find Your Center 5 Find Your Center

6 Process Cue 6 Process Cue 6 Process Cue

............................................................... ............................................................... ...............................................................

7 Direct Energy 7 Direct Energy 7 Direct Energy

* Elapsed Time * Elapsed Time * Elapsed Time

............................................................... ............................................................... ...............................................................

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Day 7: Centering With Your Instrument

Now it's time to try Centering with your instrument.

Get your instrument prepared and ready. Set up a stand with a few
different pieces or excerpts of your choice.

Repeat the same process as yesterday, but this time, lose the stopwatch
and Center while holding your instrument.

When you are Centered, get yourself and your instrument into
position, and perform the first few lines of your piece or excerpt as if it
were an actual performance or audition.

What did you notice? How did it feel? How did it sound?

When you are able to Center successfully in about 10-15 seconds, and
are feeling pretty comfortable with it, it may be time to take the next
step. Move on to Simulation Training when you are ready.

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Centering Worksheet
(with instrument)

1 Focal Point 1 Focal Point 1 Focal Point

............................................................... ............................................................... ...............................................................

2 Clear Intention 2 Clear Intention 2 Clear Intention

............................................................... ............................................................... ...............................................................

............................................................... ............................................................... ...............................................................

............................................................... ............................................................... ...............................................................

3 Breathe Mindfully 3 Breathe Mindfully 3 Breathe Mindfully

4 Release Muscle Tension 4 Release Muscle Tension 4 Release Muscle Tension

5 Find Your Center 5 Find Your Center 5 Find Your Center

6 Process Cue 6 Process Cue 6 Process Cue

............................................................... ............................................................... ...............................................................

7 Direct Energy 7 Direct Energy 7 Direct Energy

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Ok, you've read the obligatory warning; are you ready to put your new
Centering skills to the test?
PA RT I V

Create a Virtual Audition Environment

Simulation Training 1. Set up a little performance area in your practice room,
apartment, or studio; get your stand situated, make sure you
have a little breathing space, etc.

2. Set up a video or audio recording device.

N ow it's time to make things a little more challenging.

As I said before, its one thing to be able to Center
when calm; its another entirely to do so when you are
3. Get your instrument out, tuned, set up, and ready to go.

4. Pick an easy piece or excerpt (30-60 seconds long) that you

stressed and your mind and body want nothing more than
to react with the fight or flight response.
Remember the physical effects of stress? Racing heart, increased heart
rate, cold sweats, jitters? How might we get our bodies to generate
those physiological responses without actually putting ourselves in a
Audition Simulation
performance situation?
Did you say physical exertion? Yes! Running, jumping, or pushups, will
all get your blood pumping and simulate the physical effects of anxiety.
Admittedly, its not exactly the same, but close enough for our
purposes.
WARNING! The drills presented in this section are designed to
simulate some of the symptoms of performance anxiety and help you
learn how to perform optimally under stressful conditions. They
require that you elevate your heart rate well above resting levels, so
if you have a history of any medical condition, are currently being
treated by any health care professional, or are currently taking any
medication, please obtain your physicians approval before
attempting these exercises.
have pretty good control over.
5. Turn your video/audio recorder on and press Record
1. Get your heart rate up by going for a quick run around the
block, or running up/down some stairs, or by doing some
jumping jacks, whatever works for you. If you are a vocalist or
play a wind/brass instrument and want to avoid that feeling of
being winded, but still want to get your heart rate up, try doing
some wall sits.
2. About a minute or two of physical activity should do it. When
youve got your heart pumping, return to your practice
room/apartment/studio and begin Centering just outside of
the performance area you set up. Take 30 seconds or less to
Center and get focused on the task at hand. Dont take too long
or else your heart rate and the other symptoms of
performance anxiety will start to naturally diminish.

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3. When youre ready, walk confidently into your performance performances from first to last? Are you finding ways to use the extra
area, pick up your instrument, and without hesitation, dive adrenaline and energy to fuel your performance? Did you notice an
right into your piece. increased sense of control with each repetition?

4. Keep playing for about a minute (until your simulated
anxiety goes back to normal) no matter what happens!
5. See if you can use the energy you are feeling to add that extra
little oomph, sparkle, or zing to your performance. By doing
this exercise youll start to see how you can channel that
anxiety and energy into your performance instead of letting it
derail your performances.
Make this a regular part of your audition/performance preparation
routine until you feel like you are able to focus and perform
increasingly challenging repertoire despite the simulated anxiety.
When you feel like you have gotten the hang of this exercise and
Centering has become almost second-nature to you, it may be time to
move on to Adversity Training.

Rinse & Repeat

1. Ok, so what did you notice? Generally, you will sound like crap
the first time you do this, and it may also be difficult to focus
given how uncomfortable you feel. However, you may have
noticed that you started to sound a little better and feel more
in control as you approached the 1-minute mark.

2. Write down some of your observations with regards to your

physical and mental experience as well any music and
technique-related observations you had.

3. You could listen to your recording if youd like, but I wouldnt

bother listening to this first one. Its probably not going to
sound that great or make you feel very good about yourself.

4. When youve taken a few notes and have caught your breath,
go for another quick run and try this process again.

When youve gone through 5-10 repetitions of this simulation training

exercise, call it a day and see what you notice about your performances
on the video/audio recording. Do you hear the evolution of your

S i m u lati o n Tra i n i n g 23
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If you are a teacher, you may wish to set up a studio class situation
where each student gets their heart rate up, Centers, walks on-stage,
PA RT V and performs a few excerpts while their fellow students do their best to
simulate adverse conditions.

Adversity Training Youll find that if you can be imaginative and subject yourself to all of
the worst case scenarios imaginable, this will add immensely to your
confidence as you will go into each performance or audition knowing
that there is nothing the audience or audition panel can do to distract
or derail your performance.

A re you ready to kick it up a notch? Adversity training

is designed to help you acclimate yourself to worst-
case scenario conditions. Babies crying, cell phones
Furthermore, the more accustomed you become to blocking out these
distractions that have nothing to do with your performance, the more
automatic this reaction will become on-stage, and the more impervious
ringing, music falling off of the stand, tool cold/too hot your focus will become to outside influence. Meaning, your ability to
green rooms, instrument issues, being hungry, tired, etc. focus past inevitable distractions will grow stronger and stronger, the
more often you practice performing in this way.
This time, in addition to everything you did for Simulation Training,
find ways of introducing additional distractions and adversarial
conditions on top of the simulated anxiety. Turn on the radio,
perform in front of the TV, set an alarm to go off in the middle of your
performance, try to perform when what you really need to do is go to
the bathroom. Do a repetition on a full stomach, on an empty stomach,
when youre thirsty, or as soon as you wake up from a nap. And if
theres ever any opportunity when you are feeling nervous about
something else (e.g. a blind date, test at school, important meeting,
etc.), use that as an opportunity to try this on top of the real anxiety
you are already feeling.

You may find it tremendously helpful (and more fun) to enlist the help
of a friend. Have your friend make sudden loud sounds in the
background, call your cell phone in the middle of your performance, or
whisper criticisms of your performance in your ear, etc., all while you
try to stay focused, deal with the simulated anxiety, and perform
your best. You could then switch roles.

A dv ers i ty Tra i n i n g 24
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EP I L O G U E

Closing Thoughts

Hopefully you now have a better understanding of performance stress,

your natural response to it, and how to respond differently through the
strategy called Centering.

I put together a 1-page summary or cheat sheet of Centering, which

you will see on the following page. Feel free to print it out and place it
on your stand if you need a reminder in the early stages of the learning
process.

With a little time and practice, I'm certain that Centering will change
your approach to performing and practicing just as it did for me and
the many others who have learned how to use this powerful strategy.

Best wishes in your future endeavors!

Dr. Noa Kageyama

p.s. If you found this workbook helpful and would like 8 strategies for
hacking your practice time (i.e. getting more done in less time), visit
www.bulletproofmusician.com to download your free copy.

C lo si n g Th o u g hts 25
 TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Centering Cheat Sheet

Step 1 Identify your focal point

Select a fixed point in the distance; something to fix your gaze on that is below eye level

Step 2 Form a clear intention

What do you intend to do when you are centered?

Step 3 Breathe mindfully

Focus intently on the sensory processes involved in your breathing; feel the pacing become slower and more regular

Step 4 Scan & release muscle tension

Scan key muscles for tension; let go of that which will inhibit and impair your performance

Step 5 Find your center

Get grounded, find a stable base, and use the support of the ground beneath you

Step 6 Repeat your process cue

Summon an image/sound/sensation associated with playing well feelings that cue or activate the technical process entailed in
producing exactly the outcome you envision and hear in your mind beforehand

Make sure you do this until you can hear and feel yourself performing exactly the way you would like

Step 7 Direct your energy

Consolidate extraneous energy at your Center, and direct it outwards towards your focal point when ready

Release this energy with your clear intention in mind; imagine your sound being carried along this stream of energy

Clos i n g Th o u g hts 26
 centering worksheet
1 1
2 1
3 4 5 6 7
Focal Point Clear Intention Breathe Release Tension Get Centered Process Cue Direct Energy

Clear Intention Rating

# (How successfully did you realize your clear
Observations/Notes
intention?)

Intention: (Don Juan) Energetic, but light - like its the easiest thing in the world 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Notes: Felt tight in my shoulders...felt a bit of hesitation before playing...am I taking too much time beefore I start playing?

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