Performance Anxiety and Nelson Mandela
I doubt Nelson Mandela ever thought of himself as a psychologist or as someone who made comments that are relevant about performance anxiety. Following his recent death, when reading many news accounts about his remarkable life and his attitudes, I came to think of...
Performance Anxiety and Pumpkins
You may ask: what do performance anxiety and pumpkins have in common? First I have to tell you about my good friend, Patty. Patty has been my friend ever since we were in kindergarten. We stayed friends all the way through high school. Then we became separated by...
Music as Psychological and Social Commentary
One of my all time favorite musicals is “West Side Story” with music by Leonard Bernstein. I hesitated as I wrote the previous sentence. Not because of any doubt about “West Side Story”, but rather, what should I call “it”? It is a Broadway musical, it is a...
From Past to Present and Back Again: My Performance Anxiety and Book Signing at Juilliard
I promised I’d tell you more after my book signing for “Melodies of the Mind” at Juilliard October 4. I entered and graduated from Juilliard many years ago as a pianist – but a performer who struggled mightily with stage fright. I returned to Juilliard this time as...