December 10, 2007 by John Ericson

  |   Inner game, Stress & anxiety

Anxious? A Couple Books to Read


Many performers have performance anxiety to various degrees that inhibit peak performance. It can be a career breaker if the best you can do in a pressure situation is play at 85% of your potential. With the semester break upon us I have two main suggestions as to books to read over break:

Anxious? A Couple Books to Read1. The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey. A classic, I have read this book over and over. It sounds like it might merely a book on tennis, but really the contents almost all relate to horn playing well and are very focused and practical. I find this version, the original, to be better than The Inner Game of Music.

2. Performance Success by Don Greene. A more recent publication, this is another great book for the performer, just as much of a must read for the serious horn student as The Inner Game of Tennis. The training log he presents shows what you need to do to really be ready for an audition or major performance.

JOHN ERICSON has wide-ranging experience as an orchestral player, soloist, and teacher.» About John Ericson » More articles » Horn Notes Edition » Contact

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Anxious? A Couple Books to Read
Published on December 10, 2007 by John Ericson

  |   Inner game, Stress & anxiety
John Ericson & Bruce Hembd
on the French horn, brass related topics, and the field of classical music.