Teaching Tidbit #3: Taming the Lizard Brain
One of the topics that teachers frequently want to discuss in consultations is how to prepare students for performance. I have many thoughts on this (more posts to come), but one area that we must cover with our students is the physical reality of performance - how our bodies naturally respond when they feel “nervous,” or under pressure.
Student: 15 years old, upper intermediate level
Piece: various selections prior to an exam, including a Bach Invention
Issue: This student noticed in the previous year’s exam that she felt very nervous, and that her tempos felt out of control. (Her dad also noticed through the door, and her judge commented on her very fine performance, but that it was all at a break-neck speed!)
Tactic: Train the student to recognize the body’s normal response to performance
Emily (not her real name) is an absolutely delightful student who is very bright and self-aware. She already knew that she wanted to conquer the “nerves” that she feels when under pressure and feel like she is in control when playing in a recital or exam. But the racing tempos were enough of a habit that I knew we had to take some time to address the issue beyond practicing at the correct tempo and hoping for the best in performance.
I’m sure many could give a far more scientific description of what happens when our bodies go into “fight or flight” mode. However, my very basic explanation for my students is this: when we feel under pressure for performance, our brain stems signal to our bodies to pump the adrenaline, and many natural consequences follow. The specific physical symptoms that surface are different for each individual and may include faster heart rate, shaky hands, sweaty palms, the sensation of butterflies in the stomach, or shallow breathing. Our bodies were made to instinctually have extra strength or the ability to run fast in the face of danger, such as the presence of a predator. This instinct-driven mode is the part of the brain that we humans share with animals; I have therefore nicknamed it the lizard brain.
All performers must own that this is NORMAL. We must train our students to observe what their particular bodies do or how they feel when their adrenaline kicks in and they feel excited or nervous for a performance. It is futile to attempt to avoid these feelings, as it is a matter of biology, and the failure to successfully avoid can lead to unnecessary guilt. Instead, we can remind our brains and bodies that we are not, in fact, in danger. Taking deep, measured breaths is the easiest way to start calming the body. There are limitless other ways to work towards this, as I’m sure any therapist could suggest. (If you have great ideas on this, leave a comment, please!)
So, back to Emily. We had a great initial discussion about her lizard brain, and she was easily able to identify the feelings associated with the fight or flight instinct. We experimented with having her perform her Bach Invention for me, with the goal of identifying the places where she felt nervous and out of control. These were, not surprisingly, the most technically demanding measures of the piece, where both hands were moving independently in 16th notes. Sure enough, she sped up when she arrived at these points. I asked if she could plan to exhale during those measures. She tried that, and it helped. We tried a few other things, such as thinking that she was going to slow down when she arrived at those places. There was no magic solution, but trying different tactics allowed her to see what worked and what didn’t.
What I loved about this lesson and discussion was that Emily continued to circle back to it. A few lessons later, after she performed a piece for me, I asked, “How did that feel to you?” Her response: “Overall, pretty good. But my lizard brain kicked in at this measure and I felt myself speeding up.”
Awareness and acceptance is the first step in taking charge of the lizard brain. In the words of GI Joe, “Now you know. And knowing is half the battle.”
For more information about the science of performance, I strongly recommend the blog and podcast called The Bulletproof Musician. Noa Kageyama does a wonderful job of breaking down brain science into bits and pieces that performers and teachers can use for themselves and with their students.
