Lorna McGhee: On Treating Confidence as Something You Do, Not Something You Feel

Key ideas on confidence, performance pressure, and practice effectiveness

• Confidence is something you do, not something you wait to feel.

  • You can perform well even without “100% confidence” because nerves/discomfort are normal and unavoidable.

• Don’t reinforce anxiety through unhelpful repetition.

  • Avoid “tight hands” and physical bracing in difficult passages—repeat with better organization or you’ll train yourself to become more anxious and less coordinated.
  • Whatever you practice, you reinforce.

Core self-care / mindset strategies for auditions & high pressure

• Choose courage over defensiveness (reframe what “courage” means).

  • Courage = playing openheartedly and generously, not defensively to avoid mistakes or embarrassment.
  • Shift focus from self-protection to:
    • the musical task
    • connection with the audience/jury
    • communicating the character/story of the music

• Acknowledge vulnerability with kindness.

  • Being a performer is being vulnerable; the goal is not to eliminate vulnerability, but to relate to it constructively.

• Accept “all possibilities” (including catastrophe) to reduce bracing.

  • Comforting reframe: catastrophe could happen, so you free yourself to move/perform rather than brace against the threat.

• Give yourself permission not to please everyone.

  • You may be rejected or misunderstood even when you play fully—this is human and survivable.

• Practice “no contraction.”

  • Don’t tighten mentally or physically because you’re being judged; stay connected to your stability and openness.

• Treat pressure as a privilege.

  • Use reframes to soften threat responses and return to meaning/purpose.

• Befriend the nervous system instead of overriding it.

  • Rationally: you’re not in danger, you’ll survive humiliation/rejection.
  • Practically: use tools to help regulate nerves.

Alexander Technique + “peaceful body” as performance technology

• Use Alexander Technique concepts to manage psychophysical tension.

  • Tightness/bracing often has fear behind it; release supports coordination and breath.

• Goal: peaceful body + efficient coordination (not “relaxed feelings”).

  • You may not feel relaxed walking into pressure—still choose the right organization.

• Kinesthetic map = how to organize your body moment-to-moment.

  • Foundation posture/structure:
    • feet resting; soften ankles/calves
    • soften knees
    • don’t grip at hips
    • release arms from back to fingertips
    • lengthen through the spine; free the neck
    • orient head upward “like a tree seeking light,” with roots/stability through the feet
  • Apply details to wind technique:
    • air speed
    • spacious jaw/mouth
    • embouchure/ambiture coordination
    • refuse bracing during shifts or difficult passages

How to practice more effectively (proactive, not reactive)

• Practice proactively to “make it go right.”

  • Lots of chunking: break down micro-skills, then rebuild.
  • Keep stress levels low while attention stays high.

• Avoid reactive loops.

  • Don’t only go back after things go wrong with “why did I do that?”—instead pre-design practice reps that improve coordination.

• Micro-excellence reps

  • Isolate two notes or a tiny section and execute with zero stress.
  • When tone quality drops at speed:
    • build with a reference long note
    • then fill in the run without compromising coordination

• One element at a time

  • Focus on a single coordination variable (e.g., breathing at breath marks) before adding complexity.

• Train peaceful breathing habits

  • For breath-related anxiety:
    • practice stopping at breath points
    • take a spacious relaxed breath
    • continue in a calm way (so you don’t rehearse stressful breaths)

Warm-up “battery” (regulation + coordination)

• Semi-supine / constructive rest style reset

  • Release spine/neck to improve breathing coordination.

• Breath fundamentals

  • long oceanic breaths and “bouncing” breaths
  • resonant, flowing air through the instrument

• Flexibility and articulation drills

  • reinforce where notes “live” so difficult leaps/shifts aren’t mysterious under pressure

• Use timed, mapped warm-ups

  • In auditions, pre-plan warm-up steps to avoid dissociation/spacey looping.
  • Include written prompts (e.g., what’s the challenge here? what kinesthetic element matters most?).

Expressive centering: meaning + connection

• Tell stories, don’t just execute.

  • Practice aims to remove obstacles so the “soul” can express.
  • When musically characterized (atmosphere/tone color/drama), nerves often change.

• Pre-performance anchoring

  • Use quotations and personal meaning reminders (teachers, mentors, musical purpose).
  • Summon people who matter to you to stay connected rather than isolated behind a screen.

20-minute practice strategy (if time is limited)

• Singing + playing together with long “oceanic” breaths
  • Hum/sing while breathing and playing the instrument to wake up bodily resonance and align voice/breath with expression.

Presenters / sources mentioned

• Lorna McGhee (guest)
• Dana Sinclair (dialed in) — concept quoted: “doesn’t matter how you feel—it’s what you do”
• Alexander Technique teachers (referenced; specific names not provided in the text)
• William Bennett (Alexander/musical teacher; quoted and referenced)
• Noah (mentioned; not further identified)
• Yo-Yo Ma (inspirational reference; referenced as “Yehudi? / Yoyo Ma”)
• Joyce DiDonato (inspirational reference)
• “Sophie F” / Sophie Fon (likely Sophie Fan; name as spoken)
• Pablo Casals (quote referenced; spelling varies as spoken: “Pablo Casals / Pablo Casal”)
• Billy Jean King (quote referenced: “pressure is a privilege”)
• Tony Morrison (quote referenced about telling what life has been in dark places/light)
• Elizabeth Ro (blog post mentioned; name as spoken)