Beyond the Practice Room: What Four Top Experts Want You to Know About Performance

In September, I had the privilege of sitting on a panel with three remarkable leaders in musician wellness: Dr. Noa Kageyama, Lori Schiff, and Dr. Coree Levy. We were invited to speak at New World Symphony’s Wellness Week, an initiative designed to help musicians not just play better, but live better.

We spent three days working with fellows on what really gets in the way of confident, free, connected playing, and it wasn’t fingerings or bowings. It was the stuff that lives beyond the practice room.

We talked about:

·         The spirals that happen after a performance goes sideways

·         The nervous system’s role in performance pressure

·         The constant tug-of-war between self-trust and self-criticism

·         And the deep need so many musicians feel to be perfect before they feel enough

And here’s what I want to share with you today:

What you do after a performance matters more than you think.

Not because of what anyone else thinks, but because of what you start telling yourself in that vulnerable moment right after.

Most musicians jump straight into a mental download of everything they did wrong. The critic comes in hot. The self-doubt kicks up. The practice guilt starts building. And before long, you’re not learning from the performance, you’re turning it into a weapon against yourself.

So here’s a tool we talked about during the panel, and I want you to try it:

After your next performance, ask yourself four questions:

1.      What went well?

2.      What didn’t go well?

3.      What did I learn?

4.      What would I try differently next time?

That’s it. Just four questions. They’re simple, but they completely shift how you process the moment. They move you from shame to curiosity. From stuck to forward. From identity-based evaluation to growth-based reflection.

And over time, asking these questions helps you rebuild something most musicians have lost: self-trust.

Because your worth doesn’t ride on how a single performance goes. You are not your last concert. And your growth doesn’t live in self-criticism. It lives in reflection, nervous system support, and mindset tools that work with your body and brain.

That’s what this panel was about. That’s what this episode is about. And that’s what I want to support you with in this blog, in the podcast, and with my coaching work.

🎧 Ready for more? Catch the full episode — Beyond the Practice Room: What Four Top Experts Want You to Know About Performance — for real strategies and eye-opening insight from Noa, Lori, Coree, and myself. You'll find it everywhere you listen to podcasts, as well as on YouTube.

If this hit home and you’re ready to stop second-guessing and start playing with more freedom and ease, I’d love to help. Book a free discovery call with me at mindoverfinger.com/coaching

Let’s talk about where you are, what’s in the way, and what support can look like.

You don’t have to figure this out alone.

– Renée