Performance Guru

A common experience among performers is suddenly doubting things that felt reliable only moments earlier.

A passage that felt secure in practice can suddenly feel uncertain in a lesson, audition, competition, or performance. Many performers interpret this as a loss of ability.

Often, however, the skill itself has not disappeared.

What may have changed is the performer's trust in that skill.

This distinction is important because the strategies needed to address a loss of ability are often very different from those needed to address a loss of trust.

In my latest newsletter, I explore why performers can suddenly stop trusting themselves under pressure and what this can tell us about performance consistency in high-stakes settings.

The full article is available here:

Performance Guru Dr Berenice Beverley Zammit Performance Under Pressure

Under pressure, performers often describe becoming unusually aware of one specific detail during performance.

A single shift, note, movement, or technical issue can suddenly dominate attention, while broader aspects of ex*****on become less accessible.

This does not necessarily mean the performer has become less skilled.

Pressure may simply change where attention is directed.