My last blog post was 10 Secrets and Shortcuts to Improve Your Skills. Number 7 on that list was to “Visualize Success.” For this post and the next few posts I’m going deeper into the visualization process.
I want to spend time outlining everything that makes visualizations so effective. And, I want to give you steps to take to make visualizations a regular part of your quest for musical mastery.
“Visualization” is a funny word. It makes you think about seeing. About looking. About eyesight. Maybe about watching a movie.
Like a successful movie, visualizations go far beyond what you can see. Visualizations need more than sights. They also need sounds, tactile sensations, emotions, and a plot.
And, your visualizations need a lead character or hero. That hero is you.
Visualizations tell your story. It’s a story of a successful performance, audition, rehearsal, or lesson.
In this story, you enter the space where you’ll be playing music. You feel what it’s like to be there. You picture everything in the room. You hear whatever sounds are there. You feel the heat of the lights or the cold draft of the air conditioning.
As you prepare to perform in your visualization, you know that you will play your best. You fill your mind with positive thoughts and picture yourself at the height of your skills.
When you are full of confidence, it’s time to play. Start performing your music.
As you move forward, take complete control of every aspect of your playing. Your technique, tone, and intonation will all be flawless. Every note, phrase, and section will be shaped exactly as you’ve always wanted them to sound.
If you feel you’re starting to lose your musical battle, mentally adjust your feelings and keep moving forward. Make yourself feel great. Continue performing perfectly.
You’ll take control of the visualization and get the exact outcome you desire. After all, this performance is in your mind. As the hero of your musical story, you can do anything you want.
In the end, you emerge from your visualization successful and triumphant. You’ll know what it feels like to taste victory.
What would happen if you made this process a regular part of your practicing and performance preparation? Do you think you would feel better about your playing?
In my next post, I’ll talk about why visualization is such an effective tool. It’s something that should be in every musician’s arsenal.
