NVMTA Lecture Series

NVMTA presents….

David Kosutic, “Whoops!… how does that go?…Performing by Memory”

This presentation will include  Ideas, Strategies, and input from a clinical psychologist who actually knows something about the psychological processes of learning, memory, and dealing with the fight or flight reflex.

Performing by memory has been sacrosanct for generations of pianists, thanks to luminaries such as Franz Liszt and Clara Schumann. No pressure there! And yet each pianist bears his or her own unique experiences with this tradition, both as performer and teacher – and human being with a unique autonomic nervous system. We will delve into some of the latest research of learning and memory, explore strategies based in neuroscience, and consider different approaches for ourselves and our students. Did you know that the latest research encourages students to take micro 10 sec. breaks during study to better help the brain with information intake? Another tip: simply closing your eyes puts your brain in a restful state, which helps it process new information. Memorization consists of three distinct stages: Intake, Consolidation, and Retrieval, and a breakdown in any of those stages results in a break in performance continuity. We will consider ways to strengthen each stage of learning and memorizing music, and develop tools to pin-point where weaknesses may exist. Everyone’s autonomic nervous system is different in how it reacts to external stimuli, causing fight , flight, or freeze responses in performance situations. There are different ways to calm the nervous system, and we will focus on various exercises which can contribute towards greater calm and well-being. A clinical psychologist/pianist will join us to answer any questions and offer perspective throughout the session. My goal is for us all to better understand how the autonomic nervous system works so we can memorize more effectively and efficiently, and find ways to perform with greater ease and assurance.