Almost Made It

Book excerpt: If you've ever experienced stage fright, this is a “must read” dissertation on the subject of controlling one's emotions during concert performances. You will find methods in this book, circumventing this debilitating problem, enabling you to find the confidence necessary to be able to give competent and enjoyable piano recitals in public. You will also discover why this method, which was so effective during the days of the great composers and performers of the seventeenth and eighteenth century, was so adamantly recommended to colleagues and their own piano students. In fact, some of these great composers went so far as to be very critical of performers avoiding the old fashioned method of performance for the more theatrical musical presentation introduced by Franz Liszt. Whatever the case is, keep in mind that “Stage fright can be hazardous to one's ability to perform in public”. This book should give you an optional method to get the job done, so to speak, and make public performance a joy, rather than a terrifying experience you may never want to repeat during your life time. R. W. Hache