What is a Performance Coach?
A Coach is someone who can help you to perform consistently at or near your best. Many fine musicians are plagued by problems such as: -
STAGE FRIGHT
LACK OF CONFIDENCE
DIFFICULTY WITH CONCENTRATION
UNMOTIVATED, UNCREATIVE PRACTISING
A performance coach can help you to deal effectively with these and other problems.
But performing at your best is not just about eliminating that old demon, stage-fright.
Successful Performing is performing with joy and spontaneity, in a state of true attunement and deep connection with the music and your audience. This is the magic loop of communication, which draws together the performer, the music and the audience.
Christine Croshaw has, throughout her long career, been fascinated by the psychology of learning and performing. (See ‘My Quest in Music.’) She has qualified at Master Practitioner level in NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) which informs her work in helping musicians overcome the myriad of issues faced in performance. Christine has established an international reputation as an inspirational teacher and performance coach, and offers one-to-one coaching , as well as two unique and innovative workshops.
WORKSHOP No. 1.
Performing with Presence
In this informal one-day workshop musicians will enjoy the opportunity to share, discuss and explore their own personal issues or “blockages”, relating to performing, practising, memorising etc.
They will be guided in accessing their own unique resources, and given powerful and effective tools and processes to solve or overcome their problems.
Participants will learn how to create their own ideal performance state, in which they are able to perform with presence, in the present moment, in the flow, where fears and anxieties magically vanish.
“The most interesting course I have attended in all my years of study – this is the kind of help I had wanted for a long time” – (postgraduate student at a leading UK conservatoire)
WORKSHOP NO. 2.
The Musician’s Journey
“The musician’s life is like the Hero’s Journey.” - Claudio Arrau
One way to summarize the challenges a musician faces is in terms of what is known as the “Hero’s Journey”. The “Hero’s Journey” is a metaphor for the type of issues the musician must face. It captures a good deal of the reality facing musicians, as they seek to build a path to a successful future, and contend with the uncertainties of change and development.
In this workshop we will look at setting goals, crossing thresholds, dealing with anxieties and demons, crises and obstacles, both practical and psychological. You will learn to access resources, and identify guides and mentors for dealing with all these. This workshop is designed to help students to recognise and live their dreams.
These two workshops are complete in themselves, but The Musician’s Journey may also be seen as a follow-up and complementary to Performing with Presence.
Christine has presented her workshops at the Royal Welsh College of Music, Oxford Flute Summer School and Trinity College of Music, where she also regularly gives classes for the M.Mus module in Applied Psychology of performance.
“I just wanted to tell you I played a concert last week under the most difficult circumstances. Both my children were ill and I ran from round-the-clock nursing straight onto the stage. This would have been unthinkable for me just a few months ago, but I dug deep into the course exercises whenever I had a minute. I felt very committed and calm, and amazingly, just got on with it. Something I had found impossible in the past. My playing was much more open than before. The experience was so positive for me that I thought you would like to know of it, as I am sure this came about as a direct result of our sessions together.” (Natalie Haupt, panist and teacher)
“As a singer, I had always found difficulty in working through performance anxiety, with particular regards to my time in auditions. Before I had any NLP sessions I often felt as though I was only able to perform to about 50% of my ability. Thanks to Christine Croshaw’s NLP techniques after just two sessions, I already felt as though I was performing at 90%. The Techniques are very logical systems that draw on one’s own experiences and emotions in order to re-programme the way we think in the lead up to, and at the time of situations that can cause anxiety. Christine was so inspiring to work with due to positive encouragement, patience and attention to detail. Not only have I learnt how to create a feeling of ease in such situations, but I have also learnt new techniques that will aid my practice as a singer.” (Tristan Stocks)
If you would like to discuss your particular needs or to book a one-to-one session, please contact Christine Croshaw, who will be happy to help and advise:
Tel: +44 (0)20 8279 3347
One-to-One Coaching Fee
£125 for 1 ½ hours