Busting the Myth of Peaking Too Soon in Classical Music
Hey everybody. Today, we're going to tackle the myth of "peaking too soon” in your preparation.
I’m talking about the age-old fear that we'll give our all in practice, hit our peak, and then have nothing left to give when it really counts! It sounds serious, and I know a lot of people who worry about it. But fear not, my friends, for I'm here to tell you that this problem isn’t really a problem. It’s just a myth.
First, let’s look at the concept of “pacing yourself.” As any experienced musician knows, preparation is a marathon, not a sprint. You can't expect to cram all your practice into a few days and magically become a virtuoso. Instead, you need to pace yourself, putting in consistent effort over a longer period of time.
Working gradually is the best way to improve, and it’s the best way to prevent burnout. So it’s not something that you worry about just for an audition. Pacing your work (aka, being thoughtful about your practice goals) is a wise approach, 365 days of the year.
Now, let's talk about the idea of “peaking too soon.” To be blunt, I don't buy it. If you've been practicing consistently and effectively, you should be able to play at your best whenever the occasion calls for it. Sure, you might have days when you feel a bit off, but that's normal—it doesn't mean you've “peaked too soon.”
I have some bad news for you—the difference between your best performance and your worst performance is a lot smaller than you think. Your job is to get your playing to a higher level in general, not just to maximize your practice so that the audition happens when you’re at your “peak.”
Some of the people who worry about peaking early act like auditions are similar to weightlifting or the 100-meter dash. But auditions are a lot more nuanced than most sports. At an audition, “giving it your all” doesn't mean playing at 110% all the time. It means playing with intention and focus, being present in the moment, and bringing your best self to every performance. It means recognizing that there will be good days and bad days, and learning to work with what you've got.
The questions around pacing/peaking become a little more relevant when we’re talking about auditions with multiple rounds, spread out over several weeks. It can be a struggle to maintain the same level of intensity over all of the rounds. But again, if you’ve been preparing yourself the right way, you’ll be able to play close to your best on almost any day.
Of course, all of this is easier said than done. We're only human, and it's natural to feel frustrated when we don't practice as much as we should, or when we don't perform as well as we'd like. Instead of looking for a simple reason things didn’t go well (“I peaked too soon!”), go back and look at your process. Reevaluate your training routine, consider any changes, and trust that better results will come with time.
Ultimately, you’ll get much better results by embracing the process than by worrying about when and whether you peaked.
In the practice room AND at your auditions, pace yourself, trust in your abilities, and focus on staying centered and present in the moment. You've got this!
Happy practicing,
Chris @ Honesty Pill
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