The concert is scheduled for tomorrow, April 24th at 2:00 pm. As I've noted in a previous blog, there was a scheduling problem in getting the hall for a rehearsal of the program. As it turns out, I'll only have one hour on the piano from 11-12 before the tuner comes. Then, rather than going home, I'll stay there, and wait in the dressing room until the program time. I know there are some pianists who 'warm up' and practice till the very last minute before going out on stage, but that has always been counterproductive for me. I've ended up getting more nervous, rather than calmer.
First of all, then, let me give you a list of what I'll need to take along to the hall. Note that I'll change there, rather than wearing a suit and tie from 10:30 when I leave the house until 2:00 when I begin to play. So I'll need to take:
- suit, shirt, tie, belt, concert shoes (I keep a special pair) dress socks
- food: bottled water, protein drink, bananas, salad, toasted soybeans
- comb, brush, hand towel (they only provide paper towels there), eye drops
- Music, DAT tape (they'll make an archive recording for me) , list of timings for the pieces, and entries/exits onto stage (this is for the crew)
All of the above I'll organize tonight, so that tomorrow I'll just have to load it into the car and go. The goal is to have as little distraction as possible - no last minute drama, or trying to remember everything. Then, in case the truly unforseen does happen (and believe me, it has happened and will again) I won't be distracted and forget something important (like my suitpants, which I once left home only to discover 15 mintues before the concert began that I only had the pair of jeans I was wearing!).
Here's my schedule for tomorrow:
7:00am up
7-8 exercise and shower (I'll put in 20 minutes of light exercise on the elliptical trainer, just to get the blood flowing.
8-9 meditate
9-10 Breakfast, probably a couple of eggs scrambled and some green tea.
10 - load up car
10:30 leave for hall
11 - hour of rehearsal
12-2 Lunch/change/study music/meditate for 30 mins.
After I finish this blog, I'll take a swim, then have a hot bath, dinner and study the music one more time. Then I may watch a movie, but try to be in bed by 11:00.
I'll enter one last blog tomorrow after the recital with some closing thoughts.