Emily F. ER 14

Emily F. ER 14: Nobody has perfect performances all the time. Every once in a while we just blow it, to some degree or another. Giving ourselves permission to fail sometimes can be very liberating. That is not to say that we don't work hard or practice smart--we need to do that! But when all is practiced and worked on, we still can't force perfection. Failure (or perceived failure) in a performance really isn't the end of the world, or even a mark of being a bad human being. It's just a flop, something that we all encounter. 
Key concept: We need to accept the fact that we will fail, despite our best efforts, sometimes. And it's okay!
Making connections: I remember a day in high school when I didn't get the part I wanted for the musical. I gave myself full permission to be in a bad mood for that day, and it felt great! It's really easy to forget that I might just completely bomb any performance, but that I'll be okay. When I try to force myself to "be perfect" it sets me up for tension  and rigidity in my performance, so that ruins it anyway! I'm going to sing a song for VRH that I love. It's different and light, compared to the big dramatic stuff that I normally do. This song has a clear picture that isn't hard to visualize, and I think it's cute and fun. I decided to just really commit to the words without thinking so hard about making it "right". The words are more important, and I'm tired of not showing enough emotion when I sing, so I'm just going all in to paint a picture instead of have perfect technique. I have given myself permission to be terrible this time. And if I fail, well, I'll know what needs work next time anyway. Hallelujah for VRH, where I have opportunities to fail and succeed without a consequence in grade or embarrassing myself  in front of an expectant audience. Yes, it's a good thing.