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Ceilings, Stoves, and a Case of Stage Fright

One hole in the ceiling down, one to go. And a wayward stove.

Yesterday was a mess. We had workmen in the house all morning—a plumber to track down a leak, an electrician to install a new outlet, and the bug man—so I worked from home. I was also scheduled to play piano at a local assisted living facility that afternoon.

The plumber arrived first. We had two water spots in the kitchen ceiling, one new and one very new. To find the leak, he cut two holes—one under the shower and one under the toilet. The shower wasn’t the issue. The toilet was. One flush later, we had a small rain shower in the kitchen. He fixed it, but the kitchen was a disaster.

Meanwhile, our electric stove had died last week, and we’d been preparing to switch to gas. We paid $400 to install a gas valve on Tuesday. Then the electrician came yesterday to install the outlet—and said it couldn’t be done without tearing out half the kitchen drywall.

No thanks. We’ve had enough drywall removed for one day. So we’re returning the gas stove and going back to electric.

All of this would have been enough, but I was also a nervous wreck about the piano performance—and dealing with a splitting headache. Around 10:00 a.m., I realized I wasn’t getting any work done, so I took PTO for the rest of the day. After everyone left, I sat down at the piano with a clear goal: build a set list and practice.

(No, I hadn’t made a set list. I’d been so focused on Ode to Joy and a couple of PWJ courses that I… just… didn’t.)

At that point, I became convinced I was a terrible pianist who couldn’t even play a simple tune from a leadsheet. So I posted to the PWJ group, asking for encouragement. I admitted all the dumb things I’d done (and not done): biting my fingernails the night before so it hurt to play, and not spending a single minute preparing a set list.

They responded with kindness, perspective, and a lot of practical advice. They reminded me it wasn’t about me—and that I’m not, in fact, a terrible pianist.

Here is a summary of what they told me:

Take deep breaths & be easy on myself

  • Count my blessings—two arms, two hands, 10 fingers, Piano With Jonny ...
  • Laugh at myself & move on when I mess up or lose my place
  • Keep it simple
  • Play Bach & After You’ve Gone (though AYG breaks the “keep it simple” rule!)
  • Play from my heart, and know that everyone gets the jitters
  • Talk with the audience because it will help me relax (it did)
  • Pray
  • Not think of it as a performance, but instead a chance to cheer up some folks
  • Remember: when all else fails, arpeggiate!
  • Trust that I’ll relax a few minutes in (I did)
  • Know that they don’t want me to feel nervous on their account
  • Resist the temptation to cancel at the last minute

The performance ended up being casual and fun. I didn’t play like an expert, but I didn’t play badly either. By the end of the day I was exhausted—but also happy.

And I’ll be playing there again in about six weeks.

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