Members of the Piano Ninja Tricksters Club are flying in from across the country for our annual Beyond The Keys piano retreat here in Monterey, California.

A group of adult pianists, a lot of piano talk, and some unusual experiments. Let's just say this is not your typical adult piano camp.

There's even a piano movie night. 🍿 (If we get to it. For the last two years, we've talked right through it. 🤷‍♀️)

But the moment I keep thinking about is Friday night.

That's when they'll walk into a room full of strangers and perform.

The room is at Canterbury Woods, a senior community in Pacific Grove. They have several Steinway grands and the audience has heard a lot of music.

My members are ready. They've practiced the notes for months.

But I keep thinking about the part they haven't practiced.

The walk to the piano.
The bench that's a little too low.
The silence right before the first note. 🫣

Your hands can rehearse a piece a hundred times. Your mind usually shows up to the performance for the first time.

So Friday afternoon, before we drive to Pacific Grove, I'm leading them through a short guided visualization.

Ten minutes. Eyes closed. 🧘‍♀️

They'll walk into that room, sit down, and hear the first phrase, all before they touch a key.

A few hours later, they'll do it for real.

And it won't feel like the first time.

🎼 A quiet non-practice experiment for you

Before your next run-through, sit at the piano with your eyes closed for two minutes.

See where you are. 👀
Hear the room go quiet. 🤫
Feel your hands land on the first note. 🤲
Hear the opening phrase exactly the way you want it. 🎧
Then open your eyes and play. 🎹

Notice whether that first phrase feels like a beginning or a continuation.

The visualization I'm leading Friday is built for performing. I also made one for the practice room, Guided Visualization for Inspired Practice. It's the same idea, aimed at the hour you spend alone with your piano instead of the few minutes in front of an audience.

The 5-minute audio track is here for half price today, only $10 (through midnight Pacific).​
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Play On,
Lisa Spector
Piano Practice Strategist
Founder, Piano Ninja Tricksters Club​
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​PS Next week, I'll tell you how Friday went.
​PPS Last year at the retreat, while taking a walk along the ocean, we saw whales. I'm doing my best to visualize whales this week! 🐳 🐳