Lights–Camera–Action!
Stop Rehearsing & Start Performing
Like so many pianists, you may spend hours practising carefully laying the groundwork, refining details and ensuring you know your piece inside out. Yet despite all of this preparation, when the moment comes to play for somebody else, everything can suddenly feel different.
Performing can trigger self-consciousness, overthinking and fear of judgement. Small imperfections can seem disproportionately important. Past experiences can linger in the mind long afterwards. And over time, it can become easier simply to stay in rehearsal mode - practising privately, waiting to feel more ready, more confident and secure.
But what if performing does not have to feel this way?
Lights–Camera–Action is a short, guided course designed to help pianists gradually develop a healthier and more rewarding relationship with performance through practical preparation strategies, psychological insight and carefully structured musical experiences.
Whether you are taking your very first steps towards performing, returning after difficult experiences, or hoping to enjoy performance more fully, this course will help you move away from self-consciousness and towards communication. Instead of endless preparation, you will begin building positive and meaningful experiences of sharing your music with others.
Course Format
- Begins 15 June 2026
- Short video episodes released throughout the course
- Guided worksheets and reflective exercises
- Gentle practical activities to try in your own home
- Opportunities to ask questions and receive support along the way
- Access materials in your own time
Sign-up!
From Rehearsal to Performance
We often assume that if we put in enough work, performance should eventually feel comfortable. Yet many pianists discover that ordinary practice does not fully prepare them for the psychological experience of being heard.
As a result, it can become easy to fall into a cycle of over-preparing, replaying negative experiences and becoming increasingly self-conscious while performing or avoiding opportunities to play for others altogether.
One of the central ideas explored throughout this course is the difference between two forms of practice: practising to learn repertoire versus practising to share music with an audience. A series of short video lessons, simple practical activities and guided reflections will allow you to explore practice specifically designed for the experience of performance.
Along the way, you will discover how:
- Your practice habits may be shaping your future performance experiences
- Imagined judgement can become more powerful than reality
- To interpret feedback more constructively
- To shift attention away from self-monitoring towards musical expression
- You can gradually find performance positive and motivating
A Gentle, Practical Approach
This course is designed for pianists who want to begin taking realistic first steps towards sharing their music. It’s not about being thrown into a daunting performance situation before you feel ready. Instead, you’ll be taking gentle, practical and psychologically informed steps along this journey from playing for yourself towards playing for others.
The course begins with a simple but revealing at-home activity that encourages experimentation within your own practice environment. From there, each part of the course combines:
- Short video episodes exploring the science behind effective performance preparation
- Fun, practical exercises designed to help you apply these concepts in a stress-free environment
- Accompanying worksheets and reflections to help you track your experiences and identify what works best for you
- Opportunities to ask questions and receive guidance if you feel stuck or uncertain
Sign-up!
Course Content
Building on the ideas explored in the introductory workshop, Who Is Judging Whom, we begin by examining how performers interpret actual and perceived audience reactions and feedback, and how to develop a more grounded and reliable sense of one’s own progress and playing.
The course comprises the following modules:
- Reclaiming Your Own Sense of Judgement - Examine how performers interpret feedback, judgement and audience reactions, and how to develop a more grounded and reliable sense of one’s own progress and playing.
- Not Just More of the Same - Why ordinary maintenance practice often fails to prepare pianists for performance situations, and how to practise more effectively for the realities of being heard.
- Beyond the Dress Rehearsal - A closer look at gradual exposure to performance situations, why some approaches work better than others, and how to create experiences that genuinely build resilience and familiarity.
- Taking the Jump Off the Hamster Wheel - Learn how to create your own gradual pathway towards sharing music with others, while adjusting expectations and learning from each experience more constructively.
- The Special Rush of Musical Communication - Explore the deeper rewards of performance, including communication, connection, flow and the unique satisfaction that comes from sharing music meaningfully with others.
Who This Course Is For
This course is for piano lovers at all levels, from enthusiasts at home to experienced performers on stage. It will be particularly valuable if you:
- avoid performing despite wanting to share your music
- already play regularly in public, but want your performances to be more enjoyable
- become highly self-conscious when others listen, replaying the experience long afterwards
- feel stuck in endless preparation or in a musical rut and want to set new goals
- struggle to judge your own playing realistically and thus rely heavily on reassurance from others
- are returning to piano later in life and would like to feel more comfortable sharing your playing
Sign up now to join us from 15th June and take the first steps beyond permanent preparation towards the joy of sharing your playing with others.
Sign-up!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be an experienced performer?
Not at all. In many ways, the course is designed precisely for pianists who feel they are standing just outside that world and would like to begin taking first steps towards sharing their playing more comfortably.
Is this course only for people with severe performance anxiety?
No. The course is relevant both for those who avoid performance entirely and for experienced performers who would simply like performance to feel more enjoyable and rewarding.
Will I be required to perform live?
No. The course is primarily concerned with how we prepare for performance rather than performance itself. Through a series of practical exercises and guided reflections, you’ll explore how your current practice habits may be shaping your performance experiences and discover strategies for creating more positive and rewarding opportunities to share your music with others.
How long does it take and can I do it in my own time?
The course is designed to be completed over approximately one month, but you are free to work through the videos, worksheets and activities at your own pace, fitting them around your existing practice routine and commitments.
You’ll also retain ongoing access to all course materials, allowing you to revisit the lessons, exercises and reflections whenever you wish.
How is the course delivered?
The course is delivered over a series of emails which contain links to video lessons, worksheets and activities. You'll also be able to access the course contents from your library throughout the course and any time thereafter.
When does the course begin?
Course materials become available from 17 June. You can start your journey at any time and there is no time limit on access to the materials.
What does the course cost?
The course costs is £70 or £42 for Online Academy subscribers. Course access also includes access to the recording and materials form the initial workshop Who Is Judging Whom. Click here to sign-up!
I missed the live workshop on 11th June. Will I have missed out on anything?
No. The first module of the course builds directly on the material covered in the workshop, so you won’t miss any key concepts or discussions. Your course access also includes the full workshop recording, allowing you to watch it at your convenience and benefit from the complete introduction before continuing with the rest of the course.
Do I need to be at a certain level of proficiency to participate?
Absolutely not. The course material is useful for beginners as well as experts/professional musicians.
About Your Presenter – Adina Mornell
Adina Mornell is uniquely qualified to turn research results into actionable knowledge for musicians, having trained and performed worldwide as a classical pianist before receiving her PhD in Music Psychology and Instrumental Pedagogy in Vienna. As professor in Graz and Munich, she conducted empirical studies in the field of musical performance and her teaching focuses on deliberate practice, attentional focus and the intersection of neuroscience and music psychology. Adina has also released several CDs as a solo pianist and written a number of books and articles (in English and German) for performers and teachers.
