Rhett, you majored in harp performance, yet still had "stage fright." You say your breakthrough came from reading the book, "The Inner Game of Music." 

Actually, I have a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree in French horn performance, and harp was a secondary study at school, but the point remains the same - in a high pressured conservatory environment, your nerves are constantly getting in the way. The emphasis in a music degree program is mostly on a secure technique, but if you have any kind of "stage fright," you are not taught how to overcome that, or at least, I wasn't!  

I knew going into my degree program that I had a great deal of performance anxiety, and I incorrectly assumed that by getting a degree in music "performance," I would be taught to eradicate this. 

Years later, I read the two books, "The Inner Game of Tennis" and "The Inner Game of Music" and they totally changed the way I played. The latter book was written by the principal double bassist of the Cincinnati Symphony, who obviously had great "chops" but suffered from a great deal of performance anxiety.

What is one thing that creates a well-received program or performance? 

It has nothing to do with the difficulty level of the music - it has everything to do with the performer being totally comfortable and confident in what they are playing. Communicate what is in your heart to the audience, using the harp as a means to that end. Some of the simplest music played well, from the heart, is far more effective that difficult music played badly or nervously.

What would you recommend to someone who wants to play in public for the first time? 

Know your piece backwards and forwards, preferably from memory. The main reason people get nervous in public performance is because they have not 100% embodied the music, both technically and mentally. If you can play it 5 or 10 times well in your living room, chances are extremely high that you will play it well in a public performance. 

Additionally, you will need to "practice performing" in front of a group of friends, or even a recording device, before trying it in public for the first time. For the first public experience, pick a venue that is comfortable and forgiving, perhaps in a church service or as background music at a social function. Learning to perform well in public is a life-long process, not a one-time good or bad experience.

What are your hints for best approaching a new piece? 

I tell my students to use the "cut and chew" method. If you go to eat a large steak, you don't try and gobble the whole thing up at once, or you will choke. Instead, you cut it into small pieces and eat them slowly. It's the same with a piece of music - you have to break it down into smaller elements, and learn a little at a time, gradually digesting the whole piece. 

I usually learn the first phrase of a piece, or maybe the first 2 - 4 measures, then the last phrase, then work my way inward. If you are planning to perform it, remember that you, and the audience, will most remember the beginning and the end. This is not to say that the middle is not important and should not be played well, but you want to make sure that you are most confident at the beginning and the end of the piece.

How can we improve our practice time? 

It's all about quality versus quantity. You can accomplish more in 20 minutes of focused practice than 2 hours of mindless repetition.  I am a huge advocate of practicing with a metronome, even slow music. If you focus on just a few bars at a time each day, and really get those few bars perfected, you can add another few bars on subsequent days, and before long, you will have the whole piece "embodied." 

The worst thing we can do is to try and play the whole bloody piece over and over again from start to finish in hopes that by chance we will eventually get it right.  Shinichi Suzuki, founder of the Suzuki Method, said that "practice is the correct repetition of a passage."  This means that you take a phrase (or a few bars), and repeat it correctly at least 5 times. 

Unfortunately, many of us play a passage over and over again until we get it right, and then once we get it right, we stop.  

That way you have practiced it incorrectly multiple times and only right once. You have very little chance of getting it right the next time!  

So, once you have gotten a passage right, repeat (practice) it correctly for another 5 times or more to "cement" it. Then, your chances are vastly higher that you will play it right in performance.

What is an easy but beneficial exercise you use? Something we can go do right now...  

I know this will at first sound boring, but it is actually enjoyable.  Do a "one finger" exercise in which you take each finger, and play either scale passages, or better yet, random notes, on the harp, one finger at a time, and focus on closing that one finger into the palm, squeezing the string, and drawing out the most beautiful sound you can. 

You can even use this as a way to improvise, but the goal is to use the fingers to achieve the most beautiful resonant sound you can. By isolating one finger at a time, you can really look at what you are doing and focus on form and beauty of tone. I find this is often my most relaxing and rewarding practice and can be very meditative!

What is something about our attitude towards ourselves, or harping in general, that we may all need to know? 

We have to love playing the harp, and to love the music that we are playing, striving to make beautiful sounds,.  We communicate that to our listeners. If we are not enjoying it our audience will know it.  When we put our heart and soul into it, which involves taking a huge risk, the rewards are what keep us playing this instrument. 

People will forgive mistakes, and most of the time, they don't even notice. However, they immediately recognize a lifeless, heartless, dry performance. I'd much rather hear someone play with passion and perhaps miss a few notes here and there rather than hear a note-perfect performance that was devoid of life and spirit. As I always tell my students, "play it like you mean it!"

Rhett will be teaching three workshops at 2012 Southeastern Harp Weekend:  For descriptions, see southeasternharps.com

Rhett's website is seraphimmusic.com