The Piano School Triad Tutorial

After my students learn their major and minor pentascales beginning on white keys, C through B, we begin studying triads. So, what is a triad?

Here is a highly in-depth definition I found in my tattered Harvard Concise Dictionary of Music:

And here is the highly-friendly definition you will find in the back of your assignment book:

When you play all three of the triad notes at one time, it's called a "block triad."

My students learn to play a triad pattern as soon as they are able to play block triads. The pattern can seem a little daunting at first, but once it is mastered, the same pattern can easily be used on all of the 14 triads my young students learn for a triad award called "Triad Tzar." Here are all 14 triads. (This page is also in your assignment book.)

To assist with triad training (preparation for playing block triads) and with learning The Piano School triad pattern, here is a video tutorial:

The great thing about learning to play triads is that once you know them, you begin to recognize them when they show up in your music...which is pretty much all the time in some method books. It becomes a piece of cake to you because you've been there before!

So go play some triads and be a happy pianist!

Student Compositions: What's not to love!

I adore it when my students bring original compositions to me! They get so excited that they created a piece of music on their own and that I can play it back for them. What's not to love!

The notation is not always standard, but there are often lyrics and illustrations on the page.

The music above is the creation of a student who loved her exercises in A Dozen a Day so much that she decided to combine all of the number 12 exercises into one big piece. This was excellent notation practice for her!

I try to take a picture every time a student composes something, because these will be treasures to them one day. 

Teacher Time Saver: Scales Binder

My system for all sorts of scales
is housed in this groovy binder.

Piano teachers, don't you think it can be a challenge to fit everything you want to do into a 30-minute lesson slot? We need ways to save precious time, and here's one idea I came up with for scales. Rather than writing out the scale notes and fingerings by hand (as I used to), I use pre-printed scale blocks and glue them onto assignment sheets. What am I talking about? Here are a few pages from inside the binder:

I have major and minor pentascales beginning on white keys, and all 24 major and minor octave scales individually stored in pockets throughout the binder. I print out sheets of each scale, cut out the blocks, and refill the pockets as needed. Each week, the current scale is adhered to a page in the student's assignment book like this:

If I want the student to write his/her scale out, there is staff paper for that purpose on the reverse of each assignment sheet.

Meet My Piano Teachers

I'd like to introduce you to my piano teachers. I've had several. Each one gave me at least one gift that really changed me as a pianist, and it is the culmination of these gifts that makes me the kind of teacher I am today. Here they are in chronological order.

DENNIS REASER

Years as my teacher: 1966-present

Lasting gift he gave me: a love of good, solid jazz piano

My dad was my first piano teacher.

I grew up in a musical household. My parents are both very musically gifted, and my dad is a professional musician. He had begun his long career as a high school band director by the time I was born. Pretty much all of my happiest childhood recollections involve music at home, and I have so many memories of my dad playing jazz piano in the living room that they've sort of all merged together into one big jazzy heap. My dad taught me how to play "Chopsticks" as well as how to "vamp" on the piano while my sister and I sang our favorite songs. One "arrangement" that I still remember...exactly the way he taught me...is "Country Roads." It was a number I did in a talent show with my sister and two other friends in elementary school. Dad also taught me how to notate music. I composed a piano piece in 1976 for the bicentennial-themed PTA Reflections Contest at school. I also wrote the whole thing down on staff paper. There was some doubt at school about whether I'd done all of that on my own, and I had to prove it before a group of faculty one day! Ultimately, the piece won several levels of the Reflections contest...school, local, district, and fizzled out somewhere after that.

BONNIE TODENHOFT

Years as my teacher: 1972-1984

Lasting gift she gave me: Sightreading proficiency through the study of voluminous material

Mrs. Todenhoft was my piano teacher from the time
I was seven until I graduated from high school.

Mrs. Todenhoft was my first official piano teacher. I started my lessons with her when I was seven. The lessons were on Saturday mornings for an hour each week. I have to be totally honest with you and admit that I did not look forward to my lessons all the time. For one thing, I was a little kid and Mrs. Todenhoft was an older woman with a long list of college and adult piano students and a waiting list. She was way beyond me intellectually, and her amazing sense of humor was usually above my head. I didn't begin to appreciate all that she had to offer until I was older. Having said that, I LOVED hearing her play. She could play anything and everything. She could take requests. She read music like a whiz, but also played spectacularly by ear. Her piano was fabulous (a giant Yamaha grand), and whenever we played duets together, I was on cloud nine! It was a huge privilege to be her student, and even though I didn't always know exactly what I had, I did know that none of my friends had it. When I told people that Bonnie Todenhoft was my teacher, they were usually impressed. That was cool. Since my sister and I both had lessons on Saturday mornings for an hour each, we took turns going downstairs to her den and watching cartoons. The Todenhofts picked up channel 13 all the way from Lynchburg, and that meant one of us could watch "Schoolhouse Rock" and other wonderful shows that we didn't have at home while the other had her lesson.

Mrs. Todenhoft selected everything that I studied. There was no, "What would you like to work on this week?" It was always, "I want you to get started on this Kabalevsky Sonatina, and keep working on that Chopin Polonaise and those three Bach Inventions. Also, write out the C-sharp minor scale on staff paper, and go to the Roanoke College bookstore and buy this theory book. When you get it, try to finish a few chapters on your own." Get the idea? There was very little hand-holding, and absolutely no pop music. I was to do those things on my own. In the very early stages, she had me in the "Music Tree" method books and reading hymns straight from the hymnbook. The former was sort of cutting edge, and the latter was just plain hard! 

The result of all of this was that I learned to read music really well. I became competent as an accompanist for the school and church choirs, and I was able to dazzle my friends by playing any piece of popular sheet music they wanted to hear. I was launched into adulthood with the ability to play pretty much anything I wanted, somewhat decently, without the help of a teacher. Which was good, because I stopped taking lessons for several years after high school.

MICHAEL SITTON

Years as my teacher: 2000-2005

Lasting gift he gave me: Performance Practice Know-How

Dr. Sitton was my first piano teacher
after a long hiatus.

When I was 33, I started piano lessons again. There had obviously been a long dry spell in that department since I left Mrs. Todenhoft at age 18. For my first lesson with Dr. Sitton, I was supposed to play some things for him. I brought in a list of possibilities, and from that he asked me to play "To a Wild Rose" by Edward McDowell and the Rachmaninoff Prelude in C-sharp Minor. I will never forget the first words out of his mouth after I nervously played those pieces. "You certainly have command of the instrument." Sort of made my day...and my next five years.

Studying with Dr. Sitton was not much like working with Mrs. Todenhoft. He did ask for input when it came to the selection of repertoire, and he was much more about fine-tuning and helping me learn to perform each piece in a way that was in keeping with its historical context. Today, I have to laugh at how shocked I was at the second lesson when I had "learned" the first movement of a Haydn Sonata and played it for him in a way that I thought was adequate. I was certain that we were going to move on to the next movement. But he started doing all of this "voicing" stuff and having me bring out the melody above the accompaniment. I had more work to do on articulating the ornaments correctly, and my left hand triplets weren't quite even. What the??? Welcome to performance study. It's not just about playing the right notes and the right rhythms. Dr. Sitton developed in me a sense of playing musically as well, and he was great at rounding out my repertoire, filling in gaps, and drilling all of the major and minor scales into my memory. 

I learned so much about so many things from Dr. Sitton during the five years we worked together that I won't even attempt to summarize it all here. I will just say that many of the things my students are doing today stem from the time I studied with him.

ESTHER YOO

Years as my teacher: 2005-2006

Lasting gift she gave me: Work harder!

Esther Yoo was my teacher for one year.

Enough pampering. Let's get serious here. Esther Yoo was the toughest teacher I ever had. She was a cute and bubbly sweetheart before and after my lessons, but she was a drill sergeant during. I cried during my first lesson. Here I was, awesome musician me. And there she was, unimpressed her. It was not smooth sailing in the beginning, but I will tell you this: she opened my eyes about my playing. It was not world-class. Not that I suspected it was. Dr. Yoo is the sort of teacher that you conjure up when you're thinking of 1920's Russia or something. She wanted perfection and competition-level quality. At least that's how it felt. Her technique was truly wonderful, and she wanted me to achieve new heights in my playing. I think I learned a great deal about touch and tone quality from her. I played more challenging repertoire than I had previously attempted, and I grew. It wasn't easy, but if I'm honest, I have to admit that she helped me.

REBECCA WALLENBORN

Years as my teacher: 2005-2007

Lasting gift she gave me: Playing with my heart

Becky Wallenborn was my solo piano teacher
and duo piano coach for three years.

Whew! After my year in boot camp, I went the complete opposite direction and worked with the world's most nurturing teacher. Becky Wallenborn is a pianist that feels every note she plays. The warmth of sound she produces can bring a tear to your eye. Her heart is enormous, and she has a passion for piano that few people do. When I worked with Becky, I learned plenty of technical goodies that have served me very well, but I think I mainly learned to open my heart up more. I found in her a teacher and a friend. She is someone who genuinely feels emotion when you play, and she tells you about it. I learned about "silent preparation" and using high fingers in practice from her. I learned crazy things like playing on my leg with one hand while playing expressive sound on the keys with the other. She was exactly what I needed at exactly the right time.

Of course, I gleaned way more from these wonderful musicians than I have written about here, but this brief exposé reveals a bit of the breadth of knowledge and experience that they passed down to me from their teachers, some of whom are rather legendary. I am truly grateful for each of them, and a day doesn't go by that I don't recall some comment, exchange, or revelation that was stamped on my brain at one of their pianos.

Andy Williams, why'd ya have to go?

"Moon River, wider than a mile

I'm crossing you in style some day

Oh dream maker, you heartbreaker

Wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your way"

"It's the most wonderful time of the year,

With the kids jingle belling and everyone telling you,

'Be of good cheer!'

It's the most wonderful time of the year!"

"When we played our charade

We were like children posing

Playing at games, acting out names

Guessing the parts we played."

All I'm gonna say is, this guy meant a lot to me throughout my childhood, and his voice still comforts me and makes me think everything's going to be okay. I wish I could watch his Christmas specials every year. Bring 'em back.

Rest in peace, Mr. Williams. 

Sheet Music Covers for Downloaded Music

Now that we have digital sheet music downloads so readily available, the music we want is at our fingertips 24/7. It's great! But I miss one thing: those cool sheet music covers.

When I was a kid, I loved sheet music. And the art on the cover mattered to me! Check out some of my old faves:

You can still get traditional sheet music with spiffy covers at your local music store, but when you download from sites like musicnotes.com, you don't get art. Sometimes I make covers for sheet music if a student is really into it, or if it's a first experience with pop downloads. Here's a cover a student and I did today. We decided to use her own picture as well as the artist's and some piano clipart. The font for the title is called "Bleeding Cowboys." Can't get cooler than that, right?

Cover for "Keep Breathing" by Ingrid Michaelson

Another student worked on a Paramore song that we found on the Internet. She LOVED that song. So, obviously, it needed an amazing cover:

Cover for "The Only Exception" by Paramore

One of the fonts I used on this one was actually called "The Only Exception," which is the title of the song. Ha!

Anyway, I think kids miss out sometimes when they don't have interesting covers for their sheet music. They can make their own, of course, and it adds an element of interest and fun...the importance of which should not be overlooked!

Steinway Artists...et moi

LEON BATES

I was going through some old files recently and found a 2009 photo of Steinway artist Leon Bates posing with one of my students and her brother. Bates had come to town to do an all-Gershwin concert at Hollins University with soprano Judith Cline, and we had the pleasure of visiting with him after the show. What a nice man and PHENOMENAL pianist!

2009: Steinway artist Leon Bates
with students from The Piano School

The afternoon before his concert, he held an open rehearsal, which meant that people in the community could sit in the hall and watch him practice. Three of my students and I took advantage of this opportunity, and what a thrill it was! We were treated to his entire program, PLUS, he took requests from my students afterward and talked to them about the pieces they were currently studying. Unforgettable.

Before I drop any more names of famous pianists, perhaps I should explain what a "Steinway Artist" is. Here is a description from the Steinway website:

For decades Steinway and Sons has cultivated special relationships with pianists from every genre. From classical pianists like Lang Lang, to jazz stars like Diana Krall, to pop icons like Billy Joel, to "immortals" like Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Sergei Rachmaninoff, [Josef Hofmann], and Arthur Rubinstein -- more than 1,600 artists make the Steinway their own.

I added Josef Hofmann to the mention of "immortals," because he's my personal favorite from the list, and I am privileged to have his autograph inside the 1940 Steinway Model S which was passed down to me from my grandfather and mother. From time to time, my students get a kick out of sticking their heads under the piano lid and spotting the signature with a flashlight. Steinway artists are, in a word, FABULOUS. As their designation implies, they perform only on Steinway pianos, and the company makes sure they have a top-notch instrument delivered to every concert venue. In some cases, they supply practice instruments for the artists as well.

THE 5 BROWNS

So back to my story. In 2007, The 5 Browns gave a concert in Greensboro, North Carolina. A colleague and I made a road trip of it and were treated to a fun and impressive program that included a Q&A during intermission. Being the fan that I am, I waited in line to have my picture taken with these talented siblings after the show.

2007: The 5 Browns...et moi
Greensboro, North Carolina

BARBARA NISSMAN

Sometimes Steinway artists come from surprising places. For example, Barbara Nissman lives on a farm in West Virginia. She was the featured artist at the Virginia Music Teachers Association annual conference in 2010 at James Madison University. I had a seat very close to the stage and could not believe the power that emanated from this woman. She played a Prokofiev sonata with such force that the piano (a Steinway, of course), had to be retuned before the program could continue. This isn't a great picture, but it shows how close my vantage point was.

2010: Steinway Artist Barbara Nissman
performing at James Madison University 

The piano had to be retuned after
Nissman wore it out with her
Prokofiev Sonata

After the concert, Nissman autographed programs
and charmed her admirers at the VMTA State Conference

NING AN

2011: Steinway Artist Ning An...et moi

Ning An visiting with some of my students
after his recital at Hollins University

In 2011, Ning An did a workshop for piano teachers and a subsequent concert as the guest for the Galbraith Teachers Workshop at Hollins University. This man is amazing. His program was beyond impressive, and the house was full. Overflow seating was supplied onstage, and one of my students eagerly volunteered to take one of those chairs! His Haydn Sonata (number 50) was so beautiful that another of my students said it "changed his life."

JOSEF HOFMANN

Let's finish this tour of Steinway Artists with a little nod to Josef Hofmann, the pianist whose autograph is inside my Steinway. Nowadays, the only people who have heard of Josef Hofmann are probably musicians themselves, but in his heyday, he was a force to be reckoned with. Many people don't know that he and Rachmaninoff were close friends and that Rachmaninoff dedicated his third piano concerto to Hofmann. He was a concert artist, a piano teacher, and also an inventor. His patents are numerous, and one of his most successful inventions was the pneumatic shock absorber for cars and airplanes.

Steinway "Immortal" Josef Hofmann (1876-1957)

He was a legendary wunderkind who gave concerts at the age of eleven. That was a big controversy which deserves its own article, so I'll just leave it at that for now.

Young Josef Hofmann,
the wunderkind

Of course, I never met Josef Hofmann. He passed away 9 years before I was born. I feel like I know him better than most people my age, though, because I've done extensive research on his life and career. I like to "put him out there" for people to meet. :)

Steinway Artists...et moi - it would be a nice title for a book, don't you think?

Ladybug Helpers for Scales

Alert: Easiest craft ever! I saw this idea on Pinterest and did a very similar (but easier) version of it this afternoon. Here is the link to the original idea: * link-to-the-original-idea *, and here is my version:

It was unbelievably easy. Here are the supplies you need:

• A package of adhesive-backed felt circles (the things they put on the back of picture frames)
• 8 little wooden ladybugs (I found mine in the wooden crafts section of A.C. Moore.)

Just stick a little felt circle to the back of each ladybug, and voila! Finis!

This is about a 2-minute craft. Cheap, easy, and helpful. I used these with several of my students this afternoon when we worked on our scales.

Festivals: What is the VMTA Fall Festival?

Presser Hall houses the Music Department at Hollins University

The Piano School participates in two festivals each year: the VMTA Fall Festival at Hollins University and the MTNA Studio Festival in my studio. I require my students to participate in at least one festival each year. So what are these festivals about, and which one is best for your child?

I have all of my very young, first-year students participate in the MTNA Studio Festival. Other students are free to select either festival. There are differences, however, and I will explain the VMTA Fall Festival in this post. Let's just call it the "Fall Festival" for the rest of this discussion.

VMTA Fall Festival

Saturday, November 17, 2012

The Fall Festival is always held in November, and it has taken place at Hollins University for as long as I can remember. Students register for the event one month in advance, but begin preparing before that. Here are the basic things to know:

• Students are assigned a private "audition" time. 
• There is no audience.
• Each student must play two pieces for a panel of two judges:
• One historical piece in original form (Things from the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic periods are eligible.)
• One piece in a contemporary idiom in original form (something written in the 20th or 21st Century with a component that music theorists call "contemporary"...irregular meter, tone clusters, nontraditional notation, dissonance, whole tone scales, etc.)
• Both pieces must be memorized.
• The student must provide music scores (their books or sheet music) of the pieces for the judges to use.
• The measures in the music must be numbered.

Sounds a little intimidating, right? But it's not. At least it's not bad for students who like undertaking challenges in piano. I don't recommend the fall festival for all students, but I do urge some types of students to give it a try. Certainly, advanced students should play in this festival. It gives them enough of a challenge that they have an achievable goal toward which to work. Elementary- and Intermediate-level students who are consistent practicers should try this festival as well. Here's the thing: if you hate it, I won't make you do it again next year. If you like it, then fabulous! You will have completed a substantial task and received encouraging commentary from the judges for your efforts. It's a good thing.

There are some students that I do not put in the Fall Festival: 

• Those who have severe anxiety
• Those who don't have time and/or desire to finely polish and memorize two pieces
• Students who have just started taking lessons
• Students who have trouble maintaining a consistent practice schedule

The Fall Festival is not perfect. It's important to remember that the comments made by the judges are subjective and not entirely consistent:

• One judge may say, "Terrific pedaling in the B Section!" The other judge may say, "I think you could use more pedal in the B Section."
• One judge may circle a Superior rating and the other may circle a Very Good. Usually they are closer in line with each other than that, but the judges are only human. They may hear and interpret things differently.
• There are occasionally new judges who are not familiar with the norms at this festival, but they are assigned to an audition room with a more experienced adjudicator.
• The teacher will sometimes disagree with something a judge writes. No big deal! It's good to hear different points of view. Once I gave a student an "Excellent" rating because I felt her first piece was "Superior" and her second was "Very Good." I averaged the two. Her teacher did not concur with my assessment. That's fine. I've read comment sheets that had nothing but glowing remarks for both pieces, yet the judge circled an "Excellent" instead of "Superior" (Superior is the best.) That's fine, too. It's just a festival, and it's not the most important part of your journey as a piano student. Regardless of what a judge writes, you will still be a better pianist for having learned, memorized, and performed your pieces.

For those students and parents who are intrigued by the possibility of participating in the Fall Festival but don't understand some of the requirements listed above, please don't worry. I take care of selecting eligible music that is at the pianist's current level and make sure that the music is marked appropriately for the judges. All the parent has to do is provide transportation to and from the event.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Who are the judges? They are piano teachers from the Roanoke Valley. I'm a judge myself, but teachers do not judge their own students.
2. What do the judges do? They listen to each student and write encouraging commentary and suggestions on a sheet of paper and circle a rating at the bottom of the sheet. The comment sheets are returned to the teacher after the festival. I discuss these at subsequent lessons and return the comment sheets to the student.
3. What should students wear to the festival? Clean, casual clothes that are on the slightly nice side. Jeans and flip-flops are discouraged.
4. How much does the festival cost? This year the fee is $12, and if you are my student, you have already paid your festival fee.
5. What if a student makes mistakes or forgets part of the music? No problem. It happens all the time. The best thing to do is just go on as though there were no mistakes, or start back in on a part of the music you remember. 
6. Is there a winner or a score given? There is no winner, and this is not a competition. There are ratings on the bottom of the comment sheet (Superior, Excellent, Very Good, Good, and Fair), and the judges will circle one of these. The overall rating is the higher of the two .
7. Can I bring photocopies of the music instead of the actual music books? No. That is not allowed (and it makes your teacher look like a nincompoop).
8. How many students participate in the Fall Festival? There are usually around 110 students from all around the Roanoke Valley at our festival location. Statewide, there are many more.
9. How do I register for the Fall Festival? Your teacher takes care of that. You just have to make sure your calendar is clear for the morning of the festival.

For more information about the VMTA Fall Festival, you may be interested in visiting the Roanoke Valley Music Teachers Association website: VMTA Fall Festival Information

Performance Anxiety in Adult Amateur Pianists

Scenes from our September Music Party for Adults

Today was a music party day for some adult amateur musicians I know. I don't teach all of them, but we've developed a nice relationship in recent years because of these parties. I wrote about the concept of piano parties in an earlier article, and today I spent some time discussing the issue of performance anxiety with those in attendance.

It was interesting to hear some of the comments floating about as we mingled over mimosas and lobster bisque.

• "I can't believe I still get nervous at these things."
• "One day I will conquer my nerves."
• "I'm glad we keep doing these parties, because I think they will help me get used to performing."

As the only piano teacher in the group, it sometimes falls to me to reassure and encourage. Adults need to know that it is "normal" to feel uneasy and anxious about performing. It happens to all of us.

One of the men is on a mission to finally overcome his performance anxiety by performing repeatedly in any setting he can find. He has a reference point in his mind of a time when he had to give daily lectures for an entire month on a topic about which he is very knowledgable. At first these lectures were nerve-wracking, but by the time the month was over, he had become not only comfortable speaking in front of people, but sort of energized and exhilarated. He is absolutely sure that he can achieve the same degree of comfort in piano performance with enough practice.

"It is painful when I screw up, but I'm just going to keep doing this until I can master it."

Another in the group wants to increase the frequency of our piano parties. She has a similar belief that she will become more at ease in front of the group if we do this more often.

A pianist at the party who is my student had her best day yet. Today she seemed less nervous than ever before and played with expression and focus in a way that was noticeably improved over past parties.

The concept of desensitizing oneself by performing more frequently is a sound one. I know that in my case, it has certainly proven to be true that the more I play in front of others, the less nervous I am doing it.

There are other factors to consider as well. If I had a dollar for every time I heard an adult or child student say, "I played this perfectly at home. I don't know why I messed up here," I could buy a new concert grand. It surprises musicians the first few times they discover this phenomenon. So, why can we play better at home than we can in a recital or at a lesson?

• If you are a pianist, you are using a different instrument in each different setting.
• We are used to the feel of home...the books on the piano, the lamp on our left, the sound of our dogs, the view from the window, the feel of the bench, etc. All of these little things contribute to our comfort level. When you take them away, everything feels different.
• We are relaxed at home. No one is watching us.
• We don't hear ourselves breathing and feel our heart thumping itself out of our chest at home.
• We are hyper-sensitive to all sorts of stimuli when we are performing. Things that we don't notice at home become loud and obvious during a performance...a cough, a whisper, the squeak of a pedal, a creak in the floor, etc.

There is also the issue of distraction which can become worse when we are nervous.

• We allow our minds to wander as we play.
• "What are they thinking about my piece?"
• "These keys look strange. Where is middle C?"
• "I'm doing really well!"
• "This is horrible. I can't believe I did that."
• "I bet they think I'm doing great."
• "They probably wish I'd stop playing ASAP."
• We lose our place in the music. This is usually because we have not established an exact system of where to look during practice. If a piece is partially, but not fully, memorized, we might look at our hands for a while, but when we look back up at the score, we're lost! And when we get lost during a performance, it seems to take forever to find our place.
• Our hands are shaking, and we can't stop thinking about that.
• Our hands are sweating, and we start worrying that this will make us mess up.

Although I have not completely conquered performance anxiety, I have learned a few "tricks" that I can share with you. 

• Practice mindfully before your performance. In other words, keep your mind engaged in what you are doing rather than thinking about what's going on in the kitchen or what's on TV.
• Make yourself nervous during practice. There are several ways to do this:
• Make a video of your practice.
• Make an audio recording of your practice.
• Play your piece for someone over the phone.
• Get your family to be your audience for a trial performance.
• Go somewhere away from home and practice. If people can hear you, that's good.
• Notice details. When you get good at something, you might start doing it automatically without really thinking. This is not ideal when you're preparing to perform. You want to keep your mind engaged in every detail. Sometimes it helps to speak what you are doing aloud. "Left hand G-flat." "Forte for eight measures." Etc.
• Get used to your breathing. I tend to feel that my breathing is loud when I'm performing. It's not really. I'm just more aware of it when I'm nervous. So it sometimes helps to listen to yourself breathing during practice.
• Remove objects that are usually in your field of view. Take the stack of books off of the piano. Move the lamp to a different place. Take a picture off of the wall. You might be surprised at how much your peripheral vision plays into how familiar a place feels.
• Don't take anxiety medication or drink alcohol before your performance if you will be playing from memory. Both of these things will affect your ability to remember. A little glass of wine or a  weak mimosa may help you calm down a bit beforehand if you are playing from the score. One size does not fit all in this regard. The only way to really know how your performance will be impacted by anxiety medication or alcohol is through trial and error.
• Embrace your nervousness. Think of it as excitement about sharing your music. Let it help you be in the moment and fully receptive to the music you are making.
• Continually silence the thoughts that try to invade your mind during performance. As soon as you indulge the thought that you are doing a great job, you'll mess up. If you beat yourself up because you botch a note you've never missed before, you're just increasing the odds that you'll hit another clunker. You may have to silence these voices several times during your performance.
• Remind yourself to stay focused throughout your piece. A good performance is about the music, not about you, so keep your focus on what you are doing as you play. Sometimes this is just a matter of mentally saying, "Focus," a handful of times during a piece.
• An expressive performance is much better than a merely note-perfect performance. Don't put too much stock in wrong notes. Put lots of stock in playing musically and expressively.

If you would like to learn more about ways to deal with performance anxiety, you will find help in these wonderful books:

The Art of Practicing by Madeline Bruser

The Perfect Wrong Note by William Westney