Sometimes it's a good idea to ignore your better judgement and just go for it. Offered the chance to play the baroque flute with the South West Baroque Orchestra in rehearsal in one of their "read through a concerto" slots I ended up playing (sort of) the Bach Second Orchestral Suite (in b minor, BWV 1067) a fortnight ago. The piece needs a virtuoso player and I am nowhere near that standard and so, sensibly, I first declined the offer. By a mysterious process of mission creep, I ended up accepting after all. Two weeks of challenging practice followed and I was nowhere near ready but I had committed myself and so the day arrived. The read-through went better than I expected and I enjoyed myself. I shan't highlight what went wrong but we started together and finished together. The orchestra and leaders were great and very supportive both in their playing and comments. I am very grateful to all of them - thanks folks!
What was the worst that could have happened?... (1) me looking daft (but I'm used to that, so no worries) and (2) high anxiety levels (I was anxious but coped - with the application of mindfulness, anxiety can be experienced but recognised as something protective and not damaging).
Why am I writing this? I hope to encourage you too to have a go when you get the chance to play outside your comfort zone. In my case I gained threefold: my practice regime for a fortnight was supercharged, I had a great experience that I would never have dreamt of having and it has boosted my resolve to keep pushing myself and enjoying it. Go for it!
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