Emotional while playing...

Get a hold of yourself, girl!!

Don't ever let your emotions get the better of you when giving a musical performance, PARTICULARLY a performance on the theremin. I know it feels yummy and scrumptious as you're transported into the flow of the music, but it will interfere with your technique. The problem is, you probably won't know it and you'll be totally convinced that you are delivering the performance of a lifetime.

I am reminded of something soprano Maria Callas once said when an interviewer asked her about her emotional state on stage. It was his impression that Callas totally involved herself emotionally with the character and threw herself completely into the role. In other words, that she GAVE IT ALL. 

"I never give it all. You cannot do that when you perform. It may seem to the audience that I am giving it all but believe me, I always have one eye on the conductor and the other on the tenor!"

"Don't ever let your emotions get the better of you when giving a musical performance" - Coalport

Thats probably good advice for any and every kind of "performance" IMO..

"Give it all" too often, IMO, means "give it all away" - Hell - there must be some correct balance to be found between being a full Vulcan and an emotional Human - ... I suppose your words "get the better of you" are the key..

I believe the art of great performing consists in being able to appear to "give it all" when you are actually not. Actors must learn to do this or acting will destroy them. Singers are singing actors. Instrumental musicians are not in quite as precarious a position but you can't pilot the plane and serve lunch at the same time.

"I can tell you that I have tried to play the theremin several times, and in spite of my absolute pitch, I can't play three notes in tune on the thing!"  Nadia Reisenberg

"Instrumental musicians are not in quite as precarious a position but you can't pilot the plane and serve lunch at the same time."  -- coalport

Ha!  True that.  Call me crazy but I'm generally more impressed by workmanlike musicians who don't overly visibly emote.  Emotion in the voice is quite welcome, but facial "straining at stool" guitarists and the like leave me rather cold.

Coalport cited: "I can tell you that I have tried to play the theremin several times, and in spite of my absolute pitch, I can't play three notes in tune on the thing!"  Nadia Reisenberg

I'd be one of the first ones to join a Nadja Reisenberg Fan Club for this issue! Who too? :-)

Yesterday I listened to the Clara Rockmore CD recording, "MUSIC IN AND ON THE AIR", and it was during one of the short interview segments that Nadia Reisenberg made the above remark.

For me, the shining stars of that CD are Nadia and violinist Erick Friedman. 

Until what age did Clara play her theremin?

By the way, the shivers and goosebumps happened while I was playing the last note of a piece as I was slowly coming out of the "zone". I am into the zone when I play there theremin, not much can disturb me when I am "there". The pieces i played after that event felt more relaxed, more fluid.

Dewster, "straining at stool" guitarists measure about an 9.2 on my stupidcrapometer.

That being said, sometimes it's not an act. I've seen pictures of myself taken while really getting into a song, and they are rather embarrassing. Especially the tongue.

Amey, I suspect what you are describing is somewhat different from the feeling musicians get, myself included, when the band is in sync and playing off of each others energy.

After a really good jam, it almost feels like the afterglow of an intimate encounter.

On the other hand, it could be exactly the same.

Time to light a cigarette.......

P.S.

I think what Dana was saying is that you have progressed to the point of being able to enjoy your music while you play instead of worrying and fighting your instrument.

Become one with the theremin.

Ohmmmmmmmmmmm.................

Most people are able to hear themselves objectively when they listen to a playback of one of their own recorded performances. The art lies in retaining the objectivity while you are in the act of delivering that performance. 

Young and/or inexperienced performers often mistake the degree to which they are "into" what they are doing, for the excellence of what they are doing.