Who's Afraid of a Blackout?

24 Jan 2026 @ 15:00 GMT

Have you ever frozen mid-performance? Lost your place during a childhood recital, or watched someone else struggle through a memory lapse? You’re not alone. Popular culture has only amplified this fear; think of Madame Sousatzka, where a dramatic blackout becomes a make-or-break moment!

But despite the myths, performance blackouts are not mysterious, unpredictable disasters. They’re understandable, preventable and manageable – with the right approach and tools.

In this workshop, Adina Mornell demystifies memory glitches by replacing superstition with science and practical strategies. Rather than letting past performance mishaps fuel anxiety, you’ll learn how to practise in ways that build stability, confidence and resilience at the piano.

What You’ll Learn

• What blackouts really are: how, when and where they occur
• How to practise proactively to prevent memory slips
• How perception, emotion and motor skills work during performance
• Strategies to recover smoothly from glitches in real time

Join us and gain a deeper understanding of musical memory and a toolkit you can immediately apply to your playing – ban the fear and turn the stage into a place of joy and expression.

Who It's For

This workshop is for you if:

• You are worried that you won’t be able to share your music with others due to the fear of blackouts
• It’s a mystery to you why some performances go really well and others are unsatisfying
• Your goal is to be able to enjoy playing the piano and focus on communicating with music expression rather than your nerves

Don’t miss this opportunity to expose fears from the past that might be holding you back from a rewarding and fulfilling experience at the piano today!

About Your Presenter – Adina Mornell

Adina Mornell is uniquely qualified to turn research results into actionable knowledge for musicians, having trained 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 worldwide as a solo pianist and written several books and articles (in English and German) for performers and teachers.

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