How to Start a Performance with More Accuracy (Without the Onstage Warm-Up)

One of my teachers often used to say that no matter what you’re playing, when you’re on stage, the beginning of a piece is always the hardest part. Not because the opening is more difficult technically, but because we’ve generally been sitting around for a little while, so we’re feeling kind of cold, a little disconnected from our instrument, and nervous and jittery. And it often takes us a minute or two to get warmed up and really hit our stride. Which might not be the end of the world if yo...