most important concert of my life next week at carnegie hall........ horribly nervous.. any pointers??? and also, does ayone have some advice on ways to help playe a piccolo with horribly ruined pads???

There are two recent threads about pre-performance jitters, you'll find a lot of good information there.

The best way to play a piccolo with horribly ruined pads is to get it repadded. How did they get damaged?

FAMOUS JOKE

Girl on street in New York City: "How do I get to Carnegie Hall?"

Passerby on sidewalk: "Practice, practice, practice -- but get your instrument checked out and repadded by a technician first!"

I've never in my whole 1 year of music done a concert.

But to stop getting nervous you should think about the audience.

The audience are expecting the musicians to play, they'll be the ones sitting there.
So you got to be the boss of the stage.
Don't think that you're there to see the audience, the audience is there to see you.

(from an earlier post)

remember that nerves are normal, nothing wrong with being afraid to play in front of people, but remember, they WANT you to do well and are with you, much like if you are in a sporting event, so keep that in mind..

playing the piece with a metronome without stopping is good practice, also, go through the music very slowly

that is really well said, remember always that the audience is with you, if there is anyone in the audience that wishes you ill or hopes that you make mistakes, feel sorry for them..

I always imagine backstage is the kitchen and the audience are my dinner guests, when I walk onstage, it is much like greeting my guests..

also remember, that when you walk on stage all those people are strangers, by the end of the evening, they are your best friends

During maestro Pierre-Yves Artaud's masterclass, (he's now Paris Conseratorie chief flute professor), he said that, everybody is nervous at some point, even himself, it's perfectly normal, depends on in what event and to whom you are playing! He said once he was most nervous in his life playing in Kyoto international flute convention, because there were 3000 world's best flautists watching him play, his feeling was like "standing in front of 3000 hungry lions", because they knew the flute and pieces too well, and they were trying to find all your mistakes and weaknesses and to critisize you.

So you just think of those people watching you play don't know anything about the flute and your pieces, just think they are ignorant audience, then you will no longer feeling nervous, lol. I mean how many people in this world really know the flute and music? lol

<Added>

Many teachers said: flutists and musicians they are always critisize you, but audience always enjoy your playing.

thank you for all of your help everyone!!!! wish meluck!!! i will be leaving on a flight to new york tonight!!!! thanks for the support

Good luck!

If you look at this video, then you will know what I mean. no one knows or understands music and know what's good and what's bad, lol. they just think of Carnegie, wow, must be good. basker must be bad...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myq8upzJDJc

<Added>

Also this is a very good example of bad singer can become famous, because no one knows music, lol...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM6qntPpyZ0

"Florence Foster Jenkins (July 19, 1868 – November 26, 1944) was an American soprano who became famous for her complete lack of rhythm, pitch, tone, and overall singing ability."

Florence Foster Jenkins was popular because she was so horrible, much the way we love to stop our cars and stare at a traffic accident

Will we hear back from new-york-dreamer about the performance in New York?

I think that this is the topic, that other guys already mentioned. I think You can find plenty of good hints, and probable there will be at least one that fits You personally.

Anyway, good luck and please inform us thereafter, how it went in the end :-)