Stage fright

[imported_admin]

How would you rate your level of stage fright when performing for strangers?

Vote and post your own experiences. (You have to be registered to post).

Adrian,
GSI

[adrian]

I found that for me it gets easier the more you do it. Just like playing itself. And if you fall out of the habit, it feels like you're back to square one.

Adrián

[edwardcav]

I am getting better, I just get in the frame of mind that I am offering something to the audience, and that the music that my instrument is making is truly beautiful, and that for the audience - it is a privelege! I know that sounds a bit *soft* but it works. It calms me down, and I play more passionately, and the result is a less faulty performance.

Also, there is an interesting afterword in Scott Tennant's Pumping Nylon about Stage preparation and repertoire practice.

[stubthumbs]

when i play for my friends r my friend's friends, im relaxed and cool, because they probably wont kno if i mess up or not. :lol: but if its a formal performance, like for a competition or a wedding, i dont get nervous until a couple minutes before the performance! it depends on the audience and the piece im performing.

[Jon Carter]

I'll go with Adrian on this one - consistent exposure is the key

Do something that scares you everyday.
If you are performing today, do something that exceeds your performance anxiety levels. And exceed their expectations!

[sorefingers45]

Throughout the years, I have performed in front of audiences as a singer or piano player. I've played the piano in church and sang for open mike. I have never played the guitar in front of an audience. From past experience, I have been apprehensive about performing. Nevertheless, I have always managed to perform without a hitch. In a few weeks, I have plans to participate in a guitar performance, with other students who take lessons from our private instructor. I suspect that the number of performers will be small. I want to play for other audiences, but here in Los Angeles, I find it difficult to locate other classical guitar players. Some of the universities have guitar societies, but because of work commitments, there are schedule conflicts. If there are organizations in Los Angeles, such as http://www.breadandroses.org/ , or just a group of people who would like to perform for non profit organizations, then send a response. Why not give the gift of music to those who are unable to travel to a concert. Oh...I almost forgot, my level of stage fright is moderate. :?

[uniqman]

Hello, It's been my experience that how nervous I am when I perform is directly related to how prepared I feel about the piece I'm performing. If I practice correctly and can play a piece well I don't get nervous on stage, it's a very enjoyable experience. But this wasn't always the case for me, there was a time when no matter what my level of preparation was on a piece I would get sweaty palms, my hands would shake, and I'd have memory lapses. I recently discovered the power of letting go of the ego, I havn't mastered this concept yet, but I noticed a big improvement in my stage presence and performances since I started applying this concept.
Thank You.

[Rex]

Don't forget to breath. When we get tense our muscles tighten and our breathing gets shallow and then we have less oxygen. Losing oxygen to the brain gets us more nervous and starts a vicious circle. Breath deep from the diaphram. This is also a cure for people who suffer from anxiety attacks. The second thing I would like to add is to practice playing through mistakes. This really helped me. Often when we practice and make a mistake we stop, back up, and play that section again. This will not do for a live concert. I never stop, even when practicing. I have learned to play through mistakes. You can recover if you have practiced recovering. Often the mistake is just one or two notes and few listeners will not even know you did not mean to play it like that if you keep the flow going. And knowing one small mistake will not sink you, that you can recover and continue, will take so much pressure off of you that you will play everything with more confidence and less mistakes. It is easy to walk down a 4 inch wide board that is on the ground, but put it 30 feet in the air and you can't do it. The difference is you KNOW you can easily recover from a mistep if you are inches from the ground. One last thing I will mention that has helped me: If there is one part of a piece that constantlly gives me trouble I will leave out a harmony note (never a melody note) and that can make all the difference in the world. I'm not a pro so it doesn't matter and nobody has ever noticed it. I leave out one harmony note when I play Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring. No one has ever noticed. It sounds better to play one clean note than to mess up two or three notes. I'm not saying never work on those difficult parts, but it is ok to adapt a piece to your ability.