"A voice is very intimate. It's something of your own. So there's always this fear, because you feel naked. There's a fear of not reaching up to expectations." -Andrea Bocelli
I remember the first time I ever stood in-front of a group of people to perform. It was way back in high-school and thankfully it was a group ensemble performance because i would have embarrassed myself silly. I was scared and literally had butterflies in my stomach. I kept on imagining and fearing an instance where my throat would suddenly close up, or become dry or my voice would break and i would croak or i would completely freeze and forget my lyrics. Mayne, i was so nervous and it showed. But luckily enough, none of that stuff happened but i just couldnt help feeling it.
When i began doing solo performances, all those feelings became 10 times worse. My body would shake like the room has suddenly dropped in temperature, my hands would involuntarily do a dance, my mind would go blank, my mouth would suddenly start twitching and so much more. Im telling you my stage fright is the worst kind. Even though i have done a couple of public and private performances, i still go through those same motions.
Performance anxiety stems from the tendency of focusing on yourself
rather the presentation, from fighting your anxiety rather than
accepting and working with it. Not only in Music, but also in other areas of life. Being a musician is tough. Yes, what you've heard is wrong. The amount of preparation both physically and mentally that it takes to make a person able to stand up in front of hundreds or thousands of people and completely open up and bare their soul can take a life time. To some it comes naturally but to others its just the opposite.
Some musicians take to drugs to curb their anxiety while others take to seeking help to do the same. I'm all for seeking help rather than drugs because it leads to addiction and the rest is history. Great musicians like Amy Winehouse have taken from us too soon because of this deadly weapon. I'm not saying that the only kind of help that you can get is from a doctor. Nope! You can always seek help from yourself. The internet is your friend so why not use it.
So how do you deal with this motions? Well, here are a few tips that have helped me to begin controlling my anxiety:
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1. Close your eyes and breathe. Scientifically proven to calm your nerves and keep you relaxed. I always do this before and on stage.
2. Chanel that passion that you feel for your craft into your
performance. Close your eyes, through your head back, dance, engage with
the crowd and let go of your fears. You could also feed from the energy that audience is exuding.
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| Image courtesy of Google. |
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| Image courtesy of Google. |
3. Accept your anxiety and work with it. I have come to understand and accept that i will most probably always have stage fright and that i only need to learn how to make it work for me.
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4. Learn your craft and practice. Practice does make perfect. I am a trumpeter and singer. So putting hours into my practice schedule has allowed me to keep up with both demands and improve on them. Works hand in hand with confidence.
5. Give yourself a pep-talk. Give yourself a slogan that you can be telling yourself so that you get through it. Things like 'No-one else can do this but me', 'Lets do this' really reaffirms your confidence. I always tell myself 'No-one can play the trumpet/sing like you can. Now get up there and do your best.'
6. Do an activity that you love just before a performance. That joy that you feel will reduce effects of pre-performance anxiety. I love to play mobile games so i do that every time before a performance.
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There you have it. In whatever you do, dont let anxiety get the best of you!
From a Student of Life and a Music Student.
Happy Reading!
Esther xx
