Short & sweet insights to help you tame the Stage Fright monster...
Performance Anxiety: Micro-Lessons
Category: Performance Anxiety
A complete course in taming the stage fright monster
Performance Anxiety: Frank’s Ritual
Allow me to wrap things up by sharing a simple, yet powerful, ritual that I use to center and focus my body, mind, and spirit as I sit down to play... It's something that I do routinely... not just before each and every performance... but also before each and every study-practice session. On my piano … Continue reading Performance Anxiety: Frank’s Ritual
Performance Anxiety: Courage
We have now arrived at the moment of truth when we have to decide that we really are going to play for others. To that end, let's psych ourselves up by embracing the following... There is no bigger confidence booster than confronting the stage fright monster face to face and living to tell the story. … Continue reading Performance Anxiety: Courage
Performance Anxiety: A Meditation on Gratitude
Sincere GRATITUDE has the power to transform our entire being and attitude towards performance... ... from a dreadful ordeal to a life-affirming celebration. To that end, let's do a simple guided meditation... Meditation on Gratitude Audio Meditation on Gratitude Transcript Go to the piano... and sit as you normally would. Close your eyes... and take … Continue reading Performance Anxiety: A Meditation on Gratitude
Performance Anxiety: Connection
Did you know that the audience is in your corner? They want you to be successful... and not in a selfish way... not as if they demand to be entertained... not in the sense that they expect perfection. What they really want is to enjoy life and to connect with something authentic beyond the routine … Continue reading Performance Anxiety: Connection
Performance Anxiety: Presence
Musical performance at its best occurs when you literally forget you are playing... ... and you become the music! In this magical place, all self-consciousness evaporates and the music seems to play itself, leaving no room for self-criticism, worry, or regret... and therefore no room for stage fright. Doing so automatically crowds out all negative … Continue reading Performance Anxiety: Presence
Performance Anxiety: Stage Fright Practice
The stage is not where and when you want to discover how your brain and body are going to react and perform under pressure. Fortunately, you can actually practice having stage fright and practice responding to it well before the performance. The practice goes like this: Create enough pressure to trigger your emotional, mental, and … Continue reading Performance Anxiety: Stage Fright Practice
Performance Anxiety: Aspirations
It is extremely stressful to be something you are not. And it's even more stressful to pretend to be something you are not. Your comfort and confidence in front of an audience is directly proportional to your willingness to be yourself. So, don’t compare yourself to anybody else. Don't try to play like anybody else. … Continue reading Performance Anxiety: Aspirations
Performance Anxiety: Mistake-Proofing
The purpose of quality study-practice is NOT to make sure you never make a mistake... The purpose of quality study-practice is to make sure you know the music so well that you can keep on playing like it's no big deal when you do make a mistake! No one is suggesting that you walk into … Continue reading Performance Anxiety: Mistake-Proofing
Performance Anxiety: Having Fun
It took me some time to fully appreciate the verb used for the making of sounds with a musical instrument... PLAYING! Ones plays a musical instrument! And to play is to have fun, right? So, don't think of the stage as a battleground...Think of the stage as your playground! If your music is fun to … Continue reading Performance Anxiety: Having Fun