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Performance Anxiety

Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2011-05-01 14:34

I found a good article on dealing with musical performance anxiety. It's by Barbara Conable, a well-known teacher of bodymapping.

http://replay.web.archive.org/20090501001506/http://www.bodymap.org/articles/artperformanceanxiety.html.

Ken Shaw

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Re: Performance Anxiety

Author: Dan Paprocki
Date: 2011-05-01 16:05

You might want to look at a paper I did on Performance Anxiety at:

http://www1.woodwind.org/the-online-clarinet-resource/daniel-a-paprocki/it-s-all-in-the-mind.html

Dan

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Re: Performance Anxiety

Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2011-05-02 01:14

Both excellent articles.

As one of the best of the best teachers of Clarinet recently said in a Masterclass

"your performance can be looked at in two ways, as an ordeal, or as an opportunity."

http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com

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Re: Performance Anxiety

Author: Katrina
Date: 2011-05-02 03:40

I look at performing as a party for me!

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Re: Performance Anxiety

Author: Tony F
Date: 2011-05-02 15:13

A friend was auditioning for a vocal part in an opera. It was his biggest audition up until then and he was pretty uptight about it. His GP gave him something to settle him, which it did very well. He went on for the audition without a moment of self-doubt or a tremor of anxiety. Also without the words, which he had completely forgotten. It can work against you.

Tony F.

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Re: Performance Anxiety

Author: stebinus2
Date: 2011-05-28 16:43

I think of "nerves" as actually the energy you receive from your audience. When you are just practicing by yourself you don't get this kind of outside energy and so you become used to a low energy input level. When you suddenly go in front of an audience you may become overwhelmed by their energy, especially if you don't perform much. So as in all things, practice makes better. Take every opportunity to perform in front of people. I don't believe in taking drugs, not just because they are ultimately harmful, but because they block the flow of this energy to you. It's your job to harness this tremendous energy and feed it back to the audience. If you can do this, the sky's the limit as far as success is concerned. Learn your material cold. I believe it was Itzak Perlman who has said if he can play a piece (by memory of course) while watching a football game on TV then he knows he is ready. Another thing you can do is imagine yourself playing in front of people when you practice alone. Come up with images to play in your mind to make you nervous, a crowded auditorium, unsmiling faces, even hecklers. And above all, learn to focus your attention on what you are doing and not be distracted by whoever is out there. Performing is about being truly alive in the moment. Concentrate on the spirit of the music and let it carry you away and stay with it. It's like flying without an airplane!

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Re: Performance Anxiety

Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2011-05-28 17:38

If you are truly engaged in making, and enjoying the music, you probably won't be nervous.

Thinking about it can be, but in the actual performance things should calm down quickly if you are completely engaged.

http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com

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Re: Performance Anxiety

Author: Buster
Date: 2011-05-29 01:15

Post Edited (2011-05-30 20:51)

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