How to Conquer Stage Fright

 How to Stop Shaking and Start Playing!

So… you’re backstage waiting to go on. There’s a certain feeling in the pit of your stomach and a fine sweat on your brow. The lights go up; you walk on stage and take a seat, place your hands on the keys… from first note to last, it’s a success!

As musicians, we all go through it. Some of us rely on it to tell us everything’s alright and we may even fail without it… it's called anticipatory tension (nerves).

With most of us, the nervousness only lasts as long as the first few notes. But for some of us, the nerves take over and we are immobilized by fright and unable to carry out the simplest of musical tasks in the sight of others. This is stage fright. Why is it so hard for some?

It could be that they suffer from a nervous disorder. But unless you have been diagnosed with a nervous disorder, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have something so serious. 

Often, it’s something simple… like what?

Nervousness can be caused by

• Insufficient and ineffective practice.

• Other people’s expectations.

• General tension.

• Lack of self-confidence.

How do we stop shaking and start playing?

Systematic practice...is one of the hardest things to get right; especially when it is something you’re not used to. So how can we get the most out of the time we spend practicing?

Organization is the key! Organize time… regular intervals of practice and short units of music, with targets and deadlines. I cannot stress this enough… A small portion of work practiced daily, in minutes; is worth far more than big chunks with hours of work, every few days.

Experienced musicians spend two or three hours a day (if not more) practicing. Even musicians who work full-time in other occupations find an hour or two to practice every day. (I’ve known a cardiac surgeon who practiced Cello for an hour every morning, before work.)

• Work out a good schedule and stick with it.

• Work on the parts of the pieces that need work then enjoy the parts you’ve already mastered. Mastering your pieces brings a sense of accomplishment and accomplishment builds self-confidence.

Other people’s expectations. 

Knowing that someone else wants us to perform well increases our tension. The way to counteract this is to always keep a positive attitude.

Every time family and friends see you, they don’t need to remind you of “the big day” that’s coming up or what’s at stake… nobody realizes what’s involved better than you.

So, talk things over with the people involved and clear the air. Ask for only positive encouragement… that “you’ll do just fine” instead of “Are you sure you're ready” - These so-called “good vibrations”; will increase your self-esteem, not your nerves. This has a calming effect and will restore your sense of balance.

While practicing something new I often make mistakes in places that take time and practice to rectify. Being a worrier by nature; my mother will often say “You’re still making mistakes there”, even though I’ve asked her not to. 

So, one day I casually said in reply; “I know, and I intend to make the same mistake on opening night too.” Of course, she looked at me as if I was a few nuts short of a complete set, but saying that accomplished something important... 

1. It made her stop mentioning it, which lessened my tension;  
2. Most importantly... It opened my mind up to the possibility that I may make that mistake on stage too and I told myself it didn’t matter. 

That thought released the tension that had built up because of the mistake and the mistake righted itself before too long.

 “While everything goes perfectly some of the time; nothing goes perfectly all of the time.”

General tension...which is the feeling of stress from a strict routine and focused line of thought.

This can be easily managed with physical approaches. 

1. Eating sensible and regular meals. 
2. Getting enough sleep. 
3. Making time for leisure activities (usually something like swimming. Hiking, or dancing) that improve breathing and posture… what’s that they say, about “all work and no play” 

You’ll be amazed at how simple things like these relieve stress.

Self-confidence... means believing in yourself. 

Remember “insecurity is infectious while self-confidence is contagious” 

So walk on stage well-prepared and expecting success. Nevertheless, keep in mind this simple fact… “While everything goes perfectly some of the time; nothing goes perfectly all of the time.” 

We need to accept that we are only human and as humans, we mess things up from time to time. Use the so-called ‘off day’ as a learning experience.

“During one performance I left out a complete line of music! This increased my nervous tension for the rest of the night’s performance, completely unsettling me. When the performance ended, I felt let down and unhappy… feeling like I had ruined something I practiced so hard for.

However, after the performance, from the chatter around me, I realized some hadn’t noticed anything different and those who did said it was an “out of the ordinary” arrangement of the music. So, the next night I left out the same line of music again… this time on purpose!” Janice De Silva

Expecting to be perfect all the time fuels self-doubt not self-confidence. 

The more practice you have the more prepared you’ll be. Add to this the ability to have fun with what you're doing, and it works wonders for your self-confidence.

Let’s leave the nerves behind.

So… you’re backstage waiting to go on. There’s a certain feeling in the pit of your stomach and a fine sweat on your brow…

You’ve looked forward to this day for months and you know you’ll do “just fine”. The lights go up; you take a deep breath and let it out slowly; then you walk on, take a seat, and place your hands on the keys… 

Doing what you love to do... You have been given the gift of music and you know you have been blessed!

This is just my experience as a musician from the age of thirteen. Maybe you've had a different experience or maybe you have questions on a music topic. Tell me about it in the comments below. 

My next music article will be on how we can treat those musical mistakes that get on our nerves. look for it, it will be here soon.

As always, let the music move you!