Question:
i play violin&piano, so i have auditions, recitals, and competitions once in awhile. its just that i get extremely nervous eveyrtime i play in front of an audience, even if it's just one judge. and the nervousness severely weakens my performance. i thought if i had more stage experience, i wouldnt be as nervous, but if anything, im MORE nervous every time. i have an important audition in around 2 weeks, and im scared that nervousness will mess me up. what do i do?
Answer:
I don't know any of the "tricks" to not having it. For me, I just go up on stage and play like I normally do in my house or at practice. This is just from a worship team member's point of view, but you get the idea, probably. I don't "do" anything specific to try to ward off stage fright. I just try to ignore it, especially if I know that I know what I'm doing
Answer:
I don't really have a whole lot of advice, but i just wanted to let you know that i am in the same boat. I get REALLY nervous before i play, especially if im alone. It's not so bad when im with a band, but alone im a nervous wreck. What i do is just focus on my guitar. I block out everything else going on around me and stare at my guitar and focus on it.
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I usually use my instrument as a tool to "Hide" behind. Try thinking of it as the audience can see only your instrument.. not you. I have also found it easier to be on stage with someone else.. becasue then you know the focus is not completly on you.
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yeah, and the more you do it, the the easier it gets!!!! maybe try to when you are practicing at home to have your mom/ dad /friend/ brother/sister watch you, that way you'll be used to being the " center of attention" instead of just somthing in the background. If you know what i mean!!
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I used to always get stage fright... Severe. Then I had a teacher way back in grade 9 who encouraged me for once (unlike years of other teachers who were good but didn't adress the problem) and got me into public speaking. I still am shy on any kind of stage but can now play guitar, speek, whatever. I just recomend that you keep at it and in different ways - try speaking, or playing something new. You could always try the painted black goggles thing so you can't see anyone.
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It doesn't matter how many times you do it, or what tricks you try. If you can't feel at home performing, you will only get worse the more you perform. Because every time, you have more successes under your belt, and more is at stake.
Relax. Be at home on the stage. Don't worry. I don't think anyone can ever completely get rid of their nerves before a performance- if so, they are either an idiot and need to stop being so confident, or they just love to perform.
Have you tried jamming? Or just playing with groups of people, casually? That will help you loosen up. You'll have to force yourself at first, but pretty soon you will be comfortable. Then audiences will just be a fancier version of a jam session, with more rules.
Answer:
When you're up there concentrate on you and the instrument. That's all that matters - you, the instrument, and the music that you both produce together. Sit, or stand as the case may be, and take some deep breathes before you start to play. Hum the first phrase to yourself very softly and think about exactly how you want it to sound. Then dive in with all your heart and soul and don't stop.
Never underestimate the power of prayer to help calm your nerves and aid your concentration. Have someone pray with you before you go out on stage.
The way that you learn the piece itself can have great affect on your performance, as well. I switched to taking lessons from an older college professor right out of highschool, and she truly changed the way I learned music. The more you know your piece, the better off you will be. I don't mean just being able to play the notes, but knowing the notes inside and out. This won't help a lot right now, with your audition being only 2 weeks away, but learning music in sections, memorizing them, and playing them out of order will do wonders. This makes you feel so much more secure, because knowing that if you do forget one part you can easily jump ahead and be OK. That happened to me in a recital - I forgot, and skipped ahead to another section. The whole time I knew exactly where I was and exactly what had happened; I never lost my composure and best of all, nobody knew I'd messed up!
Best of luck to you in your audition.
Answer:
I don't want to be revolutionary or something here. But I'd actually say that concentrating on the instrument can, no, it will be devastating for a performance, audition, skit or whatever you may encounter in your performing career.
Don't be mistaken, the excitement will always be there while you are on stage. You can either run away from it (stay away from any public performance), ignore it (bury yourself in the music sheet, instrument), or learn to enjoy it.
If you ignore the excitement, you're also ignoring the source - your audience. And they won't like it most times, especially if it is a judge at an audition. The only situation you might get away with it is if you're not a key figure on stage.
Instead of ignoring your audience, try to approach them as someone you want to make friends with. They're not there to rip and tear apart your performance. They came to see, and to hear you perform. In some situations, if you're a frontman, or a solo performer you might even want to make some verbal contact with them. Maybe a little greeting, explanation about the song or whatever (shouldn't be too long). Make yourself at home. Show them that stage is where you feel at home, and that you're excited because you're back home after a long time you were away. Judges, the audience, everyone usually knows you're excited and it makes everything harder. They'll see it, and they won't kill you because of it =)
If you'll face the audience instead of ignoring it, the fear of stage will turn into excitement. I was afraid of getting on stage earlier in my life, but now I just love it. Just practice it.
And of course, make sure you know what you play by heart. Make sure you know the order of things. It will make everything easier.
And practice with friends/family as an audience. Tell them that you're very excited for the next audition/performance and that you want to show them your material, and hear their opinion.
God Bless,
Danny
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This may sound wierd...but oh well, here it goes....kind of what Xakep said.
Instead of thinking that people are there to watch you or judge you, think of it the other way around. You must be pretty good if your playing alot...YOU are performing for THEM.
Embrace the fact that they are there to see you. Get excited that you get to share and strut your stuff for them. I mean, you are good.
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Originally Posted by RipVanWinkle This may sound wierd...but oh well, here it goes....kind of what Xakep said.
Instead of thinking that people are there to watch you or judge you, think of it the other way around. You must be pretty good if your playing alot...YOU are performing for THEM.
Embrace the fact that they are there to see you. Get excited that you get to share and strut your stuff for them. I mean, you are good.
Good idea. Also, try not to look at your audience in the eye. When I first started performing, I would just ether stare at the mic, or at the wall behind the audience. Now gotten to the point that I’ve started to look them in the eye, and sometimes it scares the crap out of me. But it gives me a good thrill and adrenaline to use in my performance.
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I have a problem playing in front of a few people i know compared to a massive crowd. When my just a few people watch us practice, i get nervous. When I'm in front of a few hundred, however, the adrenaline keeps me from getting nervous.
Rock on, man...
--B
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Many people have said this, but just do it. You will grow accustomed to the stage and stage fright will fade. The nervousness should never go away. If you pushing the envelope with your performance and going to to the edge of your abilities, you should be nervous. But there's nothing wrong with that, its normal. I still get butterflies every time I go on stage or on the ball field. And IMO it's a great feeling.
Answer:
Originally Posted by Brandon I have a problem playing in front of a few people i know compared to a massive crowd. When my just a few people watch us practice, i get nervous. When I'm in front of a few hundred, however, the adrenaline keeps me from getting nervous.
Rock on, man...
--B
I think it isn't only you like this.
When you're playing in front of few people, the fear you have is very focused. Your fear of being judged, which in large crowds is kind of blurred and dissolved in all the mass of people is very real and immediate when you're playing in front of a very small amount of people. You don't deal with a statistic "will they like it?", you deal with "oh, he looks like it doesn't sound ok", "but he likes folk more than rock". You're altogether more focused on the specific fears.
Just like calling a bunch of friends to a party with your loved one as one of them will be much easier than calling just your loved one to hang out with you somewhere. A whole more personal level.
Originally Posted by Sean.thomson Good idea. Also, try not to look at your audience in the eye. When I first started performing, I would just ether stare at the mic, or at the wall behind the audience. Now gotten to the point that I’ve started to look them in the eye, and sometimes it scares the crap out of me. But it gives me a good thrill and adrenaline to use in my performance. Well, that would depend on how used you are to stage playing. I prefer keeping in touch with my audience all the time.
I'd still reccomend for him to get used to keeping at least a loose contact with the crowd. Maybe just look at the crowd as a crowd. Don't look them in the eyes, don't personalise them yet. It will be much easier to deal with a crowd as a crowd. When you get personal, as I said before, the fear and excitment quadruple.
Now some people are ready to deal with it, and some people have a path to complete.
Also, pray for it! God is great. He can do everything. And if God's will for you is performing, he will deal with your fears and help you.
When I was about thirteen, I was invited to a youth group. I wasn't a strong believer back then, so I got some excuses running. One of them was "I have motion sickness, so I'll feel terrible all this fourty minute ride to youth group on a car"... So the guys who invited me didn't give up, they prayed for me. Guess what? Since then I never, ever had ANY form of motion sickness, sea sickness or whatever. I enjoy what was causing me discomfort before.
Keep playing dude!
Answer:
Originally Posted by celebrations__x i play violin&piano, so i have auditions, recitals, and competitions once in awhile. its just that i get extremely nervous eveyrtime i play in front of an audience, even if it's just one judge. and the nervousness severely weakens my performance. i thought if i had more stage experience, i wouldnt be as nervous, but if anything, im MORE nervous every time. i have an important audition in around 2 weeks, and im scared that nervousness will mess me up. what do i do? ...Some of the wisdom I hold onto in dealing with stage fright (I am 33, and have been performing since I was 5--professionally since I was about 15) is:
1. Don't shoo away the butterfiles, the key is to get them to fly in single file.
2. Eric Clapton when asked if he ever had or gets stage fright said something like: I get that every time I perform. I call it unidentified energy. I take it and use it in my performance.
3. "Practice what you can't do, and do what yuou can." Something I made up and learned to sharpen my weaknesses in performance that might lead to nervousness."
4. But the best one ever is found in the Bible: Memorize these and hide them in your heart of hearts---
2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV) For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. & Colossians 3:16-17 (KJV) 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. -memorize them in your favorite translation.
If you apply one or all (as I try to and teach others to do so to this day), I guarantee you will see improvement even in your next performance. Rely on God for strength and simply rest in Him.