11.01.07
Dealing with Your Stage Fright
All performers get nervous - I guarantee it. For most people, those jitters never go away, they just become used to them. Eventually even the feeling of anxiety will be as familiar as feeling the shoes on your feet. The key to getting to that point is to get to know your anxiety, analyze it, understand it…then poke it in the eye and go perform.
Realize that paralyzing-anxiety is simply a fixation. Anxiety that causes a raised heartrate and a little sweatiness is natural. However, obsessing into a frenzy over what the audience will think of your song, or whether you will trip on the stairs, or why your ex is in the front row is not healthy. Instead of saying “what if I mess up” - calmly keep your focus on your technique so that you won’t mess up. Rather than asking “what if they don’t understand my song” - calmly keep your focus on being real and honest so that people have a good chance of feeling the same emotions you feel. Before you get to the venue make a mental list of 4 or 5 things that you are committed to focusing on. These could be as simple as “plugging into the soundsystem correctly” or “minding my feet so I don’t trip” or as abstract as “feeling real emotions during my song so it’s obvious that I’m emotionally engaged.”
Be prepared. Make sure you have all of your instruments, cords, hookups, stands, music, etc. before you leave your home or studio. Think about getting a transport consol (check out the rolling tool storage cases at
Home Depot) in which you can keep everything you need. First of all, it’s a lot more professional to show up with one organized box of stuff, rather than assorted loose cords and bags. Secondly, having a consolidated carrier that you pack the same way every time will help you realize when something is missing or out of place. Also, you can keep a constant stock of promo material in the case so you are never without posters, fliers, and business cards.
There is more than music. When planning your performance don’t forget that you will be doing more on stage than just music. Think about your entrances and exits for each set. If you have multiple band members do you want to enter or exit in a certain order? Do any of the bandmembers need to switch positions between songs? Don’t wind up milling around on stage akwardly - choreograph it beforehand. Also, do any of the instruments need re-tuned during the performance? Make sure you have some ideas for filling “air time” in case the tuning takes longer than expected. Learn some jokes, tell a story about the time you got your tattoo, whatever. Just keep it natural and talk to the audience like they’re in your living room. Remember, every second that people can see you is part of the performance.
Keep your clothing simple. Don’t make the mistake of choosing your clothes without thinking about your performance. High heels are great, but if you’re going to be on a small, rickety stage with crooked stairs maybe you should opt for flats. Yeah, the tight jeans look hot, but are you really going to do all the equipment loading and hookups in them? Always do a mock-up runthrough of the evening in the clothes you plan to wear. Also, many synthetic blends are 100% see-through when strong light shines on them. (I remember the performance where the singer’s bra and panty set were more clearly visible than her synthetic-blend dress.) Check the fabric of an outfit by shining a flashlight onto yourself in front of a mirror and see if you can see your underpants - if so, either wear nice underpants or choose a different outfit.
Breathe deeply. Shallow breathing brought on by nerves does 2 things:
1. It initiates a fight-or-flight response by simulating hyperventilation.
2. It causes your oxygen levels to fall, leaving you less prepared to deal with situations as they arise.
Take 10 minutes before your performance to breathe slowly and deeply into your abdomen, keeping your shoulders relaxed. Just breathe.
Be ready for things to go wrong. A rule that good performers quote often is that “something always goes wrong.” This is not a scary thing if you just accept it. There will always be problems - the most important thing is to keep your cool and do what you can to fix them. But ultimately the best thing you can do is to take a few deep breaths, relax and present your material as honestly as you can while maintaining your well-practiced technique.
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