Stagefright
We all know the feeling of terror when we take the stage. That
hyper-aware place where your thoughts become jumbled, your voice
quavers and your palms sweat. If you say, "Oh, not me! I never
get stage fright" I say you're lying or you've never been on
stage. Performers in general and musicians in particular are
insecure by nature. That's why we seek the spotlight in the
first place, to gain validation from others. Don't worry, it
doesn't have to paralyze your performance or worse, keep you
from performing at all. You may not be able to banish it
completely, and you may not want to as it can be used to your
advantage. Read on McDuff and I'll pass along the words of
wisdom I've absorbed in my years of dealing with stage fright
and discussing it with other professional musicians.
MENTAL IMAGERY The very first line of defense against stage
fright is using your own mind to blunt it's impact through
mental imagery. Remember what that last audience looked like the
last time stage fright negatively affected your performance? Now
change that picture in your mind. Imagine those scary people all
in their underwear. Briefs and boxers with little pink cupids
and superman underoos. They look rediculous don't they? The more
rediculous the better. They don't seem all that threatening any
more do they? The next gig you play, just as you're about to
play, take a look at the audience and choose their mental
underwear. Then close your eyes for a moment and really try to
form the mental picture. They may wonder what the hell you're
laughing about but they're not going to seem very threatening.
PREPARATION Be prepared and you will not feel so insecure.
Practice, practice, practice. Know your parts before you get to
rehearsal and use the time in rehearsal to fit the parts
together. That's what rehearsal is for. Take a few minutes
before the show to run over the first few numbers in your head
or on your instrument quietly, preferably in private. Once you
have the momentum going by playing a couple very well prepared
songs, the rest of the show is a piece of cake. You'll have the
confidence borne of success to carry you through the rest of the
evening. MEDITATION OR DEEP BREATHING EXERCISES Try this little
exercise for relieving stress. Take a slow, deep breath through
your mouth. Really fill those lungs up. Hold it just for a half
a second and breathe out through your nose very slowly until
your lungs empty. Repeat this a few times. Don't you just feel
the stress ebb away? Your perception becomes clear. You become
calm and centered. You've just increased the oxygen level in
your brain, increasing it's power and clarity. Feels good,
doesn't it? MANTRA Oh Mantra sounds like a mystical word doesn't
it? It's just a phrase that you repeat over and over. With each
repetition, you believe it more. You can make up your own but,
as goofy as they sound, here's some I've used that worked for
me. "I'm a musician and you're just regular people. You wish you
were me." "Tonight is the night of my best performance ever"
"Damn, I'm good!" "Every female in the house wants me" "You look
pretty stupid in your underwear" Okay, I made the last one up on
the spot but you get the idea. Take a self-affirming thought,
turn it into a phrase and repeat it over and over in your mind.
BE ON TIME AND INSIST YOUR BANDMATES DO THE SAME Feeling frantic
trying to get set up in a hurry, starting the show without a
sound check, having the club owner watching you get ready to
play, etc. These add an enormous amount of stress to the
beginning of your show. If you have a bandmate that constantly
shows up at the last minute or late, fire him and replace him.
This person is no pro and he'll drag you down. If you are always
late, shame on you! Buy a watch. Leave your house an hour early.
Grow up, there are other people's reputations depending on you.
I make it a point to be the first person to arrive at a
venue.but I don't go inside until the second person shows up.
That way I don't feel nervous in an unfamiliar place with only
strangers around me. DRINK WATER No alcohol before the third
set. (or none at all ) And no pot smoking, it makes you
paranoid. Save it for after the show if you must partake.
ESTABLISH A PRE-SHOW RITUAL Rituals are comforting. They make
you feel comfortable in a place and in your mental space. I
insist that set up be done 15 minutes minimum before show time
including all sound checks. This 15 minutes is mine and I suffer
no interruptions. I go to the dressing room or my car and do
deep breathing 5 X. I then run over the first two songs in my
head. I then do my mantra. At 5 minutes before the show I grab a
bottle of water, hit the bathroom and splash my face. I time my
arrival to exactly show time and count down or cue the first
song. No talking, no intro, just go. The goofy people in their
underwear KNOW you're a professional, there to entertain them.
USE THE EVIL POWER FOR GOOD I briefly mentioned the
"hyper-aware" state that stage fright can induce. This is your
naturally occuring "fight or flee" response to a situation you
percieve as dangerous. Your perceptions are heightened, you hear
better, you see better...you can perform better. By the way,
it's not really dangerous on-stage. I've played some of the
roughest bars and biker clubhouses around and the only time an
audience member has physically attacked me is when they were an
angry husband or boyfriend trying to keep me from taking their
woman away from them. Just see who's with that total babe before
you hit on her too hard and you're safe. SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP
If nothing else works, see a counselor or doctor. There are many
therapies and medications that can help with extreme stage
fright. I've heard of many performers who take beta-blocking
drugs and swear they do wonders. Don't let your musical talent
be stifled.