Even as a graduate student, I still feel a few nerves when I sit at the keyboard in front of an audience, particularly if I'm playing a more difficult piece. Also known by its more professional moniker "performance anxiety," it's listed as most people's greatest fear. But unlike in high school and at those first juries, I know it doesn't have to be mine (or yours)!
In the hopes that it will help others, I want to share what works for me and some of the other musicians I know. These are the tips I've picked up from not only performing music but also from public speaking and many job interviews.
1. Figure out your rituals. In the hours leading up to a big performance, I like to sing or hum along to Spotify playlists. Singing will force you to breathe more deeply, and that will calm you down. Other people wear a certain pair of socks every time or eat a certain food (like a banana, which many performers prefer for their naturally nerve-easing chemicals). Rules and regulations can provide comfort and familiarity in an unpredictable setting.
2. Over-prepare. I can’t tell you the number of times that I’ve wished I practiced more. When you think you have it, do it one more time. Your friends will still be available to hang out after the performance, too!
3. Embrace the adrenaline. Don’t fight it — your body is pumping you full of butterflies because, believe it or not, it wants to help you! There’s no turning it off, but you can thank your body for keeping you alert and energized.
4. Exercise. A professional musician once told me that his problem isn’t so much fear as overexcitement. Exercise helps him release excess energy and boosts endorphins to boot.
5. Recite words to your favorite song, poem or prayer. The regular rhythm will ease the flurry in your head even if you can’t speak out loud. If you’re performing at a church, pay attention to the liturgy or the Scripture readings. You might not feel like reading along, but even if not, listen to the congregation and let them carry you through it.
6. Remember your audience. OK, so this doesn’t help if you’re auditioning for strangers, but musicians often perform for peers, professors, churchgoers and fans. If someone showed up at your concert or if a church asked you to sing, it’s because they love you! They think you’re saying something worth hearing, and they’re sending positive vibes. Focus on their positive attitudes rather than your own feelings.
Above all — and this is cliché, but true — don’t forget to love what you’re doing. Maybe you don’t like singing in front of people, but you love this song. I’ve attended performances and become swept away by the enthusiasm of the performer even if I didn’t like the song they chose. Passion is powerful, and it can sweep people off their feet and distract them, if just for a little while, from the drudge of everyday life. And isn’t that what art is all about?
