It's frustrating and disheartening when all our preparation in the practice room doesn't make it out onto the stage. Instead of presenting the polished piece we've been performing in the comfort of our room, we're suddenly overcome by hyper-drive vibrato, sweaty palms, or a bow that jitters and skids as we squeak out our phrases. We're overwhelmed by mental calculations about difficult upcoming passages and worries about how we'll even be able to make it to the end of the piece, versus the thoughts we'd love to be having about sharing the character and emotion of the piece and connecting with our listeners. Sound familiar?
If so, I hope you enjoy this exploration into performance anxiety that goes far beyond imagining the audience in their underwear! I share my own journey through debilitating stage fright as a teen, and the tools, including hands on mind-body practices we'll experience during the episode, which I've used to foster more confidence and focus on stage, and to help get comfortable with the uncomfortable symptoms of performance anxiety. I hope you find new tips to help you and/or your students in what I have to share!
Happy Practicing!
