Stage Fright

[tinyking12345]

How do you guys deal with pre-concert nerves and stage fright??

[timothy42b]

Prepare better. 

[rachmaninoff_forever]

To be honest there really isn't anything you can do about it.  

You just gotta deal with it.

No matter how many times I've performed in front of strict or casual Audiences, I always get nervous and think to myself 'why do I always put myself through this sh*t'.

So the only thing you can do is prepare for it.

[adodd81802]

.

[visitor]

thirded to above. to be honest i deal with this by turning it upside down, i over prepare to the point that i'm excited to get out there and show everyone what heck i've been working so hard for so long.
the performance  or jury/assessment should be the least difficult part of it. it's the reward at the end of it all. you've done all these hours and hours and sacrifice for prep and now you get to dress nice, show people something really cool, then you get all this applause and compliments. what's not to like about that. don't dread it, if you're scared , it's usually because you're not confident in your prep. it's like a test in academics, tests are only 'hard' or difficult to the extent you don't have master of the content or what's being asked. for the most part it's sorta the same thing

[diomedes]

If you're preparing the right way there's only good nerves.

People who don't know how to deal with the instrument, learning in general and (very importantly) practice will get very nervous. Hard work is a big part of it too.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

I don't really agree with the above few posts. I always get nervous, but not to the point of incapacitation: however for some people it goes beyond mere nerves, it's an irrational fear that wouldn't go away if they did an extra 20% preparation, not a manifestation of anxiety caused by defective practicing. Case in point, Horowitz, who famously had to be pushed on stage on one occasion. Argerich has I think retired from solo performance because of anxiety, and Richter stopped playing from memory later on because he, despite his vast repertoire, was no longer confident in his recall.

I would suggest that the first minute is the hardest part and once you're through that and settled things will flow more naturally. Visitor's psychological inversion of the scenario strikes me as good advice.

[iansinclair]

I'm with ronde_des_sylphe on this one.  I have played many times in public -- more than I care to remember! -- and there has always been a bit of a twinge (sometimes more than a bit!).  My daughter-in-law was prima ballerina for a major North American ballet company until she retired.  Her pre-performance nerves were so bad she couldn't eat before a show (she sometimes was physically sick) -- and she was one of the very very best dancers, and prepared to the limit.

And ronde is doubly right: the first minute is by far the hardest part.  And so is visitor -- it helps tremendously to visualise the whole performance, and the pleasure that the audience will have when you play.

It is, of course, important that you are really well prepared, and that you know that you are.  You have done the practicing you need to do.  You know what you want to say and how you want to say it.

Then... take a good deep breath, acknowledge your nerves and being tight, step out there and bow and carry on.  All will be well...

[visitor]

I should clarify, the post asked about stage fright,  so i answered even when when i am ready and excited o still have nerves but not stage fright
i work to be confident bur theres an edgy nervous energy there. Always. But good nervous energy.

[louispodesta]

How do you guys deal with pre-concert nerves and stage fright??

So, under the heading of one mo time, here is a prior post of mine, which directly addresses your problem:

"It would behoove those who post here to use the search box at the right hand corner of the screen to see if their particular question has been addressed before.  Accordingly, from a prior post of March 3, 2015, I repeat the following answer "for the third time:"

["Until I played my senior jury, I knew that I would fail, and I knew that I would fold due to nerves. Then, as I have shared on this website before, a fellow student of mine (who won the Naumberg Competition) said:  have you ever heard of Inderal?  This was 1981, and not 2015.

He further shared that all of the classical musicians in Europe (1981!) used in on a regular basis.  And further, it is not a narcotic, is not physiologically addictive, and IT WORKS!

This is a (generically available - cheap!) medication, which is probably the most prescribed Beta Blocker in the world.  It slows your heart rate by restricting the amount of Adrenalin that gets pumped into your system.  That is why the FDA pharmacological literature "PDA" lists one of its approve uses as being prescribed for "stage fright."

So, get yourself to an Endocrinologist or a Neurologist, both of whom prescribe this medication on a regular basis;  either specialist will do.

Well?: shouldn't my "Primary" physician know how to do this?  In your specific circumstance, no he/she does not.  As with anything you treat your body with, proper dosage is everything.  The aforementioned specialists know how to do this, and your Primary does not! 

The bottom line is that once your nerves are fine, then your playing will be fine.  I cannot imagine performing without Inderal/Propanalol.  Why would I ever want to go through the living HELL that I did for so long before?"]

"However, here is what you are most likely going to do.  You are going to try all of this self-help BS of getting in touch with your inner self, and you will fail (like myself and millions of us before you).  Then, you will come to the erroneous conclusion that:  well I am just the proper type of person to perform at the piano, which is pure carp!

To finalize, if the Inderal works (and it will, "IF" you have the proper medical guidance), then take the next step of engaging the services of a PhD. clinical psychologist.  This will be to train you in a specialized type of neurofeedback, known as "peak performance" training, which will greatly enhance your level of playing without stress.

It is a one time non-evasive series of sessions whose effects are permanent and is regularly used by professional athletes.  Specific to the piano, it has been successfully used at the Royal Academy in London for many years."

Good luck to you, and please contact me by PM of you have any more questions.

[louispodesta]

Correction:

Paragraph #9 should read as: " well I am 'not' just the proper type of person to perform at the piano, which is pure carp!

My apologies.

[timothy42b]

I don't really agree with the above few posts. I always get nervous, but not to the point of incapacitation: however for some people it goes beyond mere nerves,

Absolutely true, I didn't mean to be too harsh or dogmatic with my comment.

In my personal case, under preparation had been more of an issue than nerves.  I did poorly at a number of auditions and blamed it on nerves - I never play my best!  Hee, hee.  But it wasn't true.  I realized years later it was a preparation issue.  I remember not knowing the minor scale they asked for, and not realizing that was a locksolid gimme if I'd had the discipline to work on it beforehand. 

I've also found myself playing at the ragged edge of my ability, or even a little past, when I started in church.  That sure causes your nerves to ramp up, when you know you might get through it and then again you might not.  What I noticed is as I got anxious I got tense physically, and then my fingers couldn't feel the keys.  Not feeling the keys became a cue to consciously relax and play better, sometimes it even worked.  Can't start over in the middle of a hymn, unfortunately. 

I would absolutely use Inderal or whatever else worked if I were in a situation where anxiety was going to limit my performance.  After all, I take my blood pressure meds, and I insist the dentist numb me up good before working on me.  (I have sedation for the really big jobs, and Xanax from my primary care for a small but invasive treatment.) 

[musc3849]

I find the best way to deal with nerves is to play for people as much as possible. Work your way up to it - start by playing for one or two people, then invite a small group of friends to come to your house for a semi-formal performance (with appetizers and drinks afterwards), then play for a medium size group of people at a larger venue (etc. church or retirement homes). The nerves don't really go away, but you will find that your mind and body learn how to cope and live with it and still being able to perform at the top of your game.   

Here is a great blog by a performance anxiety coach that you might find helpful:
https://www.bulletproofmusician.com/blog/