Musicians know only too well the mix of emotions that can accompany a performance. Have you ever wondered why it is that as rational human beings we experience these feelings, which can seem disproportionate to the amount of risk we face – after all, what’s the worst that can happen? Or why some people seem more able to cope, and more importantly – how? What enables a seasoned performer to consistently deliver an immaculate performance to an audience? Are these people different, or immune to the fears us mere mortals experience?
This is a really important subject for musicians at every level as the fear of performing, to however small an audience, can be a real barrier to success.
Thanks to everyone that partipated in the discussion on 8th December 09, the notes from that session are now available to download.
In summary:
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Prepare well by making sure you have ironed out any technical difficulties well in advance.
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Expect to feel nervous - it is normal for most people so accept it, knowing you can still perform well
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When performing, remember that mistakes are irrelevant (and inevitable). Be in charge and your audience will trust you.
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In moments of doubt, remind yourself why you love music and playing your instrument, it will reconnect you to your reasons for doing it!
There are lots of tips and resources available, but there are some more resources here. All books are available from Amazon.
Further reading:
Keeping Your Nerve - Confidence Boosting Strategies for Musicians and Performers
Katie Jones, Faber Music
A great little pocket-sized book, only £2.95
Confident Music Performance - Face the Fear of Facing an Audience
Ruth Bonetti, Words and Music
Once you get beyond the slightly off-putting cover (featuring a naked man with a saxophone!) this is a very practical guide written by an experienced musician.
Performance Strategies for Musicians
David Buswell, Virtuoso Coaching
A self-help handbook using NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) and visualisation techniques, which can be extremely effective in creating a positive state of mind and harnessing energy
Tuning In - Practical Psychology for Musicians who are Teaching, Learning and Performing
Lucinda Mackworth-Young, MMM Publications
Practical with an emphasis on helping you understand why you feel the way you do, and techniques for managing nerves
Barry Green and Timothy Gallwey, Pan
Timothy Gallwey's 'Inner Game of Tennis' is a seminal book on sports psychology, focussing on techniques to harness your own instinctive abililty, and silence destructive inner voices. In this book these tried and tested techniques are applied to music performance.
ABRSM advice to exam candidates
