How To Turn Fear On Its Ear
When stage fright rears its head, rise above it with this easy, anyone-can-do-it remedy.
Stage fright. Just thinking about performing gets many musicians tied up in knots, fretting and worrying about their interpretation of the music.
You’ve practiced and practiced. You’ve learned the new skills for this piece of music. You’ve even tried on the outfit you’ll be wearing to make sure you can play in heels!
Still, comes the day of the recital and your stomach is full of butterflies. You’re afraid you’re going to blow it.
It’s a feeling, not a fact.
My sister would say fear is just a feeling, not a fact. And she would tell me to feel it and clear the feeling; let it move through me rather than stay stuck and cause harm.
That helps to a degree. Thanks, Susan! And I’ll take it one step further.
A gestalt view
Take a breath.
As Fritz Perls, the founder of Gestalt Therapy once said, “Fear is excitement without the breath.” A simple breath transforms your fear into excitement and propels you onstage.
Now your performance is ignited by your passion and interest in the music. Your nerves are parlayed into presence.
Opportunity to breath
Ten days hence, my students and I are performing in the Spring recital, Sonata Improv. Sunday, April 25, 4 PM, Tabor Space. Each of us has added an improvised section to our selected solo.
And by improvisation, I mean creating music in the moment of the performance. Sure, the potential for stage fright is there. Amazingly, a simple breath can turn fear upside down.
Yes and No
Are you saying to yourself, “Is that it? just breathe?!” Well, yes, and no.
Yes, a calming breath can help in many nerve-wracking situations. Remember, breathing is from the latin word inspirare – to breathe in is to inspire and breathe out is expire. so breathe in some inspiration and calm excitement.
No, I wouldn’t leave you with just one suggestion. My second remedy is to listen to some music; something calming… like this.
Breathe by Meg Grace © 2010
Here is a bonus piece; some calming music I wrote this morning.
The 4 instruments are acoustic guitar, sitar, Japanese shakuhachi flute, and flute. The one minute 28 second file is 1.5 MB to download. Have a listen and — breathe.
How do you turn fear on its ear?
Make a comment below or drop me an email: meg@meggrace.com.
Thanks for reading! The next edition of Musician’s Motivator will be out on Wednesday, April 28, 2010.
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