. He has some good thoughts in there, and I take solace in the knowledge that I'm not the only one to have some fear and doubts before a performance. The main battle for me usually comes before a show, when all my old self doubts and insecurity seem to loom large on the horizon. Luckily enough, the fear usually dissipates once I get onstage and begin playing.
Anyways, I recently read an article in Men's Journal entitled "How Not to Choke" which has some great points in in which I would like to share here.
Mick Mack, a professor of sports psychology at the University of Northern Iowa makes the great point that "Stress means you care." The most important thing to remember is that performance anxiety is an important and natural part of putting your entire heart into something. I try to remember this and hold on to the hope of a larger emotional payoff and satisfaction at the end of a successful show. Its sort of a risk/reward correlation, that the more nervous I am for something the more intense and memorable it will be. Its just part of the whole experience that needs to be embraced.
Also very important for me is to be well rehearsed. Practice, practice, practice, and you will know what to do when the pressure is on. There is nothing more key than just putting in the time to be well prepared, and this is true for all areas of life, whether it is a concert hall or a business meeting. I always go over the set the day of the show to refresh myself on song structure and chord progressions. I am a different person at every performance, and it helps to iron out any last wrinkles that might pop up for me that day. That is, the anxiety of performance dissipates if I am well rehearsed and have a mastery of the material at hand. There is nothing worse for me than having to fake my way through a song that I'm not very familiar with.
Acknowledge that every performance should be a learning experience as well. Its not the end of the world if you mess up a part. So take ownership of your mistakes and them into another chain in your armor that will only come with years of performing.
Finally, have fun! Thats what its all about really, and that's why you play music, right? Be prepared for the music to take any unexpected turns, and accept any pleasant surprises that might come from the natural, organic, living experience that comes from people engaging each other in a performance.
