Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway

Your heart is pounding, your thoughts are racing, adrenaline is flowing. Your palms are sweaty, your muscles tense, your breathing shallow. No, it's not a first date. It's a music performance, and all you can think about are the dozens, or hundreds, or thousands of eyes directly on you. Now you are stumbling, missing a note here and there, trying to keep an even tempo and thinking only of the conclusion of your performance when you'll be able to run from the stage and this nightmare. You've played this piece hundreds of times before, often flawlessly, in the comfort of your own home. Yet suddenly, just when you need to play your best--when people are watching, expecting, listening--you choke.

Stage fright, also known as performance anxiety, is something musicians, actors and actresses, athletes and public speakers all must face. When I began playing the piano as an adult, I had dreams of concert halls and television gigs, albums and record deals. I worked hard to develop my skills, but could barely get through a song for my piano teacher, much less a large audience. Even playing for my own family was a challenge, especially when they were trying to sing along.

Over the past several years, I've worked hard to improve my performances and conquer fear. Above my piano at home, I have a sign that says "Feel the fear and do it anyway." For me, it's a reminder that performance anxiety is a reality of life but can be overcome. Here are a few tips I've learned along the way:

1. Know your material
When you are preparing to perform, learn your material inside and out. Site reading is a great skill, but it is usually not something you want to rely on when performing. If possible, memorize your piece so that instead of focusing on notes you can focus on other aspects of making great music. When memorization is too difficult, or time does not allow for such preparation, bring sheet music--but don't use it as a crutch. It is common for nervous performers to lose their place. If you know the material well, you should be able to find your place again without anyone knowing the difference.

When you are practicing, you will develop muscle memory so that even if your attention strays or your anxiety takes over during a performance, your hands will know what to do. Begin learning a new piece by playing it slowly. Each time you make a mistake, repeat that passage of music correctly several times so that your hands learn what they should do. Then gradually speed up the tempo, still repeating sections of music when you make mistakes. When you have worked up to full playing speed, practice with a steady beat as if you are performing (you may wish to do this with a metronome). Even if you make a mistake, keep going and stay with the beat. Alternate these practice methods as needed. It also helps to practice the song exactly as you will perform it. If it has an introduction, play the introduction before beginning the song. If it has repeats, take the repeats every time. If you will be playing multiple verses during your performance, play these verses every time you play the song.

2. Visit your venue
If possible, visit the venue where you will be playing, and practice on the same instrument you will be performing on. Find out how large the audience will be and how the program will proceed. Learn as much as you can about every circumstance surrounding your performance so you aren't thrown off balance by a last minute surprise.

3. Visualize your performance
Picture your audience while practicing. If you will be accompanying other instruments or singers, try to imagine the sounds you will be hearing while you play. Sometimes just the thought of being in front of an audience will cause you to feel some of the anxiety you will actually feel on stage. If you can play a song well while picturing your audience, you're on your way to a better performance. It also helps to picture the applause you will receive afterwards.

4. Know yourself
When selecting a song to perform, choose one that isn't too difficult to play under pressure. Avoid pieces that are on the very edge of your playing ability unless you have adequate time (weeks or months) to prepare.

5. Embrace imperfection
No one plays perfectly all the time. Not professionals, not music geniuses, not you. It can't be done. But, it is possible to cover most mistakes by keeping a steady beat. If you set perfection as your goal and accept nothing less, you will be a very frustrated and unhappy musician. But if you embrace imperfection and learn to work with it, your performances will improve. I recently heard a professional piano player admit -- can you believe it? -- that he sometimes makes mistakes. One of his strategies for recovering from a mistake was to play the rest of the song while making the same mistake on purpose, so people would think it was supposed to be played that way!

While practicing for a performance, I use a few techniques to throw off my balance and practice responding under pressure. I like to slide my music all the way to the left or right on the piano, so that I have to lean over and squint to see it (don't tell my eye doctor). When I am performing on an unfamiliar instrument, sometimes the music sits in a different place than I'm used to. With this technique, I'm ready for anything. I also like to increase the tempo to a very fast rate. If I'm going to perform a song at 100 beats per minute, I'll work up to 125 or more, just to see how I do under pressure. When I come back to the original tempo, psychologically it seems slower and easier.

During a recent performance, I began a song by playing the wrong notes. It wasn't a great start, but I was able to keep my cool and within a measure or two I was back in the right place. The rest of the song went well, and as I played I became more comfortable and more confident. By the time I was done, my initial mistakes were forgotten and the performance was well received.

6. Play for increasingly larger audiences
When it comes to overcoming stage fright, there's no substitute for experience. At first, you may just play for your music teacher or your family. As your confidence and skills develop, though, you should take every opportunity you can to play in front of others. Always have some music with you or a few pieces memorized, since you never know when you'll have a chance to play. It may help to explain to your impromptu audience that you are trying to gain experience playing in front of others. Just make sure you don't sell yourself short. Many poor performances begin with predictions of failure like, "I'm not very good, but I'm going to try to play anyway." A better approach is to simply tell people what you are going to play and play it. Let them judge your performance without disclaimers or excuses.

7. Practice and perform with a group
If you join a group of musicians, practices will give you an opportunity to become comfortable playing your instrument with others in an informal setting. If your group performs for audiences, you won't have to be alone on stage.

8. Believe in yourself
When the time comes to perform, be confident and give yourself permission to be amazing.

9. Stay focused
A performance is about you playing as well as you can, keeping the rhythm and expressing yourself. Don't let your thoughts move too far away from these tasks, particularly to your audience and what they might be thinking. You can worry about the audience later. Right now, it's time to play.

10. Find your inner performer
This may sound like a new age Zen concept, but it's not as ethereal as it sounds. In acting it's called "getting into character," in sports it's called "being in the zone." To find your inner performer, think back to a time in your life when you felt great, absolutely on fire. Perhaps it was when you were falling in love, graduating, getting a promotion, or being complimented by a friend or loved one. Maybe you'll want to think of a great vacation, a previous successful performance or the memory of a perfect day. How did you feel at that moment? Motivated? Happy? Fulfilled? When you're getting ready to walk out on stage, think of that memory and the emotions you felt. Focusing on something overwhelmingly positive will help you overcome fears and inhibitions and perform at a higher level.

Once again your heart is pounding, your thoughts are racing, and adrenaline is flowing. But this time, you're in control. You are expressing the passion that you feel for your music. Notes are flowing effortlessly and your preparation is paying off. A wrong note here, a mistake there--easily recovered from, easily overcome and noticed by no one. You conclude your performance with a flourish and smile in the moment of silence between your fading notes and the applause you are about to receive. Stand up and take a bow. You deserve it.