Many players have dreams of creating music for other people. Whether you want to join an orchestra, play in a pop band, or simply perform for your friends and family, it can be scary to take the first step and open up your music to others. If you’re scared of performing, what can you do to overcome your fears?
First, keep in mind that even the greats have had bad days. They didn’t get to be great musicians without failure along the way.
That’s the reason it’s important to keep performing. If you’re scared of playing in front of a crowd, do it anyway. If you have a bad performance, learn from it, and do it again. Learn from it. And remember these things.
Keep playing
Many bad performances start when you have stage fright, and forget where you are in the piece you’re playing. Don’t stop. Keep playing. Even if you skip a large portion of the song. Make something up if you have to. If you take command of your performance, even if it goes in the wrong direction, often, the people around you won’t know.
Say thank you
Every one of us has been in a situation similar to what you’re going through. And depending on where you’re performing, you might have a lot of support from people you know. When they tell you how well you played, or complement your performance, take it in. Say thank you. Don’t apologize for your performance – it’ll show your weaker side. Tomorrow is another day.
Process your performance
A bad performance hurts. But you can learn from it. Process it. What did you do wrong? What could you have done differently? How will you change up your next performance? Don’t wallow for too long. Get back in the game, and schedule your next performance.
Get back on the stage
The best way to overcome any angst you might feel about performing is to jump on the stage again. Don’t let your feelings hold you back from your bigger dreams.
As you evaluate what went wrong, use that to fuel change in your performance.
Didn’t practice enough? Schedule even more before your next show.
Had a problem getting out of your head? Find ways to increase your self-esteem.
The good news is there are many ways to do better at your performance. Speak with your instructor about different plans of action. They’ve been there too, and often can help you select books to read, classes to take, or even other coaches to hire, all to help you improve your skills.
Part of the beauty of being at a live performance is anything can happen. Audiences appreciate that interaction.
It’s all in how you handle it that matters most.
