Performance anxiety

Ciotog · Post by **Ciotog** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 3:35 am

At the risk of provoking a string of lewd Freudian jokes, does anyone else suffer from performance anxiety?
I mean, my music room (okay the spare bedroom) often resounds to the most beautiful music of Carolan, Cooley, Clancy and the rest but when called upon to play with others in the public gaze, I'm lucky to be able to squeeze out a feeble jig or a slow reel.
Anyone else have this problem?

PJ · Post by PJ » Sat Jul 16, 2005 6:10 am

There's a world of difference between playing solo and playing with other musicians.

Is the "public gaze" a pub session? If so, the best thing to do is practise a little with one or two of the musicians who regularly attend that session. Then you'll get to know how that session plays a particular tune. More importantly, you'll learn how to play along with other musicians. This is trickier than it sounds.

For years I played guitar/pipes on my own. When I played a tune, my timing varied as did the ornamentation (not much and not very noticably when I was alone). When I started playing with a group, it became very noticable and I had to tighten it up.

I also learned that when playing with others there are times when my playing is more to the forefront and times when it's more in the background. Which is great! I can relax a little (not stop) when it's someone else's turn in the spotlight and I can prepare for my turn.

Apart from that, take it gradually. It's a big jump to go from solo playing in your music room to playing in a group with 100 people looking on. Try practising with one or two other in front of your cat. Then in front of the wife & kids. Soon you'll be practising with the windows open so the neighbours can hear. That was the big step for me

gentlemanpiper · Post by **gentlemanpiper** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 10:33 am

I have this problem when I play at my local arts centre. I feel a lot of tension in my wrists, especially my left one. It seems to me that the anxiety dissipates somewhat after a couple of sets of tunes. Unfortunately I only get a short spot so by the time I hopefully feel a bit more confident my time's up. I've thought of asking my doctor for anti-anxiety tablets just to use before public performances to see if this makes a difference. I also do a lot of busking but don't seem to feel too nervous doing it usually.

Scott McCallister · Post by **Scott McCallister** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 10:56 am

It really depends on the instrument I am playing. I have over 25 years on trombone and I feel totally comfortable on that in any situation.

I have played guitar for about 15 years and so I still have a bit of a rush when I get up in front of a large group (2000 or so when I play at my church) but nothing that is debilitating. I cna use that rush to enhance my playing.

I am less experienced with the Irish stuff, I have had my whistles for about 7 years, pipes for 5 years, flute for 3 and I just got a new octave mandolin. Needless to say I am more comfortable playing the whistles but I have the feeling that this is due largely to the agility of the instrument. It is easier to play the flute than pipes as well so even though I only have half the experience on flute as I do UPs, I am more confident on the tunes I play on the flute.

I recently had a bit of a UP break through though, A new reed that plays very easily and in tune without a lot of pressure changes has allowed me to take quite a bit of the athleticism out of playing my pipes. This allows me to relax in my shoulders more, and that flows down through my fingers and I find that I am getting very crisp ornaments, and a smoothness to my playing that wasn't there with a harder reed. Improving my instrument allowed me to be a somewhat better player, which in turn builds confidence and lowers anxiety.

I have known people who take beta-blockers before a performance to take the edge off their emotions, for some it kept them from fainting I think. For others it took the fire out of their performance and left it pretty flat. Go ahead and be a little torqued up about playing... but also learn to master your emotions so you can draw on that energy while performing.

fancypiper · Post by **fancypiper** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 1:20 pm

I get performance anxiety when I play for people that I know personally.

When I can consider the crowd a "bunch of strangers", I don't seem to have any difficulty.

It took a while before anyone would play with me, but my practice set had a flat octave and the chanter was loud enough to drown other players out, so they would back off and start turning knobs on their stringy thingies. After I got drones and an in tune reed made, they would play with me and loud enough for me to hear them.

Mainly, it will take time in playing to "burn it" into muscle memory so you can achieve the "going into the zone" mental state that so many pipers mention.

magroibin · Post by **magroibin** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 2:15 pm

fancypiper wrote:I get performance anxiety when I play for people that I know personally.
When I can consider the crowd a "bunch of strangers", I don't seem to have any difficulty.

True for me also.

What really gives me the shimmies is performing in front of other performers! Yikes!!!

First starting to play pipes in sessions was a bit frightening but...

There was a session after a Chieftan's concert here once. I arrived early and out come my pipes. Next come in some of the Chieftans, Natalie MacMaster, Shane Cook and others. It felt like one of those nightmares you have when you haven't studied for an exam. I was drenched in nervous perspiration!!

That's what I call performance anxiety! Otherwise sessions or regualar gigs...no problem.
Playing in front of other pipers??? Hellish!

djm · Post by **djm** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 8:11 pm

There's always the musician's friend - no stems or seeds that you don't need .....

djm

goldy · Post by **goldy** » Sun Jul 17, 2005 11:10 pm

I tend not to get performance anxiety, but I always get 'Recording anxiety', whereby I'll stuff up if I know that I'm attempting to record a performance (It doesn't matter how many flawless practice runs that I do).

I was put off public performances by my last one - I made a new reed the day before the show and the reed wanted to be open, whereas I was attempting to close it with a bridle. I warmed up the reed and fiddled with the bridle in a room away from the stage until I was happy with it. When getting on stage to perform 'Caoineadh Cu Chulainn' (tune from 'Riverdance') five minutes later, the reed had opened and the back D went a semi-tone sharp. I had to just go on playing and fix the bridle before the next song. - Moral of the story: Never trust a new reed.

All the best.

fancypiper · Post by **fancypiper** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 12:33 am

Amen on the recording anxiety.

I always do worse before the microphone in a recording session, even though I or my son are doing the recording. That eliminates the "money anxiety" that you have in a studio.

You are never satisfied with the final product and a performance is over and gone, good or bad.

Live performances where you can eyeball the audience (fuzzily, I take off my glasses) are the most satisfaction to me. If the audience enjoys it, I tend to enjoy it more.

GaryKelly · Post by **GaryKelly** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 2:12 am

I heartily recommend the book "The Inner Game of Music."
It's a seriously good book. Seriously.

Patrick D'Arcy · Post by **Patrick D'Arcy** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 11:21 am

Do any of you think that it might be because of thinking about something other than the music? Possibly distracted by something else other than the job at hand?

Patrick.

avalk · Post by **avalk** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 5:50 pm

I too get performance anxiety, until I actually get to play. And the
thrill afterward is worth it. As a medical professional, I would suggest
eating a couple of bananas before performing. Bananas contain a
substance known as beta adrenergic blockers. This counteracts many of
the symptoms of performance anxiety. It doesn't work for everyone, but
give it a try.

Jim McGuire · Post by **Jim McGuire** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 7:01 pm

So much of Irish music is done in a pub environment, so a banana dacquiri might help at that.

MikeyLikesIt · Post by **MikeyLikesIt** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 7:23 pm

Jim McGuire wrote:So much of Irish music is done in a pub environment, so a banana dacquiri might help at that.

Hear hear!

Something that helped me when performing piano and doing plays was to imagine that the audience wasn't there. Since Irish music is performed in a different type of environment, and since I have not really publicly performed (that is if a small family in a pub counts) Irish music, I don't know what to tell you other than try not to stress out and go out there and have some fun. That is what the music is about after all, having a good old time.

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 7:26 pm

Jim McGuire wrote:So much of Irish music is done in a pub environment, so a banana dacquiri might help at that.

That, or you could always go down to your local Liquor Store and buy a liter of Bubba Billie's Wild Banana Ripple and get juiced before you show up.