Musical Performance Anxiety and How to Overcome it! Perform! (Part 5 of 5)

Musical Performance Anxiety and How to Overcome it! Accomplish that Goal.  (Part 5 of 5)

Approach the Hurdle and Perform

Are you still avoiding practicing or not putting yourself in any performance situation? Start small and sing for your teacher without criticism.  Sing for your mom or your dad or daughter.  Sing next for another student in your voice studio.   Sing a in a masterclass for your voice studio.  Sing in an "Informal Recital" or Studio Masterclass. Take baby steps.  Find someone you trust to help you and walk you through the different ways one can work through performance anxiety and your singing.

A few words from those who have been there and overcome:

To find my niches, I had to overcome my inner critic. Because of the way I was reared, I had low self-esteem and always thought of myself as not good enough. I was afraid of making mistakes. Slowly I learned that playing without mistakes is not the goal. The goal is to be in joy. As Stephanie Judy said in her book, "Your own music is the child of your heart, and you are entitled to love it, not because it's good, but because it's a part of you."  http://PerformConfidently.com

In conclusion, complete preparation of the repertoire is the first step.  The better a person ‘knows their stuff’ and truly can communicate the story of the song or become the character in the song, the less nerves will play a role.  The perfectionism of being a musician and the detailed study we endure are what enable us to create beautiful music.  Do not allow it to get inside your head and stop your creative inner being!  Take a moment and think about why you sing.  The music is a part of you.  With the help of your voice teacher, connections to your body and mind (through yoga, meditation, visualization or other means) help you achieve your goals to sing and share the music of your soul.

How have you survived your journey with performance anxiety? Please let me know how this series was helpful or email me with questions.  Sign up to receive my blog for more informational topics about all things related to singing!