A strategy that has personally helped me is to remind myself that I am prepared for the concert. I have put in the effort to learn and practice my music. This enables me to focus my attention on performing well and less on what could go wrong. As I get closer to the end of my senior year of high school, I try to enjoy the moment, given I only have a few more opportunities to play music alongside my school mates. I have heard from previous band members, who are now in college, how they long to go back and perform with their classmates one more time. I have come to realize that that it is a gift to be able to perform with the people around me.
Certain breathing techniques can help us relax before a performance. The Musicians Institute states that rhythmic breathing can calm a person down and help them to relax and become less stressed before a big performance. It is necessary to remember that mistakes are inevitable and will occur sometimes even in the greatest musician’s career. It is important to not dwell on them. Contrary to what we may think as musicians, most members of the audience probably never notice our errors.
In my journey with performance anxiety, I have grown to appreciate it in some ways. It keeps me on my toes and prepare better. Performance anxiety shows that we care about doing well and we should use that to our advantage. We are not alone. It is good to remember that many face performance anxiety, including our teachers. Talking to trusted students and teachers can help calm our nerves. We can be our own support system and get through this together.
I vividly remember my performance at the Neuqua Valley High School Christmas concert in December, which was my last major concert at my high school. I was performing a rather difficult piece with my flute quartet. Though I was nervous at first, I began to enjoy being there. As we neared the end of the concert, I realized how blessed I was to have been part of the wind ensemble at Nequa and learn from and play alongside these extraordinary musicians. Performance anxiety was and will always be present, but the performance aspect is truly a gift we need to cherish.s
One Response
Enjoying the moment is the key, not just for big performance anxiety but in other situations as well. Some level of anxiety also helps us perform at better levels as you mentioned.
I have also learnt that it is better to use your own self learnt techniques to solve these kind of situations as that means behavior change comes from within.