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Quadstriker
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Joined: 14 Dec 2021
Posts: 108
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 Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2023 5:01 pm Post subject: |
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| starkadder wrote: | | One thing that helped me when I started to feel the butterflies immediately before a performance was to acknowledge the feeling, rather than to fight it, and to harness that feeling as a signal that "this is going to be significant", instead of "this is scary". |
Yep, that's the ticket.
I'm of the opinion we shouldn't be saying to someone who experiencing nervousness "Don't be nervous." It implies that you are doing something wrong or are in error if you are nervous and I don't believe that's the case at all.
Being nervous is natural. It is a sign you care about what you're doing and want it to go well. It's okay to be nervous. It's what you do with it that is important.
We should work on transferring that nervous energy into positive excitement about what we're about to do. |
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Matt6VZ
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Joined: 03 Jan 2023
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2024 2:50 am Post subject: |
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| Oh man, performance anxiety is a real deal, right? It's funny how it can vary depending on the situation. Like you, I'm pretty comfortable rehearsing and performing with my bandmates; it's like a safety net. |
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tptptp
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 25 Oct 2001
Posts: 1409
Location: Georgia
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| Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2024 7:33 am Post subject: |
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| Quadstriker wrote: | | starkadder wrote: | | acknowledge the feeling, rather than to fight it, and to harness that feeling as a signal that "this is going to be significant", instead of "this is scary". |
Yep, that's the ticket.
I'm of the opinion we shouldn't be saying to someone who experiencing nervousness "Don't be nervous." It implies that you are doing something wrong or are in error if you are nervous and I don't believe that's the case at all.
Being nervous is natural. It is a sign you care about what you're doing and want it to go well. It's okay to be nervous. It's what you do with it that is important.
We should work on transferring that nervous energy into positive excitement about what we're about to do. |
I can identify with these points.
I had stern, perfectionist father. It seemed like all my mistakes were big deals. The resulting product is destructive anxiety.
Certainly being serious and having some feeling of stress is productive. But, as an adult, I'm sure I have been too hard on myself.
I am an imperfect 72 year old man, and I make mistakes, no matter how good I am or how hard I work.
I wish I could accept this.
Unfortunately, the sins of the father have effects on future generations, and the cycle is hard to break. It is very likely that I have spread some of this miserable perfectionism onto my children.
_________________
Craig Mitchell |
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BGinNJ
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Joined: 02 Mar 2010
Posts: 380
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| Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2024 5:37 pm Post subject: |
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Coincidental this thread was revived, "PA" just hit me again before a recent jam session. It didn't make sense, it was an amateur jam I was playing at for the first time, though I'd scoped it out before, low pressure. Even a couple of friends there among the new faces.
But when it was my turn to play, on an easy tune,chops turned to jelly, etc. I did finally find my footing and played ok on a couple of tunes, but the anxiety stayed with me. I even put the horn away for a few days, though it helped later that a couple of people told me I sounded good.
I think the source of this is I put too much pressure and expectation on myself, like, if this doesn't feel good and go well, I'm just going to quit and stop putting myself through this.
I'm practicing for the next time anyway. |
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Matt6VZ
New Member
Joined: 03 Jan 2023
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2024 1:11 am Post subject: |
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| Oh man, performance anxiety is a real deal, right? It's funny how it can vary depending on the situation. Like you, I'm pretty comfortable rehearsing and performing with my bandmates; it's like a safety net. |
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cwmich31
New Member
Joined: 19 Aug 2020
Posts: 2
Location: Connecticut
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| Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2024 4:15 am Post subject: |
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The more you make yourself go out and perform, the more comfortable you will get with that situation. It gets easier over time because it becomes familiar, and this is the best way to deal with it. Someone mentioned that preparation or breathing or mindfulness exercises won't help and that you should use medication, but I can't completely agree with that. Preparation is the key, and when you combine it with breathing and mindfulness exercises, it works.
You can try the diaphragmatic breathing method. Breathe slowly through your nose for a count of 4, feeling your belly inflate. Hold for a count of 2, then exhale slowly through pursed lips for a count of 6, feeling your belly deflate. This will help you feel better immediately.
Techniques like meditation and mindfulness train your mind to focus on the present moment and let go of intrusive thoughts and worries. The Calmer app offers guided meditations for beginners and can teach you how to incorporate breathing techniques into your daily routine.
Last edited by cwmich31 on Tue Mar 26, 2024 9:24 am; edited 1 time in total |
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trumpetsnack
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Joined: 20 Feb 2022
Posts: 13
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| Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2024 10:26 am Post subject: |
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| Kenny Werner's "Effortless Mastery" is a good read as well. I found a lot of useful stuff in there pertaining to overcoming anxiety in performance |
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