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Question: Stage Fright!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!…
So basically I play an instrument and the other day the band had to perform a mini concert for the student's families!. So at first I was calm and all, and then I got a bad flashback of when I was on stage the last time, and I started to feel stomach pain and i ran out of the stage!. how can i prevent this the real concert is a few days away! thx!Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
It happens to the best of us: everything sounded fine when we were practicing yesterday, our conductor has assured us that we are ready for the performance but now!. In front of the audience our hands have started to sweat, our breathing has got faster, we're feeling sick and frankly would rather be anywhere else in the world than about to try to play music beautifully!.

Sweaty hands, a dry mouth, nervous tremors and an upset stomach are all symptoms caused by the body’s release of adrenalin!.

Remember the 8 main things:

*Prepare thoroughly:
There are few things more unnerving than performing in front of an audience when you are not completely sure what you are doing! Being thoroughly prepared can give you real a confidence that can be an incredibly calming influence!. Your nerves are much less likely to get out of control if you are really comfortable with all the material you have to play!.

*Visualize success:
This is a technique used by top athletes and musicians alike!. A week or so before your performance, when you start your daily practice, spend a couple of minutes visualizing yourself begin successful!. Close your eyes and imagine yourself in the performance giving a confident and successful performance!. Try to make the image as clear and as detailed as you can!. This technique can be incredibly powerful!. Try it, you may be surprised at the results!

*Block negative thoughts:
In the build up to your performace it is only natural to have the occasional worry and feel a little apprehensive!. It is important though to keep these thoughts in perspective!. If you catch yourself thinking things like ‘I know I am going to make a mistake’, do not give them lots of attention!. Instead just smile and visualize yourself performing successfully

*Use your nervousness to energize your performance:
There is a great similarity between the nervous excitement you feel climbing a big slope on a roller coaster and the nervousness you might experience when you are performing!. The difference between them lies only in the way you perceive and treat your feelings!. You feel excited because you anticipate something good happening!. When you are nervous, in contrast, it is, perhaps, because you fear something going wrong!. Most experienced performers will tell you that they would not want to lose their nerves!. Instead they use the nervous energy to build a sense of excitement for their performance!.

Smile:
When you walk on stage, smile!. You’ll be amazed at how much better this can make you feel!. The act of smiling, even if you really don’t feel like it, encourages the release of endorphins (the body’s feel-good chemicals)!. These endorphins can really improve your state of mind and make you feel much more relaxed!.

*Get a good night’s rest:
Never underestimate the effect tiredness can have on your ability to perform!. You might feel as if you can cope easily with little sleep but countless scientific studies have show that a tired mind just does not function as efficiently!. Being tired will have the effect of making you feel less sure of yourself and this is a certain route to increasing nervousness!. Get to bed on time!

*Control your breathing:
A common symptom of nervousness is a quickening of the breathing!. One of the quickest ways you can make yourself feel more relaxed is to get control of your breathing!. Breathe in gently through your nose to a count of 5, and then let the air out slowly through your mouth, again to a count of 5!. Don’t be tempted to gulp air in as this will only make you more tense!.

*Concentrate on the music:
In a performance is all too easy to forget why you started playing in the first place!. Hopefully, though, you will have arrived at your performance with some pieces which you enjoy playing so try to concentrate on communicating this enjoyment to your audience!. After all this, really, is what music performance is all about: sharing your feelings about a piece with other people!. That should be as true in an exam room as in any other performance environment!.

Hope it helps!.

Www@QuestionHome@Com

i was in choir and i had never been on stage before then!. id geek out before every concert, and then i realized a very important thing!. the lights on the stage are so ******* bright i couldnt even see the audience! it was like no one was there at all and we were just singing for our teacher like we did at rehearsal!. got me through every show just fine!.

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