Facing your nerves

[flutytooty91]

In band class we have to often play for the section leader or band director by ourselves for quizzes (usually in front of the whole band class). Last year I didn't have too much of a problem with nerves effecting my playing. This year I feel more pressure and I struggle more with my nerves. Sometimes I get so nervous I can see my chest moving from my heart beating so hard. Obviously, it makes it challenging to play your best. Then afterwards I am angry with how I played. I can't seem to face these fears that I hardly stuggled with a year ago. What should I do?

[flutepicc06]

The best way to get over anxiety about playing in front of people is to do just that. Do as many auditions as possible, put on impromptu performances for family and friends, and play with as many groups as possible. The more you put yourself out there, the more comfortable you will get with it. There are other options, such as beta blockers, but these come with a whole list of disadvantages, and must be prescribed by a doctor, and are certainly not something I would suggest for a high schooler just playing for little playing tests. Some people praise the power of the banana to calm their nerves, but there is very little reason it should do anything. B vitamins that are found in bananas are touted as calming, but the potassium found in them acts as a mild stimulant, and counteracts the B vitamins. Not to mention that the B vitamins are something like the tryptophan in turkey...Yes, if you eat enough turkey, you'll get drowsy, but there just isn't enough tryptophan in any reasonable amount of turkey to do that. Besides performing whenever you can, be sure you are as prepared as possible. If you go into it knowing you haven't quite got this run, or that measure doesn't work, you're not going to play as well as if you had the peace of mind of knowing that there is no way you could have gotten ready for the performance/test/audition/whatever any better.

[MeLizzard]

Maybe your director would allow you to play in pairs? A discerning ear can still tell who played what, and how, and each player could feel less nervous.

[squints]

I never got over my nerves. I couldn't even play a scale with out panicking. I wish you luck with this.

[amizade]

well thats difficult but heres my trick for nerves...think to yourself "I KNOW MY STUFF AND IM GOING TO SHOW IT OFF!!" have the mentality that if you are going to play something you are going to play for someone you are going to rock!! and if the nerves get you in the middle and you make a mistake just go on but make sure it was a good quality mistake!!! i used to panik and start shaking so bad it seemed i was exsagerating majorly on my vibrato!!! hehehe

[O_Phlute]

amizade, I know exactly what you you mean about the vibrato. I had to do this solo on the weekend, and it was mostly long notes. I got nervous, and my lips stared shaking so it sounded like REALLY bad vibrato!

Unfortuneately, I haven't found much to help me nerves, but I reccommend what that other person said. Just think "I know what I'm doing, I can do this, and I'm gonna show them!"

[fluteguy18]

I have replied to so many comments like these I am not going to retype my usual response. click my profile, and look them up. they are usually VERY long, and have helped a lot of people. Go on.


LOOK THEM UP!

[apleasuretoburn]

Though I still struggle with nerves occasionally depending on the situation, I've found a few things that have helped. For one thing, practise the piece you are playing and make sure that you know it well enough and feel comfortable with it. If you aren't sure about certain sections, then that's just one more thing to worry about. The second, and probably most important thing, is don't freak yourself out!! Don't overthink the situation! So many times if you just do something without stopping to think about it, you won't have time to get nervous. Today I was in a situation where I was performing and I wasn't nervous at all until it struck me, "Hey, I'm not nervous!".... and then of course... I got nervous, even though it was near the end of the piece! Up until that point it hadn't even occurred to me to be nervous, so I wasn't, until I started thinking about it. Most of the time you have nothing to worry about, so just don't even think about it and do it.

[flutytooty91]

My director has been making us play alone almost every class period in the last three weeks. I guess I am getting used to it. The worst part is if you are the last one to play it so the whole time you are anticipating and hearing how others are doing. I am slowly getting over it. Thanks for the suggestions guys! they are helping..now if I could stop my heart from beating so fast hah

[MeLizzard]

Can you think of it more as sharing your music than performing? If you can simply feel as if you are communicating, rather than doing tricks, sometimes it turns out much better. Our college orchestra conductor once said that, while modesty and self-deprecation often serve us well in everyday life, we've got to keep a little egomaniac in the closet to trot out for just such occassions!