The only ones who don't start this way are the ones who don't start. I played a couple of songs at a Hootenanny in Greenwich Village. I'd been playing guitar, singing and writing songs for close to ten years by then, and rarely sang in front of anyone, including family up until that point.

I discovered that even though I probably stunk up the joint, nobody threw any tomatoes at me or dragged me off the stage. Once I realized that I wasn't in any immediate physical danger, I relaxed a little more. And yes, it does get easier. For most folks, a lot.    Especially if you do it regularly..

Jerry