I never sang in public until 2 days before my 40th birthday. I've always been self-conscious about my voice, but I just reached the point where I said, I am going to try this. What's the worst that could happen? I make an ass out of myself. Done that before, I'll do it again. No biggie. It was like I had just scaled a huge wall, reaching the point of feeling like, I can try this. I opened by saying "I'm somewhere between scared shitless, and I don't give a shit." Kinda broke the ice. So I did a set of mostly originals and got a standing ovation!

But I think it's a great observation that what really improves is your coping skills after you continue to go out there and do okay. Heck, I sure ain't never gonna be a great singer, but I feel relatively confident now that I can get the point of my songs across. If I have the chance to sing now, I just do it.

And one other thing too that might help- there's usually always at least one person that is there to listen, no matter how rowdy or indifferent the crowd. Sing it to them.

I think it was Christine Lavin that made the joke about having heard that picturing her audience naked would make the performer at ease, but she tried it with a folk crowd and had to run off screaming...!

jim