What a remarkable world! We just returned from a trip to Alaska, one day of which we spent in Juneau with Ebbie and KT ( and it was a truly wonderful day!) and I wander back to the table to find Ebbie here! I'll probably dither at length some time about my first visit to Alaska, but I wanted to address Ebbie's concern, since I have always suffered from stage fright, and I have done quite a bit of performing over the years.

Certainly being well-prepared helps, and having a setlist that makes sense to you. (Having said that, I have been known to change my setlist mid-concert; fortunately, I've had great singing partners who trusted me to go where we needed to go.) But, my biggest issue by far concerns why I'm there. If I get into the mindset of "these people have come thinking I'm a great singer with a great voice, and they are going to be disappointd the moment I open my mouth and prove I am not-so-great," then I am a mess. I have to put into and keep in my head the mantra "I have done my work, I can present this music so that others will understand it, and the song is so powerful, or so beautiful, or so affirming, that they will love the song, and forgive me any lapses." Of course, this means I have difficulties singing songs I don't feel passionate about, but that is usually my choice, and if I'm singing with someone who just loves something I'm not so excited about, I can usually borrow some of that enthusiasm by talking to them about why they love it so.

I also look into the audience for sympathetic faces, and I solicit audience participation whenever I can (we're all in this together,) as well as ignoring some mistakes in the knowledge that it all goes by so fast, you can often fudge. If all else fails, and I do something no one can overlook, I laugh at myself, rather than being tragic. (My very first full concert, many years ago will be forever highlighted by my singing a line in "Misty Moisty Morning' 'I'll plow and sow and reap and mow, and you shall spit and sin' which was NOT how we had practiced it.)