Nerves

Subject: RE: Nerves
From: Wolfgang
Date: 16 Jun 04 - 03:42 PM

One trick is overlearning. That is don't stop practicing a tune when you are error free. If you are better than perfect, you may still be good when nervousness and divided attention are preying on your ressources. You should be able to play perfect even with half your ressources. To test, play a tune when half of your attention is somewhere else and your arousal is high. For instance play when watching Englang play in the Euro 2004. If you are still good then, you also will be good on stage.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Nerves
From: Amos
Date: 16 Jun 04 - 04:29 PM

Or just stop flinching from an audience....

Subject: RE: Nerves
From: jimL
Date: 16 Jun 04 - 05:50 PM

I think all this stuff about "not breathing deep" but breathing *out* is actually a way of getting you to breath with your diaphragm. Once you do that automatically, you won't raise your shoulders or over inflate your ribs - these days when I breath in deeply, I expand my belly, not my ribcage. I never thought about it before, but Peggy Seager was right in that if you breath *out* to the limit, you use your diaphragm to force out the last of the air, then when you relax you actually breath back into the lower part of your lungs, which is where you should be breathing to calm nerves, and to sing properly. It's a good way to get shallow breathers to feel what they ought to be doing.

J

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Threads combined. Messages below are from a new thread.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: BS: Nerves
From: Diva
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 01:34 PM

I have been singing for a gey long time and I still get troubled by nerves before a performance. Now a very wise singer once told me that the time to stop performing was when the nerves stopped. I've got a gig coming up..book festival nice fee and a night in a very posh Glasgow hotel and since the final cofirmation came in I've been sick with nerves. Its the realisation that I can't just turn up in my tatty jeans and please myself like i usually do.

The latest bit is fretting about getting from station to hotel........yep I know get a cab..... But the anxiety is not helping with the song learning. Thing is once I'm there and singing I'll be fine.

Does anyone else get this? how do you cope? Dunno know if I need a hug or a kick up the bahookie!

Subject: RE: BS: Nerves
From: gnu
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 01:39 PM

Been a few threads on this.... maybe someone can help?

And, a clone to move this above the line, as well. This should not be in the BS section????

Subject: RE: BS: Nerves
From: Amos
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 01:59 PM

1. Deep breathing is a relaxant.
2. If you run through the whole performance in your inner eye, several times over, the actual event will seem already familiar and more comfortable.


A

Subject: RE: BS: Nerves
From: Don Firth
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 02:04 PM

I posted a few thoughts on stage fright a short time ago, Diva. Rather that repeat it, I'll link to it.

CLICKY

Been there. Done that. Good luck!!

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Nerves
From: Megan L
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 02:07 PM

When I started as a trainer someone told me to imagine them all sitting there naked DO NOT DO IT do you know thw mental trauma of standing in front of six sixty something male examiners I couldny sleep fur weeks :)

Subject: RE: BS: Nerves
From: Micca
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 02:13 PM

Diva, I would wish you luck, but I am sure that luck will play very little part in your performance. I am sure you will do really well, because you are a very fine singer with an excellent voice and control and with a good, full knowledge of your material and the skill to carry this off with style, (You might need help with mopping up the blood from the "high body count" in those Border ballads you sing :o)!!!!) So I send best wishes and may it go as well as you would want. Please come back and tell us how it goes
Micca

Subject: RE: BS: Nerves
From: Wesley S
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 02:40 PM

"2. If you run through the whole performance in your inner eye, several times over, the actual event will seem already familiar and more comfortable."

Amos is right but I'll go a step further. I'd run through your entire performance out loud, full volume and in sequence if you have a proper place to do so. Nothing helps like rehearsal. Repeat until comfortable.

And drink plenty of water. Just not so much that you'll have to leave in the middle of the performance to find the loo.

Subject: BS: Nerves
From: wysiwyg
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 02:49 PM

In my late 30's, I had to deliver a speech to 1000 people, in a VERY upscale environment loaded with academics. Back in the pee-in-my-pants terrified days. One per day, in a week-long state tour. And I'd brought this on myself-- what WAS I thinking?!?!?!

At the last stop, I was even more scared-- at advance-prep, setup time I walked in with my boxes of literature to see the most upscale, largest, scariest place of them all. "Well," I thought, "This is either a chance to run like hell or a chance to harvest something GOOD. Cuz either way, it's BIG."

I decided to try for GOOD, and noticed there'd been no welcome-staff all week. My host from the Lieutenant Governor's office readily gave me permission to "be" that "welcoming" "staff"person.

So-- I met each arrival at the hall's door with the brochure off the table they'd otherwise have ignored (mine), and greeted each arrivee warmly and personally, directing them to please take a seat near the front.

(I just pretended I was handing out campaign literature to commuters, which I had done in the past. A smile almost guarantees converting an "ignorer" to a "taker" as you say something nice, or funny, or whatever as you size each person up, and the thing you say cocers your reaching out with the brochure. They take it without realizing they took it. Maybe these folks thought it was a program.)

When most of them were in, I went and sat on the dais with the other planned speakers, last to take my seat.

By the time my speech came (last, as the wrap-up of the whole week's tour), I had sat there looking out at all my new "friends" for about a half an hour and, by the time I got up, it really WAS just a relaxed chat with friends I knew were ready to hear me.


Needless to say it was a lesson learned a tad late-- the preceding talks of the week's tour were HELL. :~) But this one netted me half a dozen big job offers. :~) Same speech, different me.

Try it, it works.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Nerves
From: Diva
Date: 09 Mar 09 - 01:12 PM

Many thanks for the good advice and good wishes and the link...I remember there being other threads. Micca its a Burns concert so no dead bodies but lots of writhing live ones! And five very coorse songs.

Have gone and got the regulation bottle of rescue remedy and will remember to breathe

Subject: RE: BS: Nerves
From: Diva
Date: 14 Mar 09 - 04:07 AM

It went very well. Burns Room of the Mitchell Library was full. An audience of the great and the good. A couple of friends from home so it was nice to see folk i knew.

Valentina talked and I sang and at one point i've got this room full of folk singing along....

I remembered to relax and enjoy it and by 11pm we were sitting in the very comfortable bar of the Malmaison sipping Bellinis.......well I didn't think I could sit with a pint of Guinness

The book festival folk couldn't do enough for us they were lovely. Back to auld claithes and porridge today!

Subject: RE: BS: Nerves
From: Megan L
Date: 14 Mar 09 - 05:45 AM

Well done glad you had a good time