Why do you get scared to perform in front of people? Why do you get nervous? Why does your mouth get dry or your lip shake or your palms get sweaty? Why do you feel sick to your stomach? These are called performance jitters or performance anxiety. These feelings are very real and there are numerous books and lengthy articles written on the subject.
What is it that are you afraid of? A missed note, muddled tonguing, fumbled fingers, not making the long breath, not playing as well as you know you can? Scared of what others will think of you, like your peers or your teacher or the judges? Are you afraid of possibly not getting the scholarship or not getting the job or not getting accepted into a program? Have you ever felt like this before?
Here are a few basic things that have helped me in my over 40 years of flute playing (and piano playing and organ playing and singing). A lot of it comes down to three things: PREPARATION, POSITIVE THINKING, and EXPERIENCE.
Continue reading “Don’t Be Scared”
Lynette Lewis Flute Studio 