Performance Anxiety

[ambient]

I was wondering how many of us suffer with it, and to what extent?

 

I’m currently doing a research project in the subject as part of my PGCE course, which is specifically designed for teaching in FE and HE rather than in schools.

 

It is - at least from what I’m reading - a problem that’s quite prevalent in instrumental and vocal performance, though for a variety of reasons it’s not really spoken about.

 

It is also, sadly, one of the main reasons that musicians misuse alcohol or drugs. They adopt such maladaptive practices as a way to cope with their problem. Though there are a wide range of other far safer methods of combatting the issue.

 

My personal problems started as an undergraduate student. Despite previously enjoying a career as a professional musician, I had never suffered with any significant issues. The weekly performance workshops, and performance related classes were an absolute nightmare for me.

 

I finally sought help from my GP, he referred me to a specialist therapist who was brilliant. We tried various things, including hypnotherapy - which sadly didn’t work. 

 

I’ve performed hundreds of times since then, including doing a lot of solo and solo bass gigs, and never had another problem. 

For me, as with many other music students it was evaluative performance - being marked - that was causing the problem.

 

One of the problematic areas of MPA, is that it’s not related to your preparation, you can, as I - contrary to what my one tutor believed - spend dozens of hours practicing with your instrument, and still have a problem. The main issue is managing the heightened level of stress of the problem situation.
 

I suspect there are a lot of people out there, who would love to be performing outside of their house, but don’t feel able to.

Edited March 9, 2022 by ambient

[T-Bay]

I am very much a mediocre bass player, I never have any nerves before going on, never had, even the very first time. No idea why. My best mate is a musician of truly stunning ability across several instruments but he hates playing live. He gets nerves so bad he will throw up and feels the stress is not worth it so rarely plays live. It has always struck me as such a waste that a man of such talent suffers in this way, whereas a person like myself can just go ‘F it, it will be ok’ and just get stuck in and enjoy it.

[Cato]

I always used to get a bit of a nervous buzz before a gig but it never lasted more than a song or two in to the set.

 

There are some very famous names that do suffer from crippling anxiety. I remember reading Adele saying that she was never going to tour again a few years back mainly due to the extreme anxiety she experiences before every show.

 

The other one that springs to mind is Dee Dee Ramone who for many years kept a bucket at the side of the stage because he'd get so nervous that he'd vomit. Bearing in mind the famous Ramones relentless touring schedule it's pretty impressive that he was still going out and playing more or less every night for a big chunk of his life.

Edited March 9, 2022 by Cato

[ambient]

Just now, Cato said:

I always used to get a bit of a nervous buzz before a gig but it never lasted more than a song or two in to the set.

 

There are some very famous names that do suffer from crippling anxiety. I remember reading Adele saying that she was never going to tour again a few years back mainly due to the extreme anxiety she experiences before every show.

 

The other one that springs to mind is Dee Dee Ramone who for many years kept a bucket at the side of the stage because he'd get so nervous that he'd vomit. Bearing in mind the famous Ramones relentless touring schedule it's pretty impressive that he was still going out and playing mpre or less every night for a big chunk 0f his life.

A slight level of anxiety is reportedly good for a performance.

 

I still get slightly nervous, though more excitedly nervous I guess, I think that’s to be expected. It’s more up until I actually get to the venue, and get set up. Once I’m up and ready to play I’m usually fine.

 

What i experienced as a student was more a sense of dread though.

[Newfoundfreedom]

I get crippling nerves before performing, to the point where i absolutely hate gigging. I can be well practiced and play perfectly in rehearsals, but I just go to pieces in public and make loads of mistakes. I'm even the same if its just playing in front of a small group of friends. 

[ambient]

1 minute ago, Newfoundfreedom said:

I get crippling nerves before performing, to the point where i absolutely hate gigging. I can be well practiced and play perfectly in rehearsals, but I just go to pieces in public and make loads of mistakes. I'm even the same if its just playing in front of a small group of friends. 

Yep, like I said, the amount of preparation doesn’t make a difference. I had one tutor who didn’t believe I was practicing or working on the pieces we had to play. He wanted me to video myself practicing at home. My therapist couldn’t believe there was someone teaching at that level with such poor understanding of my problem. 
 

There are quite a few things that can help, including a few good self-help books. A good one is by Barry Green and Tim Gallwey called the inner game of music. It basically covers one of the things I did with the therapist guy.

[Bassfinger]

I genuinely suffer very little anxiety. My pulse raises a little with excitement, but no anxiety.  I've done/been through a lot scarier stuff over the years than playing to an audience.

 

I love playing live, look forward to every gig with great relish. Each gig is 2 or 3 hours of being on a high, followed by hours of buzzing afterwards.  Ive never played to an audience of more than 500 so imagine the buzz the likes of Freddie Mecury used to enjoy playing to stadia full of fans. 

 

But then something mundane like meeting new people at a party fills me with dread, leaves me clammy(er than normal) and makes me short of breath.  Weird.

Edited March 9, 2022 by Bassfinger

[Doctor J]

Another here who got really unpleasant anxiety before gigs which didn't go away until the gig ended. No matter how well prepared I was, the anxiety was the same, to the extent that I would sometimes struggle to hold a conversation with someone before the gig. I got a bit of a handle on it after casually reading on symptoms of Aspergers a few years ago, much of which made a lot of sense to me and, after that, I was able to recognise the anxiety when it started, if that makes sense, and see it as a separate entity from what was going on. It was still there but I was aware of it from the outside and so it wasn't all-consuming as it had been before. 

[Lozz196]

I’ve never got nervous before a gig. I figure this is down to having enough rehearsals for the material rather than my state of mind. I’m sure if I were to be in a position of having to wing it I’d suffer nerves as well. 

[sprocketflup]

I've always had it, crippling some days, its never gone away. Actually getting on stage and playing sometimes provides relief but not always. Only thing I've found that helps is a mint tucked in my cheek to help with the dry mouth, which isn't so good if I'm singing.

 

For me, its about baring my soul up there in front of all those people, matters not how well prepared I am.

I do find that the bigger the gig, the less anxious I get. Which seems to be the wrong way round doesn't it

Edited March 9, 2022 by sprocketflup

[sprocketflup]

39 minutes ago, ambient said:

A slight level of anxiety is reportedly good for a performance.

 

I still get slightly nervous, though more excitedly nervous I guess, I think that’s to be expected. It’s more up until I actually get to the venue, and get set up. Once I’m up and ready to play I’m usually fine.

 

What i experienced as a student was more a sense of dread though.

I agree with this. I used to race motorcycles, and was told that the day that I am lining up on the grid with no nerves whatsoever is the day to stop. A little bit of adrenaline/anxiety/nerves etc is good for the performance I feel. If only there was a fader to control the levels

[oldslapper]

My training (and job) is facilitating group work programmes for male perpetrators of violence. So I’m in a room with a group of very angry and potentially dangerous men. 
I love my job, always feel in control, can hold the rooms attention without issue, and challenge peoples behaviour without any anxiety. 
Put me on a stage with a bass round my neck, having rehearsed parts to beyond knowing them, and I have no idea what to do with myself, I’m so self conscious I hate it. I love playing with others and often end up MD for bands I play in, so it’s not lacking confidence over my ability to play. But as soon as I think people are looking at me I hate it and just feel awkward and silly. I can’t stand watching videos of gigs or photos as I look like I’m a statue or not wanting to be there.

Bizarrely if on the rare occasion I’m fronting a band singing, I’m ok. 
Go figure….weirdo eh? 

[lownote]

I used to so hate my local blues jam I'd do one number/song then bolt home.  To then face kindly comments the following week as to how they'd called me and I'd disappeared. I'm now in a gigging band but am nowhere so bad.  Nerves aren't good for me.  If I'm nervous I collopse, whether in performance or exams. But like olslapper above I don't like being looked at and often find I've turned my back on the audience without intending to. If I correct this, I turn around again [repeat].  But then I am f*ckin weird generally. 

Edited March 9, 2022 by lownote

[Bassfinger]

1 minute ago, oldslapper said:

So I’m in a room with a group of very angry and potentially dangerous men. 

Sounds much like my time on the rigs with the rousatabouts and roughnecks, except you werent locked up with them for 2 weeks at a time!

[MacDaddy]

Not anymore, those little blue pills are marvellous ☺️

[Newfoundfreedom]

8 minutes ago, MacDaddy said:

Not anymore, those little blue pills are marvellous ☺️

 

Aren't they for erectile dysfunction?

 

I think you're slapping your bass wrong. 😳

[jezzaboy]

The only time I have been really bricking it was the first gig I played in 2005. It was a charity gig but after that one I have been ok thanks to some comforting words from my drummer mate:

 

Me "Aren`t you nervous?"

 

Drummer "No!"

 

Righty ho!

 

Now I just have some nerves just before you hit the first song. I prefer playing to a decent sized crowd as you get a lot more energy from them and if they like you, there is no better feeling.

 

But if I go into a shop to try a bass out, I`m useless and can`t wait to get the heck out of there. 

 

 

[casapete]

I don’t generally suffer from anxiety so quite lucky there. I do get a bit twitchy if I think someone else on stage is nervous or likely to f*ck up though, and also strangely enough playing in front of friends and family. Think that comes from being made to play piano when we had relatives visiting when I was 7 or 8. 

I did feel more pressure during gigs when I used to play guitar, felt like everyone wanted me to prove what I could do ( which wasn’t a great deal...). Maybe explains why I found playing bass less pressured, and why I’m happiest not in the spotlight as such. 

[Downunderwonder]

Starting in primary school we had a monthly performance in a hall. This was a feature all through highschool.

 

Every once in awhile we were treated to a demo from a working musician or group.

 

I guess this experience normalised performance for me. I guess that was the whole plan. I did get a bit sick of hearing Fur Elise on the piano being performed for the umpteenth time as prep for the exam.

 

Late in highschool I had too much on my plate with sport and theatre and exams and music and reluctantly performed a violoin solo for some showcase thing. I was under prepared and nervous and blew it. Swore off performing solo. Still not a fan of it on bass.

[Sweeneythebass]

I love performing live but sometimes I used to get so anxious. I’d have to bolt to the toilet before the show and then once on stage I’d start sweating like some mad beast and  make lots of mistakes that I’d never made before. It was really frustrating.
 

Drinking beforehand wasn’t much help as I’d be less nervous but my playing would be sloppy as I’d lose some of the dexterity in my hands and I’d be aware of it too and then feel anxious again. 

 

A few simple things like eating properly not  drinking too much caffeine and having a laugh with the guys post soundcheck can help but above all it’s letting the mistakes go that’s the most important attitude to have. The reality is that everyone will make a mistake at some point but they only really become noticeable if they’re dwelled upon and you carry the mistake with you.  ‘Style it out’ 
I still get nervous if I think about soloing as I’m trying to make it ‘perfect’. As nothing will ever be perfect I’m trying to let this go too! 
 

Anyone looked at ‘the inner game of music’ great book about dealing with performance anxiety. 
 

Also check out inverted-u hypothesis for arousal-performance. As someone said some nerves are good. 

 

 

[Burns-bass]

A lot of nerves is about context and emotion. When you’re playing to a large group there’s fear that they’ll hate it, that you’ll make a mistake and something will go wrong. If you’re playing originals or soloing you’re emotionally engaged in the music too, which adds another layer of complexity.

 

I used to be a music teacher (post secondary education) and some of the best players would wilt under the pressure of having to perform to camera. I can’t exactly say why, but we developed plans for each. Some would play alone, others would be happy in a group. Some needed weeks  of notice, others preferred no prep at all.

 

We also did a bit of visualisation which works too.

 

For me, I still get nervous playing, but I never let it stop me from taking an opportunity. It’s something I learned from my kids. There’s something that happens to us between childhood. Through adolescence and adulthood that inhibits us from singing, speaking and performing in public. 
 

In my professional life as a writer I hate talking to people, and avoid it when I can. Much prefer to be writing.

[Bassfinger]

Although that hypothesis is for sporting performance, so not terribly relevant to playing an instrument.

[Burns-bass]

3 minutes ago, Bassfinger said:

Although that hypothesis is for sporting performance, so not terribly relevant to playing an instrument.

The theory was developed for sporting performance, but can be applied anywhere. It’s just a theory, after all.

 

The concept that if you’re too nervous you’ll make mistakes is something of a truism, in any case. 

[skidder652003]

The only time I got truly nervous was out my very first gig many years ago. We were a terrible band, unrehearsed with the most ropy setlist ever.

 

Our first "number" was a jam where one of us yelled out the chords,  a dreadful din. However I looked up and saw the dance floor was packed with drunk punters shaking their thing.

 

That was it for nerves and me, if they like this sh1te just imagine if we were actually any good?

 

Now I don't really get any nerves, just a little buzz if its a good venue. I look at it as a team sport, all the others occasionally make mistakes, me included. Nobody died, just laugh it off. 

[Sweeneythebass]

42 minutes ago, Burns-bass said:

The theory was developed for sporting performance, but can be applied anywhere. It’s just a theory, after all.

 

The concept that if you’re too nervous you’ll make mistakes is something of a truism, in any case. 

Performance, sporting or otherwise is performance. Right?