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SERIOUS Stage Fright!

I get asked all the time how to overcome stage fright. Or, as one artist put it, “like serrrrious stage fright!”

When I was in a band, I came to understand that at the root of my nervousness was my need for people to like me. And I realized that, although I’m a likable enough person, not everyone is going to like me all the time.

I needed to stop worrying about what people thought of me, and I needed to start concentrating on loving my audience. Besides, 97% of them wanted to like me and wanted to enjoy my show! (For more on this, see my DVD Get the Show on the Road.)

The other answer to the “stage fright”/nerves question can have a very practical approach, as I explained to this artist:

Q: I’m going to be doing just one song for a TV broadcast. Do you have any recommendations about overcoming nervousness before you sing?

A: Coming out at the beginning of your show is always difficult. If you’ve heard me teach, you know I always talk about whether you are “dating” your audience or are “married” to your audience.

If you’re singing in front of people who don’t know you, then you are dating your audience. Your relationship with them is different than if you were a big star and they know already your stuff. So it’s really important that you get prepared before you walk onstage. … Read More, Watch, Comment – Backstage Pass Required