You feel cool, composed, and clear in practice settings. But when it’s time to go on stage – that’s another story. In the weeks leading up to a performance, or maybe in the moments just before the stage lights go up, thinking about getting in front of the crowd results in physical and mental stress. Adrenaline is coursing through your veins. You’re worried you’ll get on stage and freeze. Or worse, throw up. So, um, what’s that about? Stage fright.
Luckily, stage fright doesn’t have to mean the show won’t go on. Once you understand your stage fright, you can overcome it. Use this guide to develop confidence-boosting pre-performance habits. It’s time to transform your stage fright into stage might.
What Is Stage Fright?
While not a mental health condition, stage fright is a common subtype of social anxiety. Stage fright can affect performers of all kinds: public speakers, dancers, musicians, and beyond. Those who face music performance anxiety may experience nervousness or fear in the weeks, days, or moments before a performance—or during the performance itself. In addition to fear, panic, or nervousness, stage fright often manifests with physical symptoms, like nausea, breathing quickly, sweating, trembling, fast heart rate, or lightheadedness.
Is Stage Fright Common?
Yes, stage fright is common. You’re far from alone if you’re experiencing stage fright. Stage fright, also known as music performance anxiety, is incredibly common. Musicians of all experience and performance levels face stage fright — whether they’ve played for five months or 50 years. It can happen while performing for your family and friends at an impromptu backyard gig or entertaining considerable audiences in a sold-out stadium. Stage fright says nothing about your musical abilities; even renowned performers experience stage fright.
How Do You Overcome Stage Fright as a Musician?
Everyone experiences stage fright differently — and there’s no single best way to overcome it. Everyone has to find their own ways to cope. What will work best for you depends on personal preferences and what is driving your stage fright. However, we’ve collected some of the most popular approaches musicians and performers have tried and tested.
Long-Term Tips for Overcoming Stage Fright
Whether you have months or weeks to prepare, these long-term tips can help you lay a solid foundation for finding calm amidst pre-concert anxiety.
Practice Mindfulness or Visualization
Use meditation, deep breathing techniques, positive affirmations, and visualization routinely. Finding the right combination of methods may require some trial and error. Don’t know where to start? Try searching YouTube or Spotify or find a dedicated meditation app.
Whatever you choose, you can reap benefits well before the day of your performance. These tactics calm your nervous system, help diminish your inner critic, and reinforce positive mindsets long-term.
Work your preferred meditation, affirmations, or visualization tactics into your practice sessions and daily routine. For example, you could repeat affirmations when you’re getting ready in the morning, meditate before practice, and complete visualizations before bed.
Find More Performance Opportunities
While it may feel counterintuitive, seeking opportunities to play in front of others can help you overcome your stage fright and learn to love the rush of performing for a crowd. If you’re new to performing, you’ll find that the more you perform, the more comfortable you’ll become in front of a crowd. Over time, you’ll have less concert anxiety.
Sometimes, the best way to get over stage fright is to continue to push through – and to find more performance opportunities. Performance opportunities may look different depending on your circumstances. If you’re new to performing, you can work up from low-stakes performances in front of trusted friends and family to open mics to landing formal paid gigs.
Know Your Setlist & Practice Like It’s a Performance
One of the best ways to overcome stage fright is to be well-prepared. That means knowing what you will play. Practice your pieces until you know them inside and out. Get the muscle memory down.
Remember to treat some of your practice opportunities as if they were performances. That means playing with backing tracks and continuing if you make a mistake. The more confident you are in your abilities, and the more you practice as if you are performing, the less room you’ll have for anxiety the day of.
Develop a Pre-Performance Routine
Many musicians and performers ease their jitters with a pre-performance routine. Use the time leading up to your performance to establish a routine that helps you stay relaxed and focused. Then, try it out before rehearsal sessions.
Your pre-performance routine could include calming tactics like meditation, practical items like specific warm-up exercises and instrument care, self-care like sipping on your favorite herbal tea, listening to calming music, or stretching. A little distraction never hurts, either. Try engaging in a favorite portable stress-relieving hobby like knitting, playing Tetris on your phone, or reading.
Watch Your Daily Habits
Quality sleep, proper nutrition, and hydration can all impact your mental and physical health. Be sure to take care of yourself to set the stage for success.
Get to know your stress triggers. Poor sleep or extra stimulants, like caffeine, could increase your likelihood of experiencing jitters regardless of whether it’s time to perform.
Don’t Be Afraid to Talk to a Professional
Stage fright doesn’t need to stand in the way of sharing your talent and achieving your performance goals–and you don’t have to go it alone. If your stage fright is severe, consider seeking help from a therapist or counselor who specializes in performance anxiety.
Pre-Performance Tips for Overcoming Stage Fright
Have just hours or minutes before you head on stage? Try these tips to combat pre-concert anxiety in the short term.
Get Familiar With Your Performance Space
Are you anxious about a specific performance opportunity? If possible, arrive early and access your performance space beforehand.
Whether at rehearsals or when you arrive, focus on familiarizing yourself with areas backstage, getting on stage, and taking in the view from there. Spending time in your practice area before the curtains open can help reduce the anxiety of the unknown.
Practice Deep Breathing
Deep breathing exercises are a powerful tool and one of the best ways to calm down before a performance. Practice inhaling deeply through your nose, holding for a few seconds, and exhaling slowly through your mouth. Deep breathing can help calm your nervous system and reduce your heart and respiration rate, alleviating the physical symptoms of stage fright.
Move Through the Adrenaline
Feeling on edge or too amped up? Engaging in light physical activity can help manage the adrenaline rush. Try taking a few moments before heading on stage to complete simple stretches, do jumping jacks, or take a short walk to help release tension.
Use Reframing Techniques
Feeling anxious is your body’s way of preparing for an important event. But both anxiety and excitement feel the same in the body, which means that you can flip the script and put mind over matter. You can transform any anxious or fear-based thoughts pre-performance by focusing on the positive and adopting an opportunity mindset. That will help you move from a state of anxiety to a place of excitement and gratitude.
For example, instead of reaffirming that you’re afraid of playing for the crowd or lingering on worst-case scenarios, remind yourself that you’re excited to do what you love and of the hard work you’ve put in. A change in perspective can change everything.
Stay in the Moment
Focus on the present moment and what you can control rather than worrying about what might happen. Before going on stage, stay connected to each task at hand. Once you’re on stage, stay present in your music and performance.
Mind Your Posture, Even Backstage
Don’t ball up backstage if you’re feeling anxious. Instead, stand or sit tall when you’re feeling anxious. Not only is watching your posture an essential part of cultivating stage presence, but it’s also scientifically proven that there’s a link between your posture and your confidence levels.
Here’s why: neurological pathways all through your body send signals to your brain. Poor posture can inhibit your breathing and increase your adrenal response. In contrast, maintaining an upright, open posture allows you to catch a deep breath and doesn’t invoke the same adrenal-spiking response.
So, when you need to combat your stage fright quickly, stand tall, keep your shoulders back, and take deep breaths to remain calm. Sit or stand up straight: science says so!
Managing Stage Fright During Your Performance
It’s time to give the people a show. Take a deep breath — you can do this! Here’s what to do if you are overwhelmed with stage fright during your performance.
Regroup With Grounding Techniques
Try simple grounding techniques if you start to feel anxious during a performance. For example, feel the floor beneath your feet or the bow in your hand. Wiggle your toes. Identify something you can see, hear, taste, smell, or feel. Count backward from ten, or spell your name backward.
Using grounding techniques can help you return to the moment in seconds and achieve the calm you need to perform well.
Close Your Eyes & Find Your Center
Briefly closing your eyes can help you center yourself and reduce external distractions if you’re feeling overstimulated. Take a few seconds to close your eyes and just breathe. Ensure you’re comfortable with your sheet music to do this without losing your place!
Fix Your Gaze Above the Crowd
If making eye contact with the crowd makes you feel more anxious, try looking just above the heads of your audience or to an exit sign out in the distance. This way, you’ll appear engaged without feeling intimidated.
Find & Stay With the Music
Focus on each note and find the joy of playing your instrument. Remember why you love music, and let that passion guide you through the performance.
If you make a mistake, continue! Remember that nobody in the audience knows your performance piece better than you do, and one errant note isn’t the end of the world.
The Right Tactics & Tools Make a Difference
By incorporating these techniques and tips into your long- and short-term pre-performance routine, you can transform your music performance anxiety into a powerful stage presence. Remember, even the most seasoned performers experience stage fright. How you manage makes all the difference. With practice, preparation, and the right mindset, you can turn your stage fright into stage might and deliver unforgettable performances every time.
But every performance feels better when you have the right tools. CodaBow offers a stunning line of performance bows to help make each performance your best. And with the Chroma line, you can customize the colors to look and feel your best on stage. Shop our selection online today.
Stay Connected