Back when we started this blog late last year, one of the first questions we received was how to deal with stage fright. Ray and I both took a stab at what we thought might be helpful, but since it’s not something either one of us has had to deal with, I don’t know that we were of much help. I’ve been performing onstage since I was in grade school and then spent many years as a corporate executive, so being in front of groups of people is pretty much second nature at this point. And let’s face it, Ray’s middle name is “Ham!”
So when I came across this article in Gig Magazine, I thought I would share it here as I know this can be a real issue for a lot of people.
My favorite line is near the end where the author says, “Ultimately, overcoming stage fright is accomplished by doing the one thing you fear the most: performing…if you are not willing to “face the fear of failure,” stage fright will continue to haunt your performance attempts.” You can ask Ray, I have fallen on my face (both literally AND figuratively) many times over the years and yet I’m still here performing, and have a pretty good gig at that! At the end of the day it’s important to remember that the only person that cares whether you were “perfect” or not, is you! Everyone else is simply there to have a good time and be entertained. If you can find a way to keep that in mind, it will make it a lot easier to go out there and take some chances and have fun!
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Ray Neyens, Editor
Paul Schille, Editor
Here is my take on overcoming stage fright. Self belief, if you believe in what you do and are confident in your own abilities then you can banish stage fright. Early in my performing career I had some problems with stage fright, but by truly believing in my own abilities I have been able to banish stage fright completely.