Performance Jitters

[Gjornia X]

Anxiety. Stress. Nerves. Jitters. We all get em. How do you cope or what do you do to subside its physiological effects?

I like to run (or do anything aerobic) about an hour before to tire myself out in prepping for the extra adrenaline, I'll eat a banana, and lastly pray. Sometimes I make my friends pray with me, it makes me feel like I'm not alone in recitals and auditions. But enuff about me. What about you?!  

[Vampire_Panda14]

i get most nervous during the dress rehersal (i dont know why I just had a conset last night and when we did the dress rehersal i was shaking really bad) but before i get on stage i calm myslef down and i let my mind wonder until its time to perform thats what i do i let my mind wonder for a little bit  

[II Stelmaria II]

I get jitters everytime I have to play a solo alone. Like when I tried out for the solo a few days ago. I was so nervous I couldn't stand, I had to get a chair because that's how bad I was shaking.  

[Sakura Latte]

I somehow never get performance jitters. o.o; It's kind of odd. I don't think about being nervous or anything---I just go out there and perform.  

[Isake-kun]

How weird. I get HARDCORE the day just before a solo, or performance. But when the moment is there to play it somehow goes away.  

[Gjornia X]

Isake-kun

How weird. I get HARDCORE the day just before a solo, or performance. But when the moment is there to play it somehow goes away.

Maybe your body was so anxious the day before that the day of it was tired and 'eh'. Hmm, maybe i should try this rolleyes  

[Sionja]

The only time I really get performance jitters anymore (I would pretty much freak out my entire freshman year of college) is before I have to perform something I know I'm still having problems with. And even then, it's just like the minute leading up to going on stage - once I'm on stage, all nerves are gone. idk, I think I'm just getting used to this performing-without-a-moment's-notice thing, haha.  

[Annexed Demon]

Normally I don't get performance jitters in the actual performance, I get them at the rehearsal. But when I get them then, and I really can't go anywhere I try to put my mind off the music a little, just think about breathing, clearing my mind. It certainly helps. Or, if you're taking a break, get something to mess around with in your hand.  

[choirnerd9]

I don't get too nervous in front of a lot of people, but I freak out in front of judges -_- I don't know why, but my voice gets really shaky in front of judges but not when I preform in front of a lot of people. Maybe because I can't focus onthe people's faces when there are more of them. I can't stand people staring at me.  

[Ultimate Echidna]

I pretty much just tell them "Go away. I need to do something epic now. You can come back when I'm done."  

[Mykoh]

For me, it all depends if I'm in a competition or not.

If everything is on the line, eg. Provincial/National competition, my adrenaline

takes over and all nervousness is gone; however, if it's just a measly rehearsal

or small performance, for some reason I get quite nervous. My only way to fix

this is to take a power nap (1-2 minutes of sleep) before I actually perform.  

[rock_greenday_lover]

I don't really get nervous until the second I'm up on stage. It's like the whole thing hits me at 100 miles an hour in less than a second and I'm left stunned. It really gets the heart pumping.  

[candy!x0x0]

Before my college auditions, I would do a lot of visualizing. Every night before I would go to bed, I would tell myself I practiced as hard as I could that day (which I always do) and that the day will come and go fine, then I try and picture the audition down to the detail. I walk into the room, introduce myself sit, take a few deep breaths then imagine myself playing the same way my favorite recording would go. I would iron out all the bumps and that way when the auditions came up I had already gone through it a million times in my head (and they always have to go well in your head) that way I always have a good plan. It worked too!  

[thequietwriter]

I know this is weird, but I don't get nervous for solo performances or auditions. What I get really nervous for is duets and orchestra concerts.

It doesn't really make any sense. I guess I feel more pressure because if I mess something up during the orchestra concert, I feel like I'm letting the group down.  

[Philharmonic Helix]

I don't really get nervous before a performance I always freak out after I'm done lol