TakeLessons Examines Hidden Causes of Stage Fright

Online, February 5, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Season Two of The Voice debuted last night on NBC, with the usual hype and over-the-top antics of today's talent-based reality shows.

Even for practiced performers, the idea of auditioning in front of music industry veterans like Christina Aguilera and Adam Levine may be nerve-wracking.

TakeLessons (http://takelessons.com), the nation's fastest growing music lessons provider, took the opportunity to share some words of wisdom for musicians who allow performance jitters to hold them back. Most of the time, performance anxiety stems from three main roots: the individual person, the task at hand or the performance situation. By learning how to handle each of the causes of stage fright, performing in front of others will get easier and easier.

The following is an excerpt from the TakeLessons blog post:

"1. Person
Our personalities and beliefs strongly affect our experiences on stage. For instance, self-assured, extroverted people who view performing as a rewarding challenge are generally less jittery than those who are shy and dread being the center of attention. Our performance histories then multiply our natural tendencies.

Timid musicians who have endured repeated episodes of shakes, dry mouth and butterflies, let's say, will probably be extra worried before concerts; outgoing ones who have regularly enjoyed and succeeded at performing have reasons to look forward to making music for audiences.

The good news is that with well-directed effort, even anxious musicians can replace negative thoughts and experiences with positive ones.

How to take control: Take a moment to consider which of your personal qualities and past experiences enhance or interfere with your ability to perform. Write the positive memories down, and focus your energy on these before you perform.

2. Task
Needless to say, exceedingly difficult tasks are more stressful to perform than easy ones. Similarly, insufficient practice can leave us feeling on edge when we step under the lights. Two less-obvious but vitally important factors that affect our security are our practice and performance skills. In particular, students who don't practice their music deeply but depend on automated types of learning will feel their control drain away under pressure.

Likewise, when musicians aren't skilled at basic performance tasks, such as speaking to audiences, performing can be extra nerve-wracking. All musicians can increase their task mastery and therefore their stage power by choosing accessible repertoire, practicing it deeply and learning performance skills.

How to take control: Make note of the task-related actions you've taken that have supported or undermined your success on stage. Supportive actions include selecting manageable music and practicing it regularly. Remember these as you prepare for your next performance."

By sharing the tips with blog readers, TakeLessons hopes to continue engaging current students and help with any musical goals they may have. Readers are invited to share their thoughts by commenting on the TakeLessons blog, where they can also read tips on how to write jingles, and comments are also welcomed on Facebook (http://facebook.com/takelessons).