Gaining Confidence in Performing

Hi everyone,

In todays post I'm going to talk about developing and gaining confidence in performing, as this isn't something that naturally comes to everyone and that's okay.

You have been playing your musical instrument for a while, and you feel that you would to have a go at performing in front of a group of people. The fact that you have chosen to perform in front of a group of people is huge in itself, and that should give you a little confidence boost.

Find a Local Jam Night and/ or Open Mic Night

These are a really good way to start to develop your confidence in performing, as you are usually with another group of people who may or may not have performed before. It's also a really way for you to get some feedback on your performance in a relaxed atmosphere; and other people may give you some tips on performing along the way. It's also a great way to make new friends and to extend your support network.

Keep it Simple

For your first performance I would recommend that you keep it simple to see if you like it; and play a piece that you a familiar with. It doesn't matter if its a nursery rhyme or a short easy piece of classical music, as you need to make it a little bit easier to counteract the performance nerves. It also doesn't matter if you mess up or have a little fumble along the way - just try to play through it the best you can.

Gradually Extend your Performance Time

Rather than playing just the one piece, try and extend it to three pieces. This will also give you ability to start playing around with different performance themes such as Disney music and works from different composers/ genres. It should start to give you an idea on what you enjoy playing, and which performance areas you would like to explore in more depth.

Feedback from the Audience

This will just naturally happen from the audience that you have been performing in front of. If they are seasoned performers they might give you a few tips on what you can do better on ready for the next time you perform or piece/ song suggestions. Also, if there's any special performance events that are coming up that you might fancy performing in. They also have some information of other groups within your local area that specialise in your instrument, and who maybe looking for new members to join.

Instrumental Groups

In some areas they have groups dedicated to your chosen instrument, and these are usually local to you. If you are interested in joining a group that interests enquire about it through your local music store, and also through social media to get some information. Within these groups there's usually a performance aspect built in there, and you will have the same common interest of learning and playing the same instrument.

Take Your Time

When building up your confidence in performing, its important to take your time while performing. This is really hard to do, especially if you are performing in front of a group of people you have never performed in front of before. It's also important that you enjoy the experience, and take on as much feedback as you can. 

Performance Nerves

It is completely natural to feel nervous before a performance, and it doesn't matter how big or small your performance is. You will still feel a little bit nervous. All I can suggest is play through it the best you can, and the nerves should naturally pass the more you get into it. But, that may not always be the case for everyone, as everyone deals with performance nerves differently.