We all know the feeling of terror when we take the stage. That hyper-aware place where your thoughts become jumbled, your voice quavers and your palms sweat. If you say, “Oh, not me! I never get stage fright” I say you’re lying or you’ve never been on stage. Performers in general and musicians in particular are insecure by nature. That’s why we seek the spotlight in the first place, to gain validation from others. Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to paralyze your performance or worse, keep you from performing at all. You may not be able to banish it completely, and you may not want to as it can be used to your advantage. Read on McDuff and I’ll pass along the words of wisdom I’ve absorbed in my years of dealing with stage fright and discussing it with other professional musicians.
MENTAL IMAGERY
The very first line of defense against stage fright is using your own mind to blunt it’s impact through mental imagery. Remember what that last audience looked like the last time stage fright negatively affected your performance? Now change that picture in your mind. Imagine those scary people all in their underwear. Briefs and boxers with little pink cupids and superman underoos. They look rediculous don’t they? The more rediculous the better. They don’t seem all that threatening any more do they? The next gig you play, just as you’re about to play, take a look at the audience and choose their mental underwear. Then close your eyes for a moment and really try to form the mental picture. They may wonder what the hell you’re laughing about but they’re not going to seem very threatening.
PREPARATION
Be prepared and you will not feel so insecure. Practice, practice, practice. Know your parts before you get to rehearsal and use the time in rehearsal to fit the parts together. That’s what rehearsal is for. Take a few minutes before the show to run over the first few numbers in your head or on your instrument quietly, preferably in private. Once you have the momentum going by playing a couple very well prepared songs, the rest of the show is a piece of cake. You’ll have the confidence borne of success to carry you through the rest of the evening.
MEDITATION OR DEEP BREATHING EXERCISES
Try this little exercise for relieving stress. Take a slow, deep breath through your mouth. Really fill those lungs up. Hold it just for a half a second and breathe out through your nose very slowly until your lungs empty. Repeat this a few times. Don’t you just feel the stress ebb away? Your perception becomes clear. You become calm and centered. You’ve just increased the oxygen level in your brain, increasing it’s power and clarity. Feels good, doesn’t it?
MANTRA
Oh Mantra sounds like a mystical word doesn’t it? It’s just a phrase that you repeat over and over. With each repetition, you believe it more. You can make up your own but, as goofy as they sound, here’s some I’ve used that worked for me.
“I’m a musician and you’re just regular people. You wish you were me.”
“Tonight is the night of my best performance ever”
“Damn, I’m good!”
“Every female in the house wants me”
“You look pretty stupid in your underwear”
Okay, I made the last one up on the spot but you get the idea. Take a self-affirming thought, turn it into a phrase and repeat it over and over in your mind.
BE ON TIME AND INSIST YOUR BANDMATES DO THE SAME
Feeling frantic trying to get set up in a hurry, starting the show without a sound check, having the club owner watching you get ready to play, etc. These add an enormous amount of stress to the beginning of your show. If you have a bandmate that constantly shows up at the last minute or late, fire him and replace him. This person is no pro and he’ll drag you down. If you are always late, shame on you! Buy a watch. Leave your house an hour early. Grow up, there are other people’s reputations depending on you. I make it a point to be the first person to arrive at a venue.but I don’t go inside until the second person shows up. That way I don’t feel nervous in an unfamiliar place with only strangers around me.
DRINK WATER
No alcohol before the third set. (or none at all ) And no pot smoking, it makes you paranoid. Save it for after the show if you must partake.
ESTABLISH A PRE-SHOW RITUAL
Rituals are comforting. They make you feel comfortable in a place and in your mental space. I insist that set up be done 15 minutes minimum before show time including all sound checks. This 15 minutes is mine and I suffer no interruptions. I go to the dressing room or my car and do deep breathing 5 X. I then run over the first two songs in my head. I then do my mantra. At 5 minutes before the show I grab a bottle of water, hit the bathroom and splash my face. I time my arrival to exactly show time and count down or cue the first song. No talking, no intro, just go. The goofy people in their underwear KNOW you’re a professional, there to entertain them.
USE THE EVIL POWER FOR GOOD
I briefly mentioned the “hyper-aware” state that stage fright can induce. This is your naturally occuring “fight or flee” response to a situation you percieve as dangerous. Your perceptions are heightened, you hear better, you see better…you can perform better. By the way, it’s not really dangerous on-stage. I’ve played some of the roughest bars and biker clubhouses around and the only time an audience member has physically attacked me is when they were an angry husband or boyfriend trying to keep me from taking their woman away from them. Just see who’s with that total babe before you hit on her too hard and you’re safe.
SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP
If nothing else works, see a counselor or doctor. There are many therapies and medications that can help with extreme stage fright. I’ve heard of many performers who take beta-blocking drugs and swear they do wonders. Don’t let your musical talent be stifled.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ol’ Ketchfish is a songwriter and musician with years of performance experience, back to the bad old eighties. He’s played every kind of venue from dirt floor barrooms to church halls, from stadiums to small town bandstands. At every gig, he’s experienced stagefright and he’s found some techniques to use it to his advantage, so can you with a little practice. Check out his website at http://clik.to.ketchfish for more information.
Today, Norm Goldman, Editor of Sketchandtravel.com and Bookpleasures.com is delighted to have as our guest, Dan Goldman, Guitarist, Song Writer, Poet, Arranger and a musician of many other talents.
Dan is here to discuss his world of music and travels.
Norm:
When did your passion for music begin? What keeps you going?
Dan:
I can’t quite remember when my passion began. It seems to have been an inborn appreciation. My earliest memories are of listening to old records and 8-track recordings that my parents had kicking around the house - anything from Kenny Rogers to Neil Diamond sparked my interest at the time.
My father played piano, and I always loved listening to his romantic, albeit, slightly schmaltzy touch. I’d press my ear against the soundboard to get the most out of the vibrations.
Norm:
Who were the musicians that influenced you?
Dan:
There are too many to mention; but if I had to narrow it down, I’d say, in order of appearance: The Beatles, The Who, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, my uncle Issac, Classical guitar repertoire including Bach and most of the Spanish composers, Joni Mitchell, Jim Hall, Bill Frisell and on and on.I’m currently into Wilco, Joanna Newsom, Lisa Germano, to name a few.
Norm:
When on tour, do you notice any differences in audiences from one city to the next, and if so, would you say that this may due to their geographical location. For example, how would you compare audiences in Vancouver to those in Toronto or Montreal insofar as your music is concerned?
Dan:
Yes, I’d say the main difference lies in how saturated the market is. In Calgary, for instance, where there isn’t as much traffic in terms of touring bands, I tend to get a warmer and more appreciative reception than in Toronto, where, although I play plenty of great gigs, the audiences are somewhat numbed by the sheer volume of musicians around. Then again, performances are always different and anything I think is the rule is always put into question as soon as I play an unexpectedly great gig in the least likely situation.
Norm:
What challenges or obstacles do you encounter while traveling and performing? How did you overcome these challenges?
Dan:
I get nervous a lot. I’m fine when I’m actually performing, but I generally get stressed a couple of hours before the show. It’s really important for me to eat and rest appropriately so that the stress doesn’t take a toll on my performances. I generally try to put aside a certain amount of time every day that I’m on tour to warming up or to my sitting (meditation) practice.
Norm:
Which is your favorite city to perform in? Why?
Dan:
I can’t say that I have one. Anywhere where the people are receptive and supportive becomes the best city.
Norm
How do you get the inspiration for your song and music writing?
Dan:
I love music. It’s not hard to get inspired, what’s hard is following through and staying consistent with my writing practice. I find that the only way to get to where I want to be expression-wise is to spend the time it takes; and you never know how long that’s going to be, so you just keep
going!
Norm:
What was the first piece of music you ever wrote? What was the reaction?
Dan:
I can’t remember. It was probably something in the classical guitar idiom. I’ve always made sure to ask people who I knew would be supportive - a stacked deck, if you will, in my favor.
Norm:
Do you set yourself daily, weekly, yearly goals? If so, what are some of your goals?
Dan:
Yes, I definitely have to set daily goals, otherwise a whole day passes me buy, and I feel like I’ve done nothing. These goals are rewarding because I can say, for example, I’m going to work on words for an hour, and then at the end of the hour I’ve done it - it might all be shit, but at least I’ve stayed with it, and it’ll likely turn into something good at some point. In contrast, saying that I want to tour the world by the time I’m 33 is a bit more difficult to materialize. Ultimately, I know that if I keep writing and touring, I will get led to greater accomplishments in my craft as well as a greater fan base with more touring opportunities.
Norm:
You are a guitarist, song writer, poet, and arranger.
Which of the above do you prefer and why?
Dan:
At this point, I’m a singer-songwriter. It’s what I practice on a daily basis, and it’s how I’m starting to become known.
Norm:
I understand that in Canada there are Music Festival Travel Grants as well as other travel grants that assist professional Canadian musicians to perform at festivals outside their province or territory of residence.
Apparently, these grants are given to introduce experience artists to new audiences at an early stage of their career to a wider public. Have you ever received this assistance and if so, could you tell our audience how beneficial have they been from the point of view of furthering your career?
Dan:
Yes, I’ve received some assistance from the Canada Council for the Arts and it has been extremely helpful. I got a tour grant last year, for instance, which allowed me to tour across the country. Although the tour wasn’t as well organized as I’d hoped for, it did provide me with a new network of people across the country who have since become very supportive, including my current manager, Candace Elder.
Norm:
Do you think there is some kind of a connection between music and travel?
Dan:
Absolutely. Traveling, whether physical or emotional, provides a new perspective, or a new backdrop, if you will, to your old script. It makes your story seem a little more vibrant, and therefore, worthy of being documented, which of course, is one of the main purposes of art.
Norm
What is next for Dan Goldman and is there anything you wish to add that we have not covered?
Dan:
I have a tour beginning in August that I hope will bring me from coast to coast. I’m also working on some new songs and am really excited to record them in the new year.
Thanks Dan and good luck with all of your future endeavors. Thanks Norm
You can read more about Dan and listen to a sampling of his music on www.dangoldman.ca
About the Author: Norm Goldman is a travel writer and book reviewer. He is the editor of the travel site,www.sketchandtravel.com and the book reviewing site www.bookpleasures.com
Norm and his artist wife meld words with art focusing on romantic and wedding destinations.
Source: www.isnare.com
Are secured loans still available? With property prices falling and the credit crunch upon us, you might expect secured loans to be less available than they once were - and you’d be right. However, it’s important to see each of these factors in context.
First, property prices - a key part of any secured loan decision. Prices are falling, but they’re falling from an historical high. According to the Nationwide House Price Index, the ‘average house’ was worth £164,654 in August 2008. That’s:
• over £21,000 below its October 2007 (peak) price, but
• over £22,000 above its March 2004 price.
After almost a year of falling house prices, the ‘average homeowner’ is still left with a significant profit, as long as they’ve owned that house for a few years or more. Of course, that profit isn’t really cash, but some of it can be turned into cash with a secured loan, provided the homeowner makes an informed decision - when prices are falling, it’s vital to think very carefully about the future of the housing market and whether it makes sense to free up some of their equity through a secured loan. Turning too much of that equity into cash could leave the homeowner facing negative equity if house prices fall far enough.
Second, the credit crunch. Like other forms of credit, secured loans are affected by the credit crunch - secured loan providers have become more ‘risk averse’ and unwilling to lend. This is largely about confidence: loan providers are also finding it hard to get credit, and they’re not sure how much of the money they’ve already lent out they’ll actually recover.
However, the authorities have taken - and are still taking - steps to reinforce confidence in the credit markets. The Bank of England’s Special Liquidity Scheme aims to ‘improve the liquidity position of the banking system and increase confidence in financial markets’ (basically, provide lenders with both the means and the confidence to lend).
As far as individuals are concerned, the Scheme means secured loans and other forms of credit are more available. The Scheme lets lenders temporarily swap some of their assets for Treasury Bills. Since they can use these Bills as collateral and borrow from other financial institutions, they’re more confident about granting credit, from secured loans to unsecured loans and other kinds of credit.