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Re: Nerves

To: <brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Nerves
From: "The Smiths" <kevin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 22:44:44 -0000
Priority: low
References: <009901bf5c6a$4b9afb00$7018fea9@agc>
Reply-to: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

> Which brings me onto the subject (hopefully not already done to death on
> this list...) of performance nerves.  How does one stop oneself getting
the
> fear?!  and more to the point, once one has it, how does one stop ones
hands
> shaking?  I can handle the dry mouth and sweaty palms (I had those too)
but
> the shakes just spoil your performance.  (No I hadn't had too much beer
the
> night before and yes I could play it in rehearsal....)
>
> All tips gratefully received.

Hi Jud
It brings to mind the most nervous performance of my life two years ago.  Up
to that point, I had laughed at the phrase "knocking knees", but in addition
to the sweaty palms, dry mouth, tunnel vision etc, my legs were SO wobbly my
knees were actually banging against each other!  I was playing a solo with
piano accompaniment at a concert thrown at the end of a week's residential
school in Stirling with the Open University.  I was supposed to play
"There's no place like home" and a trumpet voluntary, but there wasn't a
proper music stand, only a lecturer's lectern thingy and it was only once
I'd played the first couple of notes and my field of vision got severely
restricted that I realised it was too far away and I couldn't see it
properly.  I had to sort of bluff the first verse, and in a couple of bars
rest walk forward on rubbery legs to see the rest of it.  I was that
nervous, I almost didn't make it back up from the bow and had to finish
after the first piece.  I swore then that I'd never never NEVER do it again.
So far, I've got away with jsut doing a duet with David Sheedy - and that
was pressed on me!  Oh happy memories....
I think the only tip I could give is, take deep breaths to calm yourself
down before you go on - but not too many and not too deep or you'll faint.
Oh yeah, and have a  big brandy on standby after!!

Regards

Pam


--

References:
- Nerves
  - From: Judith Hayes

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