Stage anxiety killed the cat

[ObiWanSymbian]

Soo... out of curiosity I took part in the Warsaw Fingerstyle Festival.

The stage one required participants to send their performance via YT chanel.

This one went quite well for me, as I got qualified for the second stage.

The second... Well... Whatever could go wrong, went wrong.

I felt out of place - lights directly to my eyes, the audio characteristics of the room - I was not used to it.
Also, I usually play at 9, 10 in the evening. Today I had to play at noon. It felt awkward.

At almost 40 years, I am making a satisfactory progress with my playing, but my live performances are very, very.... disappointing. Even for my friends, I'm tense, and cannot show the fluidity that I like about my playing.

As for the other participants - most of them were 18, 19 years old or in their early twenties. Behind the stage I learned that most of them already accumulated a stunning experience, through participation in competitions.
Most of them were showing "visible signs" of being taught in musical schools.

Right now I'm fighting with mixed feelings - I qualified for 2nd stage, but underperformed in the live audition.

Life goes on, I guess...;-)
Thank you for reading.

[mercy]

Keep at it, thats the answer, experience. Of course if you could get a mentor that would maximize your efforts. But on the other hand whats wrong with just being a hobby player?

[ObiWanSymbian]

I'm not saying there is something wrong in being a hobby player.
It's just that I would like to give something... well... good to other people, by playing for them.

[Wyllys]

You have to practice what you're going to do. If you're going to play guitar, play guitar. If you're going to perform or enter competitions, perform and enter competitions. You can't expect to be at ease doing something you haven't really put in time on.

[Kalani]

I feel this way sometimes too but I try to remind myself that I shouldn't focus on things I can't control (how others feel or react to my music); I can only control how I feel and perform. Thus, I try to turn my focus soley on the music I'm playing, really get into the piece and enjoy the moment and what I'm doing. If I can accomplish this, everything else will take care of itself.

[Pitar]

Originally Posted by ObiWanSymbian

I'm not saying there is something wrong in being a hobby player.
It's just that I would like to give something... well... good to other people, by playing for them.

If an audience is your goal, then you are speaking of it the way you should. If your intent is simply personal recreation you would not have posted this thread. Keep at it. It will come. May I suggest practicing by recording yourself? It will bring you two-fold experience. 1) Better playing and, 2) Confidence. Recordings maintain their honesty when human memory tends to forgive and forget.

[TBman]

Two glasses of white wine, or a bottle of beer. Or see a hypnotist about treatment for anxiety. That stuff does work with certain people. I was hypnotized to quit smoking and I stopped for 5 years, went back for 2, then quit again and haven't touched one since in about 8 years or so. Basically what you learn is to use your own breathing mixed with relaxing thoughts to gain control over a situation. You can still have a beer though if you'd like,

Great playing.

[Garrison314]

I enjoyed it. I don't get what all the competition is about or why you'd even be interested in that, but I can say from what I just saw that I'd be very pleased if I walked into a bar and you were up on the stage playing a bunch of the same stuff.

[ObiWanSymbian]

Originally Posted by Garrison314

I enjoyed it. I don't get what all the competition is about or why you'd even be interested in that, but I can say from what I just saw that I'd be very pleased if I walked into a bar and you were up on the stage playing a bunch of the same stuff.

Thank you very much !
That's the nicest thing I've heard in a while.
The thing with participation is to get over with anxiety on the stage so that I could play with ease for other people.