[capefisherman]

Over the last few months I've invited a few of my students to sit in with me at a local cafe where I've been doing an every-week gig for over eight years (which I love and sincerely appreciate; if you are coming to Cape Cod for vacation it's worth a visit; send me a PM and I'll give you the details). So far three of them have and I anticipate more will in the future.

What I've noticed - not surprisingly - is that in spite of being good players and rehearsing with them the three or four tunes we'll be playing - they get very nervous, at least for the first song. Part of how I try to minimize their nervousness is to help them understand that the overwhelming majority of the people in the small audiences are ON THEIR SIDE! They are pulling for you and are very forgiving of any mistakes. When my students think about this and accept it they dive in and all is well. By the end of their three or four songs, they wish they could play more!

I think that this is true to a great extent for all of us, regardless of the skill level. Buying in to the concept of audience support goes a long way toward giving our best. It's a small thing, I know, and won't eliminate nervousness (and neither should it - a bit of nervousness always results in a better performance, for me anyway) but it can certainly help.

Gene

capecodacoustics.com