Stage fright is very common problem among performing songwriters. You can feel very confident about a song you wrote and recorded, but when it comes to playing it live, it may be harder for you to deliver the song with as much confidence as you had when you scratched it out on paper. But don’t fret. There are ways to reduce those feelings of fear and anxiety you feel before getting up in front of a group of people. In this article, we’ll look at some of the ones that have worked best for me, and can work for you too.

1. Change Up your Songs When You Practice Them
   A great way to make sure you’re thoroughly prepared with your songs is to practice them in different ways each time you play them. When you rehearse, play them the standard way and then try playing them in a different key, for example. If you have a band, try playing the songs without one or more of your band members. Play the songs with the same structure without the lead vocalist singing.The more you can change up your songs, the better prepared you’ll be to play the original versions each time you get onstage, under pressure. No matter what happens while you’re playing live, you’ll be able to handle it because you’ve become so accustomed to playing your songs in so many variations. You’re used to your songs not always being played in the standard way, so you can roll with practically anything.
2. Perform Frequently
   Every time you’re courageous in life by doing something you fear, you build a more confidence in that area of your life. In this case, the more you perform, the less you will fear performing. Start small by playing at local open mics until you build your way up to full blown gigs. But it’s important to keep doing it. Each time you perform, you will have more confidence as a performer. Just make sure you take on an “I did it!” attitude when you’re done, and NOT an “I can’t believe I survived that. It was awful.” attitude. Taking on the latter attitude will not help you improve your confidence.Additionally, by playing a lot you simply make being in front of a crowd a more normal environment for you. The more normal it is, the more comfortable you’ll be.
3. Have a Positive Mindset
   Feeling good about your stage performances is mostly about mindset. You can put yourself in a positive mindset to deliver a great performance. The problem for most people tends to be that when they’re dealt a negative mindset by a scary situation, such as playing in front of a group of people, they tend to allow that negative mindset to dominate them, affecting their thoughts and possibly even their performance.It’s important to realize that by changing your mindset, you can more easily act on your fears. It is very possible to take the negative thoughts associated with jumping up onstage and flip them to be positive ones.Just keep in mind that like anything worthwhile in life, this may take some effort and practice on your part. But if you stick with it, you will improve. Simply put, don’t beat yourself up, no matter what happens onstage. And always look at the positive aspects of your situation.
4. Visualize the Future
   When you’re feeling nervous before you play, imagine your show being over. Picture how well you performed. Imagine the crowd chanting your name. Not only will this make you feel good, but it’ll give you a visualization to subconsciously work towards while you’re performing.If we feed our subconscious minds positive information, and give them something to work towards, they tend to gravitate that way. If left to their own merit, who knows which way they’ll go. So feed yourself positive images to work toward, and let your mind seek them out.
5. Don’t Fight What You Feel
   Don’t fight your emotions by trying to tell yourself they’re not there. If you’re nervous, telling yourself you’re not nervous isn’t going to work.Instead, detach yourself from the outcome of your performance, whether it’s good or bad. Remind yourself that it doesn’t define you. It’s just a single performance. Remember that each and every time you play in front of people.

Performing is about having fun and delivering the message in your songs. Of all the minutes in a week, you spend too few of those minutes onstage. So try out these tips and let yourself enjoy the opportunity of being up there. If you’re having fun, then it’s much more likely your audience will too. Enjoy!

About Anthony:

Anthony Ceseri is the owner of www.SuccessForYourSongs.com, a website dedicated to the growth and development of songwriters of all skill levels. Anthony’s writings also appear as examples in the book Songwriting Without Boundaries: Lyric Writing Exercises For Finding Your Voice by Pat Pattison, an acclaimed lyric writing professor at Berklee College of Music.

To download Anthony’s free special report on overcoming stage fright and improving your performances, click here:
http://successforyoursongs.com/freeoffer/bloggingmuses/