Mind Over Music

[shaheediyan]

Mind Over Music

Uknown

Stage-fright or performance anxiety has long been a subject not openly discussed by performing musicians. While a mild level of performance anxiety is perfectly normal when one is called upon to perform in public, many people suffer from a much higher level of fear and dread and it can be a problem that escalates to the use of drugs or alcohol to quell performance fears.

The symptoms of performance anxiety are shaking or trembling hands, stiff muscles, uncontrollable racing thoughts, lack of self confidence and anxiety about people’s verdicts on their performance. A majority of artists even suffer from flashbacks of bad performances. There are many ways to combat this problem; many musicians fail to warm up before a performance or pay attention to diet and fluid intake. Visualisation and grounding techniques are also essential in getting the body to re-programme its anxiety symptoms.

When trying to understand anxiety it is important to realise that a human being is not able to distinguish between real danger and imagined danger. An animal in the wild facing danger must make a split decision whether to fight or flee. This is based on a subconscious, instinctive level in the brain. Immediately there is an enormous increase in the amount of blood being pumped into the arms and legs. All other activity not connected to the situation, for example the body’s digestive system, stops until a decision has been reached. If it is not possible either to fight or flee, the body will stiffen. If the prey succeeds in escaping it will afterwards shake like a jelly and that results in the nervous system falling back into place. Adrenaline accumulation will return to normal and the body’s organs will function normally again.

If we relate this to musicians, a rapid heartbeat is a sign that the pulse and blood pressure are rising and blood is being pumped out into the main muscle groups, where there is most need for energy. Breathing becomes faster to increase oxygen to the blood. The side-effects are shallow breathing, a choking feeling, dizziness and an increase in sweat production. All the physical symptoms can be simply related to the way the body copes with real danger.

The body has a brilliant ability to survive danger. In a life threatening situation the brain makes a snapshot photo and stores it. This is a fantastic survival mechanism when faced with snakes and lions but a liability when faced with a difficult tana or tihai. It is vitally important that the problem is treated otherwise it will continue to spiral until out of control. If the body does not go though the process of shaking its nervous system back into balance, the same thing will recur over and over again when facing a similar situation. Old negative experiences must be removed before beginning work on becoming mentally strong. You must therefore identify the causes of your anxiety when on stage or the concert platform. These techniques also require practice, and are certainly not a quick fix. A musician must empower themselves, and configure their minds, to have control over their thoughts before and during a performance. Remember that a performance goes beyond the technicality of the music; the composure and disposition of the artist plays a large role in the success of a performance. This is especially true of Indian music, where the Raag must be felt through the musician’s soul. If he is tense or agitated, it is highly unlikely that the raag is having any effect, and it is therefore not going to do anything for the audience either.

It is possible to gain control over anxiety. In a stressful situation respiration will stop momentarily and then be placed high in the thorax. But it is possible to send a signal that ‘there is no danger here’ by learning how to breathe deeply. You must also learn to make yourself ‘grounded’, which means being secure and able in your beliefs in yourself. If properly grounded you cannot go into panic. If you are constantly in negative critical dialogue such as ‘I am not good enough’ or ‘I will make a fool of myself’ you create your own anxiety. Most people are unaware of this constant self-devaluation and few are aware that this is the cause of the majority of cases of stage-fright.

When you have the imagination to create stage-fright, that same imagination can be transformed into creating a picture of yourself as a winner. If you can create a picture of yourself as a loser, you certainly have the ability to see yourself as a winner. In order to achieve that you have to become aware of your automatic thought patterns and learn how to change them. Visualise precisely how you want to play and in which state of mind and at which energy level you want to do it. Use the raag you are playing to your advantage and beyond the performance. Log into the emotion and the energy you want to share with your audience and use it to help you ground yourself and lose the negative thoughts.

The sports word has used these techniques for years, as it is the mentally strong who go on to win. Working daily on visualisation, telling your brain exactly what you want from it and telling the body what you expect from it in a positive way is exactly what people who suffer from performance anxiety are already doing, but the wrong way round. Re-programme your negative thoughts and expectations with positive ones. Go to the stage with a feeling that you have something to share, and that energy and expectation will also be generated among the audience.

By building a bridge of positive energy and expectation between you and your audience, you have the ingredients to achieve a peak performance and give your audience an unforgettable experience.

Top ten tips for reducing performance anxiety:

Allow and accept whatever fearful feelings and body sensations you have without trying to fight or run from the fear. Your fear will pass more easily when you are not frightened by it.

Focus on calming and grounding yourself by slow and gentle deep breathing and allow your breath to relax your mind and body. Also focus on thoughts and images that are relaxing and uplifting.

Try to stay connected to the reality of what is going on around you in the present moment by listening closely to others and paying attention to your surroundings.

Use positive, supportive, encouraging self-talk. Speak to yourself as your greatest supporter and ally, especially at the most difficult moments.

Think about past successes and connect with all of your strengths and abilities that have allowed you to face other life challenges. Draw upon that reservoir of strength within you.

Practice healthy lifestyle habits (such as healthy eating, exercising, and getting adequate sleep) so you can feel at your best before a performance. Think about and do things that help create a lighthearted, joyful spirit and don’t take yourself so seriously.

Prepare ahead of time when possible and be well-practiced and rehearsed so you feel more comfortable with your material. When improvising, rely on trusting in your experience, fund of knowledge, intelligence, and resourcefulness and don’t second-guess yourself.

Create a self-assured, confident attitude and body posture even when you are not feeling this way. “Act as if†you were someone who was self-assured and confident with speaking or performing and model this person’s attitude and body language.

Focus on your true purpose for speaking or performing and let go of self-preoccupation about your worries and fears. Make a true, human connection with others in your audience and see people for who they really are, rather than as your judges or critics.

Give up trying to be perfect and know it is okay to be human and to make mistakes. Stop comparing yourself to others, or to some ideal standard, and allow your imperfect natural self to come forward.

Article from Muso magazine. Edited by Amanroop Kaur Surdhar