Performance Anxiety
Hello fellow guitarists.
I, in an earlier time of my life, played sport at an elite level sometimes playing in front of hundreds of people. I decided to take up classical guitar at the tender age of 66 and I have found that unlike in my younger years when I would look forward with excitement to performing, I now suffer massively with performance anxiety. And it is getting worse. Playing for friends, family and even my guitar teacher has become something that I would much sooner run and hide than put myself through. I play by myself and record some of my playing and am, for the most part, happy with my playing. But what I do in private I struggle to reproduce in public. In golf I think they call what I suffer from, THE YIPS. Whatever the term I certainly know that my confidence is virtually non existed.
I have never taken any form on medication for performance anxiety, however I have heard that a natural supplement called PERFORMZEN is suppose to be very good and is taken by musicians. Has anyone heard of this supplement or have use this supplement?
I have been trying all the non medicated ways like deep breathing positive thinking etc etc etc with zero success. I am sure I'm not new with this problem and would appreciate any advice given.
Cheers
Michelle
109 replies
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I have just posted an article I published a while ago, that I feel may be of interest to all of you. It's not directly about Performance Anxiety but it is related to it in many ways and, forgive the presumption, but I feel it can be a good read to make things move in a maybe different direction.
https://guitar-community.tonebase.co/t/q6y1tf4/the-space-between-sounds
I hope you'll enjoy it.
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I like to think of my performances as a gift of love to those who are listening. My playing may not be perfect, but it is heartfelt. I prefer to set my ego aside, and let the music flow. I do spend a lot of time and focus trying to express what I intend, but in a performance, I try to just let the music move through me.