Dear Liz:

        Performance anxiety is a vestigial remnant of our caveman heritage...Better known as the *flight or fight syndrome*, it's our body and mind's response to real or perceived danger/stress....

        Often the perceived stress/danger(such as occurs in performance anxiety) is more difficult to manage than actual danger(which can be walked away from) because our *rational* mind attempts to belittle the very real, physiological response that has been triggered at an instinctive level....

        There is no easy answer....I wish I could give you one....But really the only way I've found to alleviate this situation is to begin talking about the fun and excitement of performance from the very first lesson I have with young players, and building upon that attitude so that the kids develop a sense of thrill and excitement rather than fear and anxiety(really rather two sides of the same coin, it becomes a matter of regard, rather than awareness...)

        You see the response is the same whether you're walking out on stage to perform, or standing in line waiting to go for a ride on that new roller coaster, or waiting for your first date with someone new...

        Think about it: the butterflies in the stomach, the dry mouth, the upset stomach, the shaking and/or sweaty palms, the tensed jaw(leading in extreme to a pseudo-lockjaw effect)...

        Different stimuli, but the same responses....

        How to deal with it?

        Well, there are several different approaches that work to varying degrees...A lot depends on your overall response to stress....

        For some folks, deep breathing(so called *Yogic cleansing breaths*, in which you breath in deeply through the nose, and exhale through slightly compressed lips with the air slightly pressurized, all the while visualizing the tension flowing out of your body) is sufficient....

        For some, a sort of self-hypnosis and imaging technique is helpful(wherein you visualize yourself, confident, successful, happy, and confident, performing the entire performance with great joy and proficiency)...

        For some, having a high-complex-carbohydrate meal(but low in bulk, to avoid discomfort when using torsal muscles) will provide the needed confidence and energy....

        For some, a dietary supplement of *Stress-tabs*(vitamin B complex plus vitamin C) will prove calming enough....

        For some, herbal supplement(such as *Kava-Kava*) will assist in calming them....

        For some, merely recognizing that they are *keyed up* rather than *nervous* will make the difference....

        And for some, medical/pharmaceutical treatment is the only recourse....

        With all of the above approaches, I think nothing succeeds quite so much as finding a place where you can successfully perform without feeling stressed(catch yourself *doing it right* and build on that success)....Maybe that'd consist of playing for senior citizens, or for your local church, or even for your cats ;^)(and I'm not being facetious--any external, non-judgemental audience will do--the key is to rediscover the joy of performing....)

        Finally, and this is one of the most difficult things I can say on the subject, there may be some for whom performance is not an option....

        Practicing, and playing with recordings and/or software(like *Vivace* or *Band-In-A-Box*) may be a viable alternative for those for whom public performance is detrimental to your health....

        Personally, I'm an optimist who likes to believe that no obstacle is insurmountable(think of Philippians, for those of you who read scripture), given the correct approach, but finding that approach can take a great deal of time and effort.....

        Anyone who'd like some pep-talks(off-list) and additional ideas, please feel free to email me, off-list.....

        Sometimes, you also need to know that a missed note here or there is not the end of the world....Professionals recognize that a performance needn't be *note-perfect* to be a success....

        Give yourself some room to make mistakes, otherwise how are you going to learn from them?

        Best advice: remember why you love to play, and share that love with your audience(I remember one master class, years ago, now, when the artist told us to project feelings of love toward the audience and our colleagues before walking out on stage...It's been many years and I don't remember her name, but the image and technique have stayed with me--and worked<!> for many performances....)

        We all feel the same feelings before performing, Liz, the key is to focus those feelings into a peak performance, rather than defracting them into generalized fear....

        Hope this has helped, Let me know if I can walk you through it in more detail....
- --
Take Care!
Jeannie