If you're feeling anxious about performing, know that I've been there too. I actually had to see cognitive behavior therapists because of it.

I always get so many questions from my students asking how to handle stage fright. Well, the first thing I need you to know is that I'm not immune to it - and I think no musician is. Almost every good musician I know - and some bad ones! - have feelings of nervousness before a gig or something.

For sure, it affects different people in different ways. Always remember: you're not the only one - it's not unusual to feel that way.💡 But there are ways of handling the situation. I want to share a few things that worked for me.

Change Your Perspective!

Change the way you perceive what you're feeling. The backstage environment is, in general, a high-pressure one. You're going to handle it. For me, what helped was to switch the perception of what I was feeling. Feeling nervous can be a sign of excitement instead of a sign of anxiety. ;) Check out the difference:

❌ "Oh my gosh, I'm anxious about going on stage... things are gonna go SO wrong!"

✅ "Oh my gosh, I'm excited about going on stage… things are gonna go GREAT!"

Just... Relax.

The best music I've ever made came when I was more relaxed - learning to relax on stage will also be an essential part of your journey.

The good news is that the higher up the ladder you are, the easier, the lower steps will become. You're likely to get nervous at each stage of going up the ladder, but the more accepting you are, the better you'll be able to handle the challenges you encounter.

If you worry too much about it, you'll end up in an even worse spot. ;) And this is for everything in life!

If you worry about the things you're worried about, you'll get yourself an extra layer of worries! Be accepting of the fear. Even if you're feeling nervous about a gig, there's not much you can do about it, right? You'll have to do the gig - scared or not.

So go - and rock on! 🤘 It's not an easy process. But it's a possible one.