Playing At Live Concerts - Kiwi Hints

Don't you love the feeling when about 50 to 500 heads turn to you and the eyes just get glued to your shaking face and being? 
I do. That's one of my favorite things in playing music. Live concerts. Well, I am a bit of an attention-seeker on stage anyway, but the adrenaline injection is just earthshaking!

Depending on the venue, the amount of people in the audience can range from the said 50 to 500 people, sometimes even more. Of course, if you are playing in your school concert, there won't be hundreds of people. However, then again, this depends on the size of your school.


Enough of babbling! Getting to the point.

How to stay calm in a live concert?

I have a lot of experience on concerts, especially school concerts, in which I have had to play, often to my own chagrin, before I became a confident performer. Therefore, I can give you a list of things to do to help you calm down before and during the concert. 

BEFORE CONCERT

• The most important one: Learn your song. I can tell you that if you haven't sorted your song(s) out, you will become nervous. Anxiety and nervousness are the main causes for mistakes and errors.
• Play the song to a friend or a family member. This will help you get over the fear of performing in front of a crowd, no matter what size. (Obviously, Elton John-scale numbers are not included!)
• Breathing exercises, a classic! These will come handy during the concert.

DURING CONCERT

     

• Don't think about or look directly at the audience. They don't exist. It's only you and the instrument. Thinking about people will get you distracted and you will likely make mistakes. Play as if you were still in your home, concentrating on what the song sounds like when you succeeded in playing it perfectly.
• Breathe, play and enjoy! Don't think playing as a task. It must not be one! It's a pleasure, and you want to share the music with everyone. If some don't like the music, there are always people who do! Don't get put down by silly comments, laughter, or other attempts of humiliation.
  If bullies don't have enough courage to get on that stage in front of those people and play, they sure don't realize how moronic and low of IQ they make themselves look. This is a true form of self-humiliation perfected over ages!

You can do it!