So last week I had my first performance in a rock band in front of an audience. It was also my first improvised solo performed to a larger audience. I was pretty nervous!!

Leading up to it, my band mates and I were talking about stage fright and our expectations of the performance. I told them that my attitude was to accept the fact that there will be mistakes made...the key is how I/we deal with them.

And today I stumbed across this article again a reread it...and found what I said written right here. Obviously this stayed with me at a very fundamental level. So thanks for that!!

There is something I'd like to add based on the experience. Have somebody create a video of one of your performances.

I suspect that you will appear and sound much differently on stage than you think. I didn't expect to be blinded by the lights while I was on stage. I wanted to look at the audience, but I couldn't see them through the lights. As my solo came up, my inner nervousness started to well up. If felt like I was staring at my guitar neck as I played. I thought I probably looked pretty stupid; like a total newb. I also fumbled briefly as I switched neck positions during my solo. So overall not a very positive perception of how I looked or did.

Let's go the to video tape...

I looked calm cool and collected up there, like I belonged up there. I can't even see or tell where I fumbled, even though I know I did. I cannot perceive ANY of my nervousness. Was that really me up there? Sure was, can't dispute that - the video doesn't lie. I looked like I was having fun and was looking around at my bandmates. I even looked confident playing my solo.

So my perception of how I appeared was completely wrong!

Knowing this will help me tremendously with future performances. Just do the work to put in the practice, and get up there and do it! The rest will just fall into place.