Performing over and over again; the cure for stage fright?

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”

 - not Albert Einstein. Actually from a Narcotics Anonymous pamphlet published in the 70’s.

As a musician, this quote feels instinctively problematic, given that we spend most of our lives repeating the same things over and over until we become good at them. I recently saw a meme alluding to this and it got me thinking about the repetitive nature of our practice, and how this relates to the area that I work most with: performance anxiety. One of the reasons I was drawn to working with stage fright as a hypnotherapist (besides the fact that I had previously suffered horribly from it myself) was because of its enigma-like status in the world of classical musicians. Viewed as an inevitability that performers will experience (to the point where meeting one who doesn’t suffer with it can be sort of akin to meeting a strange alien from a far off galaxy, probably to be viewed with deep suspicion), and yet somehow simultaneously viewed as this kind of ethereal thing that doesn’t really have a solid answer or solution. Well, except to ‘just keep doing it’. 

Think back to any conversation you might have had about how to master stage fright. It’s likely that the advice (if any) has been to keep performing, over and over again. I remember being told this when I was studying performance as a pianist at university; that I must perform whenever the opportunity presents, whether this was to formal audiences or simply to friends, family and fellow students. It should be a highly regular occurrence - perhaps even a daily habit - and, if I did that, there would come a time when I would be able to manage my nerves. 

There is certainly an element of truth to this, but it comes with a very important - and often totally overlooked - caveat. If we repeat the same task over and over again, there is a degree of familiarity that can help us to feel more comfortable with it. However, there are a number of factors that can impact the efficacy of this approach, and I’m not sure I’ve ever heard them being discussed in general conversations around stage fright. 

During hypnotherapy sessions, I speak with my clients about the neuroscience behind why performance anxiety occurs; what is happening in the brain (and in the body), and the evolutionary origins of such a response. We also talk about how having a negative experience on stage can create a kind of template in the primitive part of our brain, which then informs the way we feel during future performances. It’s that classic, awful cycle; get scared on stage (possibly/probably leading to seemingly random and uncontrollable mistakes/memory slips/freezes; we’ve all been there) -> get even more scared in anticipation of the next performance as a result ->  have an experience next time which is just as bad as the last one, or even worse. Lather, rinse, repeat. The thing is, performing over and over again can be beneficial. But if there is fear when we perform, doing it over and over again can actually reinforce and strengthen that fear. Think of practising a section of music during the learning process, only - for whatever reason, you misread an F sharp as an F natural. Now imagine playing that section over and over again; of course, the F natural mistake gets reinforced and your finger will start to reach for it without even thinking. The same concept is true of stage fright; practise performing fearfully, and the fear can become more and more prominent. Fortunately, there are things that we can do to influence a much more positive outcome, leading to lasting change.

I have recently started learning some Rachmaninov etudes from his Op. 39. A couple of weeks ago I was having a conversation with another pianist about my frustration that, as an adult, I find the process of learning new repertoire to be much more difficult, and MUCH slower than when I would study new pieces as a child. He asked about how I was practising (like most, I tend to go for a repetitive approach, playing small sections over and over again) and he talked about how repetition is only useful if it is mindful, and that mindless repetition achieves very little. Of course, he’s right, and the same is true with stage fright. Performing over and over again can be effective, but only if we do it mindfully. When I repeat a section in my practise, in order to be more efficient I can think about a particular aspect of my playing during that repetition. Perhaps my phrasing, maybe articulation, pedalling etc. Giving my brain a specific task gives the repetition purpose, and leads to more progress than simply drilling and hoping for the best. 

Going back to this idea that stage fright is something ethereal - an omnipresent grim reaper sitting in the corner on all the stages - to be overcome by…blind optimism and black magic?…we often miss the very tangible, solid tasks that we can give ourselves during performances (and before - even long before) to help to change the template from a fearful one to something more peaceful and positive. As a hypnotherapist, I don’t just lie you down on the couch and get you into trance. The first half of the session is spent engaging in conversation, during which I will help you to learn about things that have an impact on your body and your mind; things such as the sympathetic/parasympathetic nervous system, the role of neurotransmitters such as serotonin (and stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol) - even how sleep and REM can affect how you feel during your waking hours (and, by extension, on stage). By consciously thinking about these things, we can take control and move forward in a better way, taking our accidental F natural and transforming it into the  correct (and probably much more pleasant sounding) F sharp. Once you’re thinking about these things more carefully and we’ve had some productive conversation, then I’ll perform the hypnosis part of the session and you can relax and allow your unconscious mind to do some really good work.

Perhaps, for musicians at least, we can do the same thing over and over again and expect different results. The ‘definition of insanity’ (or, as I prefer to think of it, ‘the definition of a lack of progress’) might instead be ‘doing the same thing in the same way over and over again and expecting different results’. By making adjustments to what we are doing each time, we can influence the results and the outcome can be much brighter. Stage fright needn’t be something you carry with you into each new performance by default. It can instead be something that you choose to leave behind, leading to a happier existence as a musician (and as a person!). 

If you’d like to learn more, please get in touch via my contact page and we can arrange a no obligation discovery call. Let me help you to properly understand how to help yourself!