Calming Nerves When You're "On"

If you're in a band, community theater production or a dance troup, you know that there's nothing like being in front of a responsive with-it audience. The best performing experiences can put you in major Flow. However, sometimes in order to get there in the first place, you need to get over a case of stage fright. For me, group singing has never an occasion for nerves but give me lines to memorize and I get collywobbles. How can you deal with these so that you not only avoid bungling your part but can actually enjoy your audience?

I plucked these tips from various sources, including a former music teacher and a favorite life coach/career counselor author (job interviews are a performance, and many of us get nervous about them):

• Over-prepare. In my own experience there's really no such thing as being too prepared. Practice, memorize and practice some more. Practice until you could deliver the lines or piece in your sleep. Then rehearse a few extra times. If you're able to go on autopilot you're less likely to blank out or have a total brain dump.
• Limit caffeine intake the day of performance. Once you get in the flow, you'll be able to bounce along on the mental energy alone.
• Practice deep diaphramatic breathing on a regular basis. A therapist once explained to me that when we breathe deeply, our lungs press up against the Vagus nerve, which, when pressed, releases Seratonin, the happy-making hormone. Deep breathing isn't just a mind-occupying calming technique; there's a physiological component as well.
• As much as possible, get together with the rest of the group on the day of the show, and go over things together. Working together distracts you from analyzing your feelings. It gets you out of your own head. 
• Focus on the audience. You're giving them a gift, so make it the best gift possible. Really concentrating on the giving aspect lessens the "I gotta be good!" pressure.
• Have a reward  - a glass of your favorite wine, a few squares of really good chocolate or whatever floats your boat - waiting for you...after the show, of course.

If you're able to take your mind off yourself and become totally absorbed in the experience, you may find that the "performers' high" lasts for the rest of the evening - you won't need that glass of wine!