It seems that today all we hear about is "how do I stop stage fright!" I don't understand why most people are terrified of public performance, it is only natural to be nervous- but after hearing the extense level of trauma some people experience, its beyond belief! It seems people are striving to be perfect in performance, and too worried about what others will think. Somewhere in that fiasco, the entire musicality seems to lose itself, most artists are more concerned with perfection than artistry itself! I think much of the nerves can be cured when the artist becomes more independent from the public, when they care less about what people think and more about the music. This is not likely to be done by most people, but those who love public performance, like Arthur Rubinstein, have enjoyed music in public rather than suffered through it.

I've felt nervous before performances also, whether it be singing a solo piece (with a microphone stuck in front of my face, horrors!) or playing a piano solo piece. I'm so self-conscious about my singing, especially when I'm miked that I don't stop feeling nervous until I'm done singing. As for the piano, well, once I start playing the first few measures, then I'm okay. It's just getting there that's the hard part! :rolleyes: