I agree (I think) with everything that's been said previously. I'd add a couple more. Stand up if you're not already doing it when you sing; it lets you project your voice better. (Another reason why singing in the shower is good for you.) Sing when nobody's around; if the only opinion you have to worry about is your own, hey, Diablo-on-the-shoulder's not going to have much to work with. (I practice singing a lot when I'm driving.) You *know* what sounds good when you hear it.

Lastly, you might try to de-focus your eyes when you're playing in public. Audiences aren't near as intimidating if you can't see them. Learned this from some opthamolgy grad students a number of years ago; they were trying to correct deteriorating vision (mine) and had figured out the cause was deteriorating eye *muscles*, so they gave me eye exercises to do. So I can de-focus my eyes. (The flip side of making things clearer, right?) Great performing tool (for me), 'cause I'm scared of crowds. So I can look right at 'em (and look *like* I'm lookin' right at 'em), and not see 'em at all. Oh, I know they're out there--I can hear the applause, and so forth--but they don't bother me because theyn don't *have* to.

And lately, I've noticed I've become *interested* in those faces out there, because I'm interested in their reactions to the things I'm doing and the way I'm doing them. So now they don't bother me because they're being *tools* that are helping me get better at what I do. And why should I be bothered by something like that?

Above all, have fun.

Joe

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