Originally Posted by "TampaStan" Good
Jack Benny used to walk onstage for his Concert Dates "Forgetting" to bring his Violin with him...BIG LAUGH...& after that, the ice was thoroughly "Broken" & away he went...& who CARED he wasn't THAT good a Violinist?

Lookin' Forwards to Hearin' Ya Live someday!
Big Hugs,
Ol' Stan


For what it's worth, Jack Benny performed with Symphonies from around the globe. He was a SUPERB violinist when the jokes were over.

Wendy, I can relate. I actually try to turn the adrenaline into my performance. then AFTERWARDS, I disappear in to the men's room and rip my own performance to shreds. eek eek eek

And I actually have gotten so worked up at times before a show that I shut everything out...just turn it off...and tell myself over and over again how I have DONE my rehearsing, it's time to let my body do what it knows how to do, and that I will be calm and comfortable on stage. Repeating that slowly and quietly to myself (about 100 times) has saved more than one performance.

LOTS of great suggestions here, and all that matters is they can help. Keep facing your fears and sooner than later, you'll find they aren't NEARLY as scary.

Ted