Playing for a Wrong Reason

 

                                                         

                                  You practiced every day, every hour, and almost every minute. Your life is a routine, but you do not care. You only play, sleep, and eat; everything else is secondary to your music, guitar, and song. You believe that you were born to play or to sing, and you are waiting for that moment in time to display your talent and your hard work. And now that time has come, You are on the stage, in front of an amplified microphone, in front of a crowd, and you can almost feel their eyes crawling on you. However, you are ready; you worked hard and waited for this moment. You start to play; then, slowly, you feel the chill. Your feet begin to shake, causing your entire body to tremble; your hands become numb, and your fingers become immobile. Alas! Again, you blow it.

 

What is the reason? Was it the stage? Was it the crowd? Was it fear? Was it you? Was it your excitement, concentration, and overindulgence at the prospect of performing in front of a crowd? The reason must be all of the above. Although more on passion, the drive, the fire that engulfs your whole body, that later on chills it out.

 

 Once, I overheard a wise man saying that musicians are the most passionate men on earth. I am a musician, and I believe that there is truth in his assessment. I can't speak for the other musicians. However, well, maybe stage fright is one of the proofs that he is right. Although I personally believe that artists are the most passionate, not all musicians are artists, and not all artists are musicians. However, this is another subject, and I do not have enough proof to back up my belief. 

 

  Fear is one of the reasons. To overcome fear, some musicians resort to alcohol and drugs. I tried the latter, but what it did to me was imaginatively detach me from the crowd, which I should communicate with and entertain. An artist should be able to control the audience, which he cannot do with his false self-indulgence and fantasies when he is under the influence of drugs. Music is like a drug, only that its effect is stronger and lasting.

 

A friend and a senior musician (sensing that fear in me when I was still a neophyte musician) said that I did not have to worry about the crowd because, basically, they knew nothing about music and they were there to watch us play. I thought that that was a very arrogant statement, and I have so much respect for the crowd. However, I also have so much respect for him; and in a way, he is right. It worked for him, and it might work for you as well; just be careful not to overstate your mood to your audience.

Actually, the source of that anxiety is the fear of being rejected; it is the fear of falling short or of being a loser. We shiver most of the time because of dread. It is the result of our ignorance, doubt, and uncertainty. We need wisdom to conquer fear. This is how I attempted to get over my fear, and I found it to be incredibly successful. However, this is a different topic, therefore I should focus on music.

 
Music, although subtle, is very strong and very powerful. The people who control music also control people. I hope that this alone will be enough for any striving musician to appreciate the importance of music and make it their driving force to pursue their goal. However, if this is not enough, let me add that music is the highest and most difficult form of art because only one of the five senses perceives it, which is the sense of hearing. Furthermore, the learning process is so subtle and almost inconceivable for an average person.


How can you study or learn something that you cannot see, touch, taste, and smell (something that has no mass, volume, or weight)? Music is something which is more subtle than the wind. However, music can be taught, can be learned, can be achieved, and it can bring so much joy. As the saying goes, "More pain, more gain". Similarly, music, although hard to achieve, can also bring so much pleasure to anyone, particularly for those who decide to tread its path. So much joy that some people believe they can't live without music. 

 

Why do I put so much emphasis on this topic? It is because I believe that stage fright is the product of working hard and playing for a wrong reason. Music is a source of pleasure and musicians should play or sing to satisfy himself first and not anyone else. He should strive to reach that dimension where the only thing that exists is he and his music. Equipped with wings of sound, he should soar to that wavelength where he is the king and the crowds are his dominion. Moreover, he should not be hesitant nor be afraid to reach that place because his audiences were all thirsting and more than willing to be "there". Especially on live performance, music should be the only thing that matters and not for any reason he let it leave his grasp. Even the most beautiful girl in the crowd with stars glowing in her eyes when she looks at him should not be the reason, for she is but a byproduct of his music. Probability is; she would be gone when his music is gone. You have noticed, but have you asked why most artists’ close their eyes while performing even in front of a great crowd that adored them? Because they wanted to remove any distractions and concentrate on music, which is the main reason, why they and the crowds are there.

 

I hope that this lead will help you come to a point where you still feel the trembling of your body when you go up on the stage to play; but not because you are afraid, but because you are so eager to fly. Now go and play! Only this time, forget everything and just enjoy yourself.

ArlenKaliFuentes7/19/2010