Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Performance Anxiety?
So, I dabble in a bit of vocal performing. I've been singing for as long as I can remember. I'm told my mother paraded me out and had me perform at every family gathering from the time I could talk. In grade school my friends and I would sit on the playground in a corner during recess and sing. We'd actually harmonize. Junior High was girl’s chorus and I got my first guitar, High School was girl’s chorus, concert choir, and swing choir. I actually majored in vocal music for a short time in college. A few years after that my uncle got me an audition at the factory he worked at. That's right; the Allen Bradly had an orchestra and chorus. It was actually a band and a chorus. If you got into the band or orchestra, they found you a job at the factory. We'd rehearse during work hours and do two half hour shows on Fridays for the employees during their lunch hour. We did one big concert a year and actually traveled to Canada for two weeks of performing there. I ended up getting laid off from the factory and didn't sing for quite a few years. Well, other than with the juke box or in the car. It was during this time that I developed the dreaded performance anxiety. I decided to audition for the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus a while back and sang with them for a few years, until I decided to go back to school and finish my degree. No worries singing with them. There were about 180 of us and I got to look at the music during performances. Since then I've been singing occasionally with a swing/big band. Just me singing and the band playing. The leader is a very good friend of mine, who I have trouble saying no to.....so I sing.......and I stress. I have a performance this Saturday and have begun the "diva stage" as it is referred to by my loving partner. After all the performing I've done you may wonder what the heck I'm stressed about. Umm EVERYTHING! I'm afraid of forgetting the words, hitting the wrong notes, falling flat on my face......... Ohhhh....but the rush of adrenaline after it's over is so awesome! I literally walk off the stage and my entire body is shaking. But......for the rest of the week......I'll be obsessively stressing.......and rehearsing.............wish me luck........
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1 comment:
In high school, I dabbled in musical theater. Thank goodness I didn't have much talent because that meant I only had bit parts. Hah! I didn't have too much performance anxiety because I could hide in the crowd.
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