Dealing with nervousness
Lofnes, Ingrid (2010)
Lofnes, Ingrid
Oulun seudun ammattikorkeakoulu
2010
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2010112114886
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2010112114886
Tiivistelmä
This thesis examines stage fright among musicians, and the reason that some musicians apparently never bother with this issue, while others suffer so much from nervousness that it is making them sick. I have tried to figure out how one can get control over the nerves and how to be able to live as a musician in spite of nervousness. Nervousness is often strongly connected with our personality and how we see ourselves, and the psychological aspects of stage fright is therefore devoted quite much attention. It is necessary to accept oneself and one’s level when performing to be able to concentrate on the music. Acceptance also makes it is easier to have a non-judging attitude to oneself and to the performance.
This is a two-part thesis which consist of a thesis concert and a theoretical, written thesis. In this written part I have turned to psychology to find material, just because I have realized that personality and self-esteem is a considerable part of this subject. Thoughts about acceptance and living here and now are very up-to-date and very much discussed nowadays. Psychology is not anymore always about finding the illness – it can be as much about seeing the positive sides of a client, and to use those as a starting point when trying to heal the client. In the same way one should catch the problems around nervousness and stage fright, and one has to start to work with this issue from the very first performances. Stage fright should be seen as something as normal to be worked on as the music itself. It is not enough to practice only performance to overcome stage fright. Working with nervousness is mainly done by working mentally, and by learning to accept. That job has to be done in the practicing room as much as on stage.
Most people feel nervous in front of a performance, but it seems like sensitive persons might have bigger problems with nervousness than others. The fear of what other people might think about you must be replaced by trust in yourself.
This is a two-part thesis which consist of a thesis concert and a theoretical, written thesis. In this written part I have turned to psychology to find material, just because I have realized that personality and self-esteem is a considerable part of this subject. Thoughts about acceptance and living here and now are very up-to-date and very much discussed nowadays. Psychology is not anymore always about finding the illness – it can be as much about seeing the positive sides of a client, and to use those as a starting point when trying to heal the client. In the same way one should catch the problems around nervousness and stage fright, and one has to start to work with this issue from the very first performances. Stage fright should be seen as something as normal to be worked on as the music itself. It is not enough to practice only performance to overcome stage fright. Working with nervousness is mainly done by working mentally, and by learning to accept. That job has to be done in the practicing room as much as on stage.
Most people feel nervous in front of a performance, but it seems like sensitive persons might have bigger problems with nervousness than others. The fear of what other people might think about you must be replaced by trust in yourself.