Bards - Stage Fright

[Jesus Cavazos]

>From: "Kate Norris" <madrigali at crosswinds.net>
>
>Greetings everyone,
>
>I am wondering what methods the bards on this list use to combat stage
>fright.
>
>In Gratitude,
>Anezka z Rozmitala
>
>
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Picture your audience in their underwear.  No,  no,  no,  just joking.
I don't know if this will work for you,  but it worked for me.  I would 
practice the stories by telling them to myself.  For myself.  And I would 
practice how I was going to say each part.  Each movement,  gesture,  each 
facial expression.  I would repeat them over and over until I could tell 
them with just a little concentration.  Then I told the stories to my wife 
and/or kids to see how they reacted.  My wife did a lot in telling what I 
was doing wrong and what worked for her.  I asked her opinion on ideas on 
how to do the piece.  And I listened.  Find someone who's opinion you trust. 
  Ask them to help you.  Listen.  And practice.
When I first started performing,  I looked above the head of the audience.  
About a foot.  Didn't think about them.  I just told the story to myself 
with enough voice projection to be heard just outside the circle.  And I 
would turn in different directions to make the people feel I was including 
all of them.  Not just one area or person.  I would think how it felt to 
tell the piece to my family.  And I would carry that feeling to the center 
of the circle.
As I got more comfortable in front of an audience,  I started looking at one 
person and tell the story to them.  Then I switch to an other person to 
include them.  This brings the audience into your story or poem or song.
But after all the circles I've been in,  I still prefer to be on a list.  
Because then they call on me to perform.  If I don't have someone tell me to 
get up there and perform,  I find it very,  very hard to get up there and 
perform.  I still get stage fright.  Before each piece you'll find me off to 
one side telling the story to myself to calm myself down.  It keeps me from 
thinking about what I'm about to do.  It also helps me remember the entire 
piece.
So I guess what I'm saying is;  practice,  practice,  practice.  Get someone 
you trust to help you.  Practice some more.  Then get someone to push you 
out there.  Once you're out there,  you have to do something to keep from 
looking silly.
But more importantly,  do pieces that touch you.  Do pieces with emotions.  
Love,  hate,  pride,  sorrow,  humor.  The more memorable pieces are the 
ones that touch your heart and soul.  The great warrior fought by himself 
against a whole army,  your kinfdom won the war,  the lady lose her love in 
battle.  But whatever you do,  feel the emotion of the piece.  Because if 
you don't feel the emotion,  neither will your audience.  And as this 
emotion fills your whole body,  you won't have room to feel scared.
I hope this helps you.  And I hope to see you at some circle one of these 
days.

Toshiro Koi


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