Beat Stage Fright
When musician Joe Kowan realizes his biggest fear is stopping him from doing what he wants to do most, he decides it’s time to take a deep breath and step towards the microphone.
I have stage fright. I have always had stage fright. And it didn’t even matter until I was 27. That’s when I started writing songs, and even then I only played them for myself. Just knowing my roommates were in the same house made me uncomfortable.
But after a couple of years, just writing songs were not enough. I had all these stories and ideas, and I wanted to share them with people, but physiologically, I couldn’t do it. I had this irrational fear. But the more I wrote, and the more I practiced, the more I wanted to perform.
So on the week of my 30th birthday, I decided am going to go to a local open mic to put my fear behind me. There are 20 people here. And they all look angry. But I take a deep breath, and I sign up to play, and I feel pretty good.
Pretty good, until about 10 minutes before my turn, when my whole body rebels, and a wave of anxiety washes over me. Now, when you experience fear, your sympathetic nervous system kicks in. So you have a rush of adrenaline, your heart rate increases, your breathing gets faster. Next, your non-essential systems start to shut down, like digestion. So your mouth gets dry, and blood is routed away from your extremities, so your fingers don’t work anymore. Your pupils dilate, your muscles contract. That condition is not conducive to performing folk music.
Your nervous system is an idiot. Two hundred thousand years of human evolution, and it still can’t tell the difference between a sabre-tooth tiger and 20 folksingers on a Tuesday night open mic.
So then it is my turn, and somehow, I get myself onto the stage., I start my song, I open my mouth to sing the first line, and this completely horrible vibrato – you know, when your voice wavers – comes streming out. This is not the good kind of vibrato, like an opera singer has. This is my whole body just convulsing with fear. It’s a nightmare. I am embarrassed. The audience is clearly uncomfortable.
It is so bad. But that is my first real experience as a solo singer-songwriter. And something good does happen – I have the tiniest little glimpse of that audience connection that I was hoping for. And I want more.
That night I promise myself: I will go back every week until I am not nervous anymore. And I do. I go back every single week, and it doesn’t get any better. I can’t shake it.
And that’s when I have an epiphany. All I have to do is write a song that exploits my nervousness, that only seems authentic when I have stage fright, and the more nervous I am, the better song will be. Easy. So I start writing a song about having stage fright. First,’fessing up to the problem, the physical manifestations, how I feel, how the listener might feel. And then accounting for things like my shaky voice, and I know I will be singing a half-octave higher than normal because I am nervous. By having a song that explains what is happening to me, while it is happening, it gives the audience permission to think about it. They don’t have to feel bad for me because I am nervous, they can experience it with me.
By embracing and exploiting my problem. I am able to take something that is blocking my progress, and turn it into something that is essential for my success. And having the stage fright song lets me get past that biggest issue right in the beginning of a performance. Then I can move on and play the rest of my songs with just a little bit more ease. Eventually , over time, I didn’t have to play the stage fright song at all. Except for when I am really nervous, like now.
Will it be OK if I play the stage fright song for you?
Can I have a sip of water?
Thank you.
Reading Comprehension
Q1. At which age did Joe Kowan start writing songs?
a. 13.
b. 10.
c. 27.
d. 38.
Q2. What makes Joe uncomfortable in his house?
a. He is alone.
b. His heart rate increases inside his house.
c. His roommates were in the same house.
d. None of the above.
Q3. How did Joe initially put his fear behind?
a. to go to a local open mic.
b. To scream alone all day .
c. To walk out and sing all way.
d. To start his own sudio.
Q4. What kicks in when Joe fear experience?
a. Sympathetic nervous system.
b. A nightmare.
c. A tornado.
d. Happiness.
Q5. When did Joe start convulsing fear?
a. On his turn on to the stage.
b. While writing the songs.
c. While talking to others.
d. None of the above.
Q6. What promise did Joe make after his first performance?
a. I will go back every week.
b. I will never face the audience.
c. I will only perform in front of roommates.
d. I will stay angry on the stage.
Q7. What gives the audience permission to think about it.
a. A short break.
b. A long pause.
c. By the song which explains what is happening.
d. His shaky hands and voice.
Q8. What kind of irrational fear did Joe have?
a. I am strong enough.
b. I couldn’t do it.
c. I can’t sing aloud.
d. I am not a singer at all.
Q9. How many people in audience did he face during first performance?
a. 20.
b. 80.
c. 100.
d. 30.
Q10. What happened during the last 10 minutes?
a. He fainted.
b. He quit to perform.
c. He moved away from the stage.
d. His whole body rebelled.
(MCQs prepared by Mahrukh Fatima)
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