Stage Fright - Banish it Now

(Ed. note: Not really. Banish it, that is. "Stage fright" is just the human adrenal response. Happens when you perceive some level of stress - which in this case, just means you care.
The idea is NEVER to get rid of the fright, but to mitigate the negative effects and to use the adrenal response to your advantage.)

You're about to walk on stage, for a talk, a musical or theatrical performance, or similar. And suddenly....

Stage fright has famously effected many people, including Brian Wilson (Beach Boys), Megan Fox, Rhianna,Andre 3000, Katy Perry, Carly Simon, Barbera Streisand, Olympia Dukakis, Maya Angelou, Hugh Grant, Adele, and many others.

Some just suffer through it, struggling their entire careers with it. Some resort, quite famously, to drugs or alcohol or other unhealthy (and only temporarily effective) approaches.

I've seen all manner of articles on conquering stage fright. They offer all manner of advice, from "just get out there more often and you'll get used to it" to "imagine the audience naked" to "you have to address your negative thoughts and realize they aren't realistic" to "imagine positive images" to "visualize success" and many more.

While somewhat helpful, these are all woefully inadequate, ultimately, because they address psychology and ignore physiology.

GUITAR GODS: Cody Wright

Cody Wright: Remember that name. Awesome chops, excellent musicality, superb ear...and on his way up!

Currently playing in guitar master Eric Gales' band, Cody has also played with the likes of Michael Manring, Tommy Emmanuel, Victor Wooten, Stu Hamm, and others, and has received the highest praise from fellows like Greg Howe, Felix Pastorius, and a host of magazines, from Bass Player to Modern Drummer to iBass Magazine.

Cody also teaches via Scott Bass Lessons, and has a solo album coming out later this year. You can check him out on-line at Cody Wright.

I had a chance to chat with Cody recently - check it out!

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Poetry Series: RISE SISTER

~Rise Sister~

Liz Fink-Davenport

Rise up, sister. Rise up.

Because the mountain's jagged starts are the rocky soles of your shoes. Because the pump and pulse of the oil beneath the ground is your dark drum beat. Because your sleep is that of the fog tangled web in deep forests. Your sigh breathes Spring's warmth resuscitating the cold crusted earth. Steam rising. Lazarus the world. Your hands orchestrate the waltz of leaves on the wind and the stars in their falling from the heavens. Because when you rise, you rise the nations! The very depth and breadth of the planet feels your intake of breath, your setting shoulders square, your jaw clench and lift, your eyes flash white lightening electric determination. Your movement. Your forward steps.

So rise up. Move the world with you. Move the people with you. You hear the rush of the waterfall ahead? Row. Row to it. Like your very life depended on it. Be not afraid because you are made of that very wonder! Row to the sound of the roar and roar with it! Rise up and do that which you were made to do. 

Rise up.

 

editor's note - the original public post contained this preface:

"My play on Still I Rise (the gorgeous Maya Angelou poem that I adore) for Rachel Crabtree. Her birthday poem! Because she is going to do big things. I can just feel it."