• Home
  • Albums
  • Reviews
  • Bio
  • More Music
  • Bookings
  • Fanfare Interview
  • Lessons
  • Blog
  • Calendar
  • Gallery
  • Contact

David Kraus, composer & guitarist

Relaxed but energetic performing or the fight or flight response...."stage fright(!)"

4/5/2012

4 Comments

 
Picture
Concentration in the studio is playing to an audience larger than any concert hall could hold; an audience though not present in the room, nonetheless have their ears right up in front of the guitar soundboard while you are playing. The studio is an intense exercise in deep concentration, physical control and breath, vulnerability and feeling. Because those invisible ears are those microphones, and the audience is....you. 

Below is a photo of me recording in the studio, doing exactly what I just said above. It is intense and can sometimes be stressful, but...it is a totally different type of 'stress' than what most of us think of when we experience stress. Stress comes in many forms as all of us are aware of and have experienced. It's that natural "Fight or flight" feeling caused by a perceived threat whether real or not, caused by an intense rush of adrenalin. In its most positive function it is a natural protector...hitting the brakes when an animal runs in front of our moving cars, being on guard in a crowded metro,  hearing strange noises around our homes late at night. But when it functions as a deterrent to our ability to live more peacefully and relaxed when there really is no threat at all, then problems can arise, and anxiety can intrude into our lives. Situations where the adrenalin rush of the fight or flight response may actually be an aid such as to make for a  better public music performance or in a recording studio, or playing a good game of softball where the positive energy (and fun) of being on alert for the unexpected curve ball coming very fast toward us and that dash to first base, are overshadowed by an uncomfortable nervousness that seems to come up from nowhere and for no reason. At times anxiety occurs even when merely taking what we hoped would be a peaceful walk through the neighborhood park. This happens to everyone, but some have learned how to handle it better than others. There are literally thousands of world class musicians who we never get to hear simply because they have a very difficult time revealing themselves artistically in front of a live public audience. Some do fine in a studio environment, but not on a stage. And others have no problem on a stage, but go to pieces in front of microphones alone in a room. In my own case, I find the studio environment far more stressful than playing live. I stated why in my opening remarks above. 

So many things today cause us all to be on an almost constant alert to so many issues. The best description I believe is expressed in a simple word.....fear. It is estimated that as many as 25% of all professional level performers deal consistently with performance anxiety. It is hard to imagine that (as a possible example) someone at the level of Yo Yo Ma would experience anxiety when performing to the point of making it difficult to do a good show, or in some cases even play at all. But it is real. It is commonly known that the great Pablo Casals was never totally comfortable on the stage, but he played brilliantly anyway. Somehow he learned to funnel much of the energy into a more positive place inside, and just left what remained of the adrenalin to float around inside but not control him. This is how most performers deal with it. I know I do. But I have experienced times when anxiety got the best of me and my hands started shaking from on overdose of adrenalin. A hyper-adrenalin rush is a bit like having six cups of coffee in a row ten minutes before a performance. Whoa! It's like being outside of your body and out of touch as your mind tries to tell your inner self to relax, the body is already overcharged and meditating and breathing won't work. You really have to just wait for it to pass, like caffeine finally losing its effect. But of course asking an audience to please wait an hour while I calm down probably wouldn't sit well with most concert goers. So I for one make sure I don't drink anything stimulating for at least six hours before I play. I like to be as clear minded and relaxed as I can be, as no doubt most performers do. 

This entire conversation of course concerning anxiety, goes far beyond stage or studio performance. Any and all of us know it, experience it, and suffer from it at times for any of a multitude of reasons. For me, to focus on stage and studio work is a clear and easy way to see my reactions to life in general. And this is where I would like to go with this particular topic, opening to a broader conversation on fear and anxiety in our lives, and what we can possibly do about it. I have learned that communication, openness about our feelings, and empathizing with each other, are a good beginning in teaching our minds and bodies  how to let go and find some relief from fear and anxiety. Letting each other know that we aren't as alone as we may feel at the moment is an action which springs from our innate humanity. And this is the issue in a real sense: to allow ourselves to feel, to experience our deepest humanity and act on this, even if our societal environment may fight us at every turn.   

To be continued.................. 

Picture
4 Comments
Bruce Enck
4/28/2012 01:44:55 am

David, I appreciate your topic, ten years ago when I was performing and recording. That "fear", especially live and on stage, was a big hurdle to overcome. The pressure of performance, mainly gaining acceptance from your audience and the venue host, was always at the forefront. You taught me to be true to myself and not the "Industry" when it came to the music. Being both lead vocalist and guitar put me right in the spotlight. Moreso, I did not want to let my bandmates down. Reflecting on your teaching some 20 years later, I knew I just had to go out there on stage, or in the studio and be myself. I love this and love the music, I just had to be true to it and be myself...everybody else was along for the ride, like it or not. When I took that approach, the fear went away and I immursed myself in the music, full connection and played from the heart. It was fun, not work anymore. Many electrifying performances and "magic" in the studio followed...sometimes you have to let go of yourself and have faith...follow what drew you to the music in the first place.

Reply
David Kraus link
4/28/2012 07:03:08 am

Great comment Bruce. Glad you relate to this. We all deal with this issue, especially as performing artists. I'm still adjusting to solo performing in a concert setting playing my own classical work and more. The first thing I notice when under pressure is I stop breathing and with this the muscles start tensing. So I'm learning to pay attention to breath, and literally breath slow and steady physically and psychically into the music. It's a big help. Hope you're well.

Reply
Bruce Enck
4/28/2012 07:31:49 am

Exactly, the breathing is so essential to focused concentration. Tempo and rushing always can be a problem with the anxiety, as well as memory, particularly with lyrics and placement within the song. Your technique and feel that comes through you and the instrument gets lost. I am an advocate of recording the way you perform live, so "Live in the Studio" has always helped me. Mainly from the standpoint of memorization and repeatative motion. With that level of practice and approach I have found that in moments of anxiety, the piece is already engrained in my memory, and muscle memory, so that it becomes automatic..."auto-pilot" sometimes. But at those times, as you said, you have to catch your breath and come back down to earth and engage the song again. It can be scary, like lost time, but it helped me come through a few performances where I forgot a lyric or a solo part. Getting older does not help either, but we adjust and overcome! Great Blog topic!

Naila Schulte
1/10/2015 01:11:50 pm

I enjoyed this discussion (a few years old but still timely!), since these topics are close to my heart. Ever since I allowed myself to sound terrible long enough to get over stage fright (mostly, anyway), performing live has become one of my favorite things to do. It's mainly open mics, and less frequent now -- but the bottom line for me has always been communication. Sometimes you see in people's faces that they're absorbing it. There might be tears, or maybe they'll say it resonated strongly. Many artists do their best work in the studio, but so far that's not me. I can hear the difference, and only with great trepidation have I shared my bathtub recordings with a handful of friends! Great reflections all around, David, and may this community continue. Yes, it's a way of staying human and connected. You're inspiring me to turn some of my desktop jottings into a blog! (probably through e-mail)

Reply



Leave a Reply.

              A Short Intro

    I'm a freelance musician whose career as a professional dates back almost four decades. And when I really consider the economic and emotional struggles that intimately accompany walking the path of an independent artist of any sort today, I am pleasantly amazed that I'm still doing it. I lived in the state of Vermont (USA) for three decades. What took me there were both family ties through marriage, and also  work opportunities. But, being that I am originally from Philadelphia where my own family still resides, and due to becoming single again, along with a thinning of musical work, along with the creative, performing, and general opportunities, and my tiring of the long Winters, I began pining for the energy of the city again. Philadelphia is a thriving hive of creative culture. So I made a decision, and in April of 2013 I sold my home and returned to my roots...and I am happy that I did. Some extra musical  interests include walking five to six miles daily (8km to 10km), growing tropical plants indoors, eating well, working out (no doubt I am committed to my physical, mental, and spiritual well being), studying a new language (now Spanish), reading, and traveling when I can, having already been many times off the continent, and lived in India and Nepal. So there it is. Anything you'd like to know, please check my Bio, or feel free to ask.
                    
              Complete Bio

    Picture

    Archives

    August 2017
    December 2014
    October 2013
    January 2013
    August 2012
    July 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    November 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011

    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Acoustic Guitar
    Beginnings
    Blog
    Classical Guitar
    Guitar
    Life
    Music
    Music Blog
    Music Video
    New Beginnings
    Recording
    Thoughts

    RSS Feed

CDBaby        BandCamp

All content copyright © David Kraus / Hochin Music BMI