# Your First Live Performance



## Majed Al Shamsi (Feb 4, 2014)

You can watch mine here, but that's really not the point of this thread.
It's more about the experience of it.

Can any of you remember the first time you've performed?

All I can remember is that my feet froze (thank goodness I was playing with my hands this time) and that I was in a rush to finish. The whole thing was quite the thrill!

All in all though, I'm pretty pleased with myself.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

My hunch is this thread will become like a group therapy for those who have suffered the same or very similar traumas 

Group Hug!


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Fourth grade in elementary school band, our first concert (the Winter concert). I don't remember it.

Back then I was much more shy in general. Playing flute wasn't the scary thing, it was seeing my parents gloat over me that somehow bothered me. I wished that they just weren't there. Playing in front of strangers isn't so strange after all, but if it's people I know, I get all icky feeling inside. I soon got over that too though, as soon as I started working harder, getting private lessons, playing unique pieces of music that I _wanted _my family to hear me do. This all came after my sudden increase of interest in classical music in 6th grade. I started actually practicing and working on music for the music sake, so worrying about the impressions of the audience on ME was of little importance. I was more interested in what their impression of the MUSIC was.'

I always get slightly more nervous than the usual when I realize that the audience (whoever they are) are scrutinizing my playing, and not the music.


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## Majed Al Shamsi (Feb 4, 2014)

I hope I have your mentality by the next time I perform.
This time, I was pretty much worried about making mistakes, and therefore tried to finish playing as soon as I could.
It took me hours to practice just to make sure I wouldn't mess up at, say, part A or part B. And in the end, I got parts A and B right, and messed up part C, which I thought I had covered and didn't need to practice. Grrr!


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## OboeKnight (Jan 25, 2013)

Hmmm I suppose my first performance was a 5th grade band concert...but I honestly don't remember anything about it except that my mother told me it was wonderful...which I'm sure was far from the truth :devil: I think the first defining performance for me was my first concert in the District Honor Band. I was playing principal oboe after only taking lessons for a couple months and I was scared to death. Everyone around me was so good that I was afraid I would let them down. I nailed my solos though, and that was a huge confidence booster for me. I think I still get far more nervous about ensemble performances because there is the added factor of letting others down, not just yourself.


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## Varick (Apr 30, 2014)

Glad you enjoyed the experience. That's great. You said, _"thank goodness I was playing with my hands this time."_ Do you sometimes play with your feet? If so, I would REALLY like to see a link to that!

Performing usually gets easier with time for most people. But then again, I hear these stories about famous musicians and actors who still get enormous amounts of stage fright & butterflies every single time they go on.

The only time I ever got nervous before I performed was when I knew I didn't prepare properly. Other than that, I've always been a ham and my parents always said they got 100 times more nervous FOR me than I ever did for myself. My mother always laughed, because when I was really young (8, 9, 10 yrs old or so), she would watch all these kids trembling as they walked towards the piano on stage. Then I would walk on the stage like I owned the place.

It seems by what you state it wasn't too bad for you. I think *Huilunsoittaja* has a great mentality when it comes to performing and approaching a piece of music. I too never enjoyed practicing until I got to the point of playing at a level that I thought others would enjoy hearing. Once I hit that level, I thoroughly enjoyed practicing.

V


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## Badinerie (May 3, 2008)

School Choir. 1975. South Pacific. I even had a line. "We get letters doused with poifume!" loved it.
First proper one though was when I put my own Band together. A Blues-funk-rock-band. 45 minute support for a band called The Groundhogs. No pressure there then. Adrenaline kicked in and we played a bit fast but went down well. Guitarist in Groundhogs said we sounder tight and well rehearsed. Didnt have the heart to tell him we had only 2 hours total playing together as a band. Took the complement and went off unbearable smug into the night.


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## Lunasong (Mar 15, 2011)

My very first solo...
Clarinet in seventh grade. I was second chair and the first chair player (who was extremely good and went on to conservatory)* BROKE HER ARM 2 days before the concert! So I was up. It was very special because my grandparents, who lived out of town, happened to be there for it.
* the reason I was never first chair clarinet.


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