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Strategies for overcoming this? I was thinking about inviting some friends over for a concert (one at a time) and seeing where I choked. It might be an issue of not having practiced thoroughly enough or it might be the issue of just getting used to playing in front of people.

Suggestions?

Practice - - - over-do it. Also practice performing. Play some recitals at nursing homes and for friends at your house. Get used to the venue you are going to perform in in advance. Just a few thoughts. You will overcome it!

I think you totally covered it right there. (and Daviel did pretty much too)

Those are the things that are involved in stage fright. Some people put complete emphasis on one of those things and some people on the other, but it can be either, and usually both.

Get experience playing in front of people, starting with less challenging situations and working gradually to more challenging situations, and make sure you "really" know the music.

And if all that stuff doesn't work, then consider medication.
j/k
Lots of performers do use it (various types of meds) -- we hear rumors to the effect that half of Juilliard takes it -- but that's not what we want to put much emphasis on.

Try to realize that audiences are extremely charitable (you could read that as ignorant, and please do) and will enjoy the concert however you play. (this flies out the window if it is a contest with a panel of judges)

Rehearse in front of people. Drag them off the street, get friends if you still have any because you spend 99.999% of your life in the practice room, family, and anyone else you can find to listen.

Attend Piano World piano parties if there are any in your area. This is a great way to play for audiences and get the nerves under control. The ones we have up here have become mini-recitals where we all play for each other.

My 2-cents on what the others have said here.

John

Quite honestly - if someone needs meds to get through a performance - they probably shouldn't be performing.

When you think about it, playing an entire program in front of a live audience by memory - is a daunting feat - and one of the most challenging things (physically and mentally) a human being can do. Not everyone is cut out for it - and for some it is much easier than others.

The best you do is over-prepare, know the music inside and out, play your program in a variety of settings before the "big" performance, and identify places within each piece that you can jump ahead to if you hit a snag.

Also - try to be objective and consider what's really at stake if you mess up. In some instances it may actually be your teaching job, your class grade, your academic degree or your professional reputation. For many of us these aren't really issues - so in the great scheme of things - a slip up or two isn't the end of the world. If you bomb, there's always a next time !!

Here are some things to help yourself with stage fright:

Exercise
Eat and drink right
Rehearse your repertoire better
Work your brain and do more school like activities
Play at more concerts so you can get used to playing on stage
Breath
Relax
Focus and bring all your attention to the piano when you are performing
Make sure posture is correct
Only look at one person in the audience
Imagine people in underwear
Do not worry

Or out of underwear.

Either way - I think I'd find that to be a tad distracting !!!

Are there any rules against using medication (for example propranolol) at major competitions?

I have new theory that if you can place your performance in your imagination (from note 1 to note x) then adrenaline (which causes stage fright) can't get at it.

Although you were joking about medication, it is widely used by professional musicians. Some studies suggest that more than one third of professional musicians use them. Beta blockers are the drug of choice for musicians, they inhibit the release of stress chemicals (adrenaline, cortisol and noradrenaline). These chemicals cause shaking, sweating, dry mouth etc. The use of these drugs is even more widespread among brass players because they suffer because of dry mouths.

I can recommend some books on the subject of stage fright:
The Audition Process: Anxiety Management and Coping Strategies by Stuart Edward Dunkel
Anxiety and Musical Performance: On Playing the Piano From Memory by Dale Reubart
The Inner Game of Music by Barry Green

I've started an interesting book by Seymour Bernstein. "Your Own Two Hands". In there he mentions memorization and public performances. Of interesting note, he says the biggest cause of mess ups is due to not focusing on the present and thinking too far ahead.

This makes sense, and I've had it work occasionally. If we focus on the present thing we're working on rather than what's coming up, we can concentrate our energy on what we can control, and not panic on what's heading our way.

Most importantly he also discusses the slow practice so that the mind and the fingers are absolutely sure of the music so when auto-pilot kicks in, we have one less thing to worry about.

Interesting book so far.

John

I don't agree with whoever said if you need meds you shouldn't be performing. Horowitz has TERRIBLE stage fright! He often cancelled concerts because of it.

I had a gin once before a final of a competition.. Not a good idea!

I agree. I'm on a continuous medication for a neurologic condition, and the brain fog it gives me has ruined my performances and lessons more than once. It also really affects my memory so anything worked on yesterday is as good as not worked on today. Totally frustrating, and not worth doing if you can avoid it.

John

This is very interesting. More detail please?

Outside of drugs there's nothing you can do about the bodily effects of adrenaline. Whether sightreading or playing from memory if you can 'see' your fingers play every note in your mind's eye "without repetition, hesitation or deviation" and with the correct fingering then you can't mess up because adrenaline doesn't effect imagination. Matthay calls it 'silent practice'. Getting to that degree of competence with a work is a lot of effort though. Those who can 100% play by ear obviously have a different route.

So then, it's an invisible performance, since it's all in your imagination, yes? =p

My dear Watson, elementary!

http://www.scribd.com/doc/21745511/George-Kochevitsky-The-Art-of-Piano-Playing

Read chapter 10.