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bee Group: Members Posts: 1227 Joined: Jan. 2004 Posted: Nov. 26 2006, 18:06 I've often wondered wht it must be like for a musician to play for an audience. What does it take to get up there on stage & play? Some performers seem really extrovert & plainly love what they do, drinking in the adulation & applause. They must be confident of their reception. Others are relaxed and at ease with the whole thing. But what if by nature, you're a bit more reserved? Your music is no less important to you, but you face the crowd with a shyness ~ it can't be easy to get up on stage & show your very soul. Do you think the rewards ( seeing everyone really enjoying themselves ) are greater if you found it a little bit more difficult to perform? When you don't expect something the pleasure is always sweeter. A couple of weeks ago I saw Muse & it struck me how amazing that feeling of performing must be. There they were, three young men playing something they had composed & recorded & really believed in - they'd worked so hard to achieve that unique sound and the crowd were captivated, with them for every second of the music. There were mainly young people in the crowd, but not entirely. And everyone left happy, & wanting more, waiting for the next album. I just felt that it must be incredible to do something you love & to see that words & music from deep inside you, mean so much to so many people.To play a part in people's lives ( people you'll never know) probably for a very long time must be a special feeling. And as The Night of the Proms is close now, I wish mike a happy time, & hope that it is everything he wants it to be, & much more besides. I'm sure we all do. You lucky peolpe with tickets!! -------------- ....second to the right and straight on till morning.... You heard me before Yet you hear me again Then I die Till I call me again Back to top

jonnyw Group: Members Posts: 522 Joined: Oct. 2005 Posted: Nov. 26 2006, 19:05 hey bee! Im a musican, and a big fan of Muse too actually. I dont like performing, in fact the only thing that keeps me doing it is the belief it will benefit me and my band, they all worked harder than anyone can even imagine to be able to play to the walls of our little garage in the countryside so well. Sometimes i dont think i could compare the bond we have as we reach our 4th year as a group. and if it were up to me, id stay in that garage forever. But thats no way to pay the bills. and so, with the events of a Promotional company and work getting harder, we have to promote our music live moreso than ever, and it can really be a scary time. It is for me anyway, because thanks to the way i experienced growing up, im quite introverted a lot of the time, i sort of have a fear of small crowds. Youd think that would stop me gigging full stop, but when you cant see them its not a problem. lights are a big help! When i play to a crowd, part of me is hoping they will like it and wont boo us, but most of me is so full with the emotions the song is converying i simply dont care, and where i should be nervous. im not. There is nothing id like better is to spend months in a studio compared with  one night on stage. because im shy about what people will think,  (a product of my childhood) When you have a crowd who like what you do its a lot easier, and when you have wonderful people right onstage beside you who you trust like you do your mother, then its a nice experience a lot of the time. but it NEVER sounds right to me either way!!!! ive rambled on, im very sorry about that, but to sum up my point, i personally feel that performing is a nightmare if your introverted, but the people you perform with are where it really counts. -------------- Grand piano. Reed and pipe organ. Glockenspeil. Bass guitar. Vocal chords. Two slightly sampled electric guitars. The venitian effect. Digital sound processor. And Tubular bells. Solo music - http://-terrapin-.bebo.com Band music - http://www.rsimusic.com Back to top

Morti Group: Members Posts: 103 Joined: April 2006 Posted: Nov. 27 2006, 04:22 I really enjoy performing live but I don't get to do it often. There are certain skills you can employ to be a good entertainer (often regardless of the music if necessary) and that gets the audience involved. Naturally I'm very shy in front of an audience but open with a song they know, really go for it, pretend to be confident and maybe tell a joke afterwards and the shyness disperses a bit and I slip into the role a bit more naturally. The reward of getting people involved and connecting with the audience and them having a good time is excellent regardless of how hard it is for me to get into it I think, but then I'm always buzzing before and after a performance in completely different ways. I look forward to playing proper big gigs though, getting to the stage where I can do an arena tour, that'd be excellent. If you start to get nervous, just make the crowd shout things. I saw Muse last Tuesday at Wembley, they were indeed excellent. Recorded it too, but the recording's not so good quality. -------------- The ear worm became the synonym for the commercial side of MIKE OLDFIELD. Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Nov. 27 2006, 05:05 I've performed both as a musician and as an occasional lecturer, and there's very little difference between the two experiences as I perceive them. In both cases a huge amount of preparation goes into the 'performance' beforehand (typically many months of research and writing for a lecture, and many months of practice for a musical performance). A few days before the performance, I start to feel very anxious and my spirits drop. I start to think it isn't going to be good enough; that I'll make a complete fool of myself. If it's a lecture, I fear that a huge flaw in my work will be spotted by someone in the audience. If it's a musical performance, I'm afraid that a guitar string will break, or that I'll be unable to tune it, or some other crazy thing. Most particularly, I know that I'm only a mediocre singer and guitar player at best, and that people will just think it's poor. I wake in the middle of the night, sweating like a mad thing. The day before the event, I start to lose my voice. My throat contracts and my larynx becomes completely clogged, so that on the actual day I can barely speak above a whisper, let alone sing! The world seems completely dark and terrifying, and I find myself agonising over why and how I got myself into this hopeless mess - never, never, never again. Assuming I survive this one. Half an hour before the event, I'm a quivering lump of terrified jelly. The moment finally arrives. I step onto the stage, or wherever the lecture or performance is happening, and magically all those fears disappear. It's as if they were never there. Suddenly, everything is fine, the confidence comes instantly, and I simply begin. There's no experience like it - whether singing, or talking, for the next hour (or however long it may be), I inhabit a plane of existence quite unlike anything else I know, and all the work, all the practice that I've done seems like a soft cushion to rest on. It feels as if I'm doing something I was simply born to do. Afterwards I think ... why did I put myself through all that agony beforehand? Next time, I won't let it happen. But I can't stop it. I've never been able to stop it, no matter how often I've sung, or how many talks I've given. I still do the lectures, because it's the thing of all things that I do best. But I stopped singing in public three years ago because even after a lifetime of doing it, it was just too traumatic. Back to top

ThisName Group: Members Posts: 307 Joined: July 2005 Posted: Nov. 27 2006, 06:00 I used to perform a lot as a pianist some years ago, before I became heavily into composition. I always have a big problem with performing due to nerves and funnily because I become uber self concious and unable to get into the moment of the music. However, everybody who has watched me play recitals always comment on how natural and beautiful the music and interpretation comes across, and it leaves me baffled because I feel completely different up there. As  you said, I think there are different types of people when it comes to performing. My best mate is in a rock band and he loves the limelight and the thrill of playing, he relishes it, not dreads it and he gets up there and is totally in the music. I really envy him because I am always very introvert, neurotic about playing, become withdrawn and although I have pulled off my recitals with success, the procedure of playing feels like agony (although, recording for me is the greatest torture, I find it incredibly daunting and try to avoid it at all costs). Of course now, I am a composer and I leave the music to the players, conducting them only if needed. It feels so much nicer for me. Although I get incredibly nervous before a premiere.....such as next tuesday...my Second String Quartet.....gulp..... -------------- www.ryanyardmusic.com Back to top

bee Group: Members Posts: 1227 Joined: Jan. 2004 Posted: Nov. 29 2006, 19:48 Thankyou all ( including fellow Muse Fans!! for the interesting replies,giving such an honest insight into what it takes to be a performer. Personally, I admire anyone who can stand up in front of a group of people & command their attention in any way. You are all so brave! It is something I will never, never, never do! Never! It is giving me the shivers just thinking about it! From what you've all said, how you feel about it largely depends on a bond formed with fellow musicians, the inspiration of the music itself and all the work done in preparation leading up to the event. So that even if a part of you is doubtful, there's a support & reserve to draw on when it matters most. Experience must help a bit, but each group of people are different so you never really know, I suppose. But what a feeling when you're up there. That must be amazing, a bit addictive? How do you come down from the euphoria afterwards, back to the mundane and the inane? It's wonderful that there are people like you all - sharing your love of music or your knowledge - your audiences must leave feeling that their lives have been enhanced & that they can tackle whatever it is they have to do next with considerably more energy and all because of what you've done! Good luck to ThisName with the String Quartet ( hope it's not bad luck to wish good luck - we're all rooting for you - let's put it like that! and to anyone else with future 'performances'. -------------- ....second to the right and straight on till morning.... You heard me before Yet you hear me again Then I die Till I call me again Back to top

familyjules Group: Members Posts: 1190 Joined: May 2004 Posted: Nov. 30 2006, 05:58 My experiences are quite similar to Alan's. I get incredibly anxious and the day of a performance I can barely relate to another human being.  The simplest domestic chore is enough to give me palpatations.  I get very moody and have to totally distract myself by either reading or watching TV.  In short I become utterly useless. Oh and I have to pee about every 20 minutes. Once on stage I am utterly comfortable as long as I'm playing or singing.  I find talking between songs to be very difficult and I tend to mumble and make bad jokes.  But when I'm actually performing I'm a natural and get very into the music and remember that it's my favourite thing in the world to do. After the gig I'm relaxed and full of zest and good vibes and, like Alan, wonder why I spent all those hours torturing myself and anyone else in the same room! I never got to work as a full-time muscian, and though sometimes this saddens me, on reflection there is the strong chance that it would have killed me by now!  Heh. Jules -------------- I like beer and I like cheese Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Nov. 30 2006, 06:33 There's a fundamental difference though, between Jules's situation and mine when it comes to performing musically. He is a very accomplished singer/player/songwriter whose fears are illusory (listen to his CD for the evidence). Whereas I am capable of great depths of mediocrity in all those departments, so my fears are real!   Back to top

familyjules Group: Members Posts: 1190 Joined: May 2004 Posted: Nov. 30 2006, 08:42 Quote (Alan D @ Nov. 30 2006, 06:33) There's a fundamental difference though, between Jules's situation and mine when it comes to performing musically. He is a very accomplished singer/player/songwriter whose fears are illusory (listen to his CD for the evidence). Whereas I am capable of great depths of mediocrity in all those departments, so my fears are real!   Thanks for the kind words, Alan, but how do I know that you're not just being ridiculously modest and that your fears aren't illusory too?  I guess I'll just have to come and see for myself one day...... Jules -------------- I like beer and I like cheese Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Nov. 30 2006, 10:14 Quote (familyjules @ Nov. 30 2006, 13:42) how do I know that you're not just being ridiculously modest and that your fears aren't illusory too? I can't do it now as I'm in a rush - but I'll upload something in the next day or two. The advance warning gives you time to purchase appropriate insurance. Back to top

jonnyw Group: Members Posts: 522 Joined: Oct. 2005 Posted: Nov. 30 2006, 10:53 I'd have to say though, I'm by no means well accomplished (im only 17) but for the amount of things ive been lucky enough to do, im quite proud of my little carreer so far! Up until recently my band have been largely instrumental, and so where most of you may find (i know jules mentioned this) more comforatble when your singing and playing guitar etc, you are dead right, although im lucky in that i dont have to sing to get peoples attention, luckily enough i inherit what 17 years of MO listening does - that is inspires you to play lots of instruments, so when my band play, its usually a stage littered with Lots of diffrent instruments that i can hide behind, but still make plenty of noise with! I used to really wish i could be a singer, but not anymore, we have our singer now, her name is Mel Shannon, and boy can she sing! we still play a lot of instrumentals, but were a bit more easy to market now! apologies! i digress! but yes i can feel what youre all talking about, especially jules, but in my case, im not so nervous before the gig, usually ive forgotten about it, just because i dont really look much forward to it (it never sounds right to me, the band are amazingly tight etc, just, i wish i could multitrack live! and have more instruments play at once! But anyway! thank you so much for thanking us bee! i know that sounds funny, but not very many people want to hear the opinions of a 17 year old a lot of the time, especialy in the music world Best regards everyone! J -------------- Grand piano. Reed and pipe organ. Glockenspeil. Bass guitar. Vocal chords. Two slightly sampled electric guitars. The venitian effect. Digital sound processor. And Tubular bells. Solo music - http://-terrapin-.bebo.com Band music - http://www.rsimusic.com Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Dec. 07 2006, 05:11 Quote (familyjules @ Nov. 30 2006, 13:42) how do I know that you're not just being ridiculously modest and that your fears aren't illusory too? Here I am, Jules, singing Dylan - not in the bath but in the kitchen. You have one week to fill out the insurance forms before the link dies: I and I Back to top

familyjules Group: Members Posts: 1190 Joined: May 2004 Posted: Dec. 07 2006, 11:12 I have no sound today but fear not, I will be listening soon! Jules -------------- I like beer and I like cheese Back to top

fastguy101 Group: Members Posts: 69 Joined: July 2005 Posted: Dec. 07 2006, 12:42 First off, Alan I liked the "I and I" song and your voice is honest and real.  No problem for me listening. Performance has always been my achilles heal.  Even when I was much more proficient I always carried a certain apprehension when it came to playing with ANY people around.  Self-doubt or maybe just being a little critical of myself perhaps.   With the advent of computers and amazing software I now can play and create in solitude (although I still remain critical of my "songs") but I enjoy the process. I am involved now with other areas of my life that requires much public scrutiny and the occassional speech and while I always get nervous, the key for me is preparation (and maybe a shot of tequila).  People often tell me what a wonderful speech I just delivered while in my head I feel that I paused and stuttered through the whole thing.   Performance apprehension (no jokes here please) also followed me in the sports area.  Many years ago I was an aspiring marathoner with the dream of making it to the Olympic Games.  After months/years of training and focus on a specific race and regardless of how well prepared I was, I ALWAYS felt nervous when stepping to starting line.   I think that apprehension is what drives people to be successful.  Sharing these feelings only confirms that most people experience the same thing despite what others perceive when a performer is on stage or giving a speech.  That's what makes us human. Mike Back to top

familyjules Group: Members Posts: 1190 Joined: May 2004 Posted: Dec. 08 2006, 05:11 Quote (Alan D @ Dec. 07 2006, 05:11) Quote (familyjules @ Nov. 30 2006, 13:42) how do I know that you're not just being ridiculously modest and that your fears aren't illusory too? Here I am, Jules, singing Dylan - not in the bath but in the kitchen. You have one week to fill out the insurance forms before the link dies: I and I I'm listening now.  You're f***ing GOOD my man!!! Nice guitar playing, nice singing.  Heck that kitchen of yours is great for acoustics too. You rock.  We'll have no more excuses!   Jules -------------- I like beer and I like cheese Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Dec. 08 2006, 12:36 Quote (familyjules @ Dec. 08 2006, 10:11) Nice guitar playing, nice singing.  Heck that kitchen of yours is great for acoustics too. You, Sir, are a generous-hearted soul. Thank you. In defence of my claims for incompetence, I'd like to point out the following: 1. That particular recording is a high-water mark. It's as good as I ever get. Usually I'm a  lot more boring than that. 2. Much is owed to the clever and kind soul who brought his recording equipment to my house, treated me with all the pampering that a prima donna would get, and furthermore accurately recorded for posterity that authentic 'kitchen sink' ambience. 3. The song, I and I, is astounding, and carries the day - but I didn't write it. You, however, are capable of writing songs as memorable as 'Overflow' which I find myself humming from day to day, and other songs of that calibre which wouldn't seem out of place on a Neil Young album. But I'm glad to have your approval, all the same. Thanks. Back to top

Piltdownboy on horseback 22 Group: Members Posts: 1548 Joined: Sep. 2005 Posted: Dec. 08 2006, 12:44 Quote (Alan D @ Dec. 07 2006, 05:11) Quote (familyjules @ Nov. 30 2006, 13:42) how do I know that you're not just being ridiculously modest and that your fears aren't illusory too? Here I am, Jules, singing Dylan - not in the bath but in the kitchen. You have one week to fill out the insurance forms before the link dies: I and I Damn that sounded good!!! I didn't know you could sing that well!!   Nice!!   -------------- "And now we're going to play Platinum!" Back to top

moonchildhippy Group: Members Posts: 1807 Joined: Dec. 2004 Posted: Dec. 08 2006, 14:27 Quote (familyjules @ Dec. 08 2006, 10:11) Quote (Alan D @ Dec. 07 2006, 05:11) Quote (familyjules @ Nov. 30 2006, 13:42) how do I know that you're not just being ridiculously modest and that your fears aren't illusory too? Here I am, Jules, singing Dylan - not in the bath but in the kitchen. You have one week to fill out the insurance forms before the link dies: I and I I'm listening now.  You're f***ing GOOD my man!!! Nice guitar playing, nice singing.  Heck that kitchen of yours is great for acoustics too. You rock.  We'll have no more excuses!   Jules Indeed Alan, I love it,this  ROCKS BIGtime , any more music?? . In fact I would say that I prefer this to Dylan. Bob Dylan can play, but  I do feel his voice can be  one of the most lugubrious, mournful voices in rock. I can listen to some Dylan, but after a while I find he can get too depressing. I prefer his more upbeat tracks. Jules your "A Farewell to Sorrows" sounds more Dylan than Dylan, I love it , great song and voice, Also "I Won't Count On It" I feel wouldn't be out of place on the Rolling Stones' "Exile On Main Street", just the type of riff I could imaging Keith Richards coming out with. As you know I love The Stones. Speaking of the Stones and performing, I wonder if they ever get nerves before going on stage, if they do they seem to keep it undercover. I was bought a ticket for the "Voodoo Lounge"  tour for my birthday. I think if I was to go up the gym with Mr  Jagger  he could put me to shame       . One regret I do have was not getting to see Queen live, I was 15years old in 1986 on what turned out to be their last UK tour, my parents wouldn't let me go , cry, cry, cry.  I did make it to the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, even though Freddie was missing, well he was there in spirit, even though he couldn't be in person. I did read that Freddie was shy, but given his on stage persona I find that difficult to believe. Maybe before performing musicians must find a way to overcome stage fright. As someone who tries to play a guitar, I hate the thought of attempting to play in front of people, not that I've tried to play in public. I had a guitar playing friend round my house, a little while back, I said that I have problems getting the dreaded F chord, I know that he could really play, so I was a bit embarrassed by my rather feeble F, but he said it was getting there, so maybe that's the encouragement I need, rather than   one certain person telling me to "shut up". I would say on the introvert/extrovert scale I'm more extrovert, but it depends on who I'm with and what I'm doing. I do have these moments where I wish people would "Just bugger off and leave me alone" (my thoughts). I guess as a kid I was more introverted. I think I remember being an angel in the school nativity one year and nearly falling off the stage. I guess it's  in recent years I've become more extroverted, maybe that can affect an artists view of performing. Sorry if I've rambled on a bit there. -------------- I'm going slightly mad, It finally happened, I'm slightly mad , just very slightly mad If you feel a little glum to Hergest Ridge you should come. I'm challenging  taboos surrounding mental health "Part time hippy" I'M SUPPORTING OUR SOLDIERS BRING OUR TROOPS HOME NOW!! Back to top

bee Group: Members Posts: 1227 Joined: Jan. 2004 Posted: Dec. 08 2006, 15:00 Well Alan, you sing remarkably well! Lovely to hear your voice in this silent internet world! And if there's one thing I absolutely love it's an acoustic guitar played like that. It has such versatility, and speaks volumes. Congratulations, and will you upload any more for us to hear? You are very talented and far too modest. I have to confess to utter ignorance where Dylan is concerned. I've never given him time I think, but I do agree with Moonchildhippy when she said he sounded a bit depressing...but you plainly don't!! Love to hear more. @ Moonchildhippy, it was great to see your lovely photo in the other thread. I was not sure about that thread to start with, but feel now that it's a brilliant idea, as we all share some quite deep & interesting discussions & it's nice to know that should we ever be in the same place at the same time we may recognise each other. Wouldn't it be terrible if we never realised we were standing next to someone we'd spoken with at length about some quite profound subjects! -------------- ....second to the right and straight on till morning.... You heard me before Yet you hear me again Then I die Till I call me again Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Dec. 09 2006, 05:52 Thanks for these nice comments. I'm glad you liked it, obviously, but I feel very uneasy about the idea of people preferring my milk-and-water substitute for Dylan's single malt whisky. He is the real thing - the Picasso of popular musical culture, and the greatest, most creative, live performer I've ever encountered. But he is, I think (because of the very nature of his art) very uneven, and it matters a lot exactly what you listen to, and even which performance of it. What I discovered was that his songs have a very special magic that you can somehow absorb into yourself, and make your own. If I sing one of my favourite Dylan songs, it feels as if I'm singing a song I wrote myself, even though I know I didn't and couldn't. (This is an invaluable quality in them, for someone who simply couldn't write a decent song to save his life.) But even so, you'd be better off listening to the real thing - Dylan himself, or Jules's CD. Do we all have Jules's CD? I know Galadriel does. Just to show I can do mournful too - although, no, actually I don't think this is a mournful song. No, it isn't: Knockin' on Heaven's Door And if you really can't stomach more Dylan just now: Norwegian Wood Back to top

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