How to deal with performance anxiety

Here's a really interesting insight from a musician about one way to deal with performance anxiety.  Or Ben-Natan is a vocalist who sings bass in classical and other music concerts in Israel. At a recent rehearsal with a chamber group in Zichron Ya'akov, his wife made sure that their little granddaughter was sitting near her in the front row to watch the performance.

When we asked Or if this was a distraction, he said that it actually helped him.  "When I am performing, I feel the tension between the anxiety of the performance and the desire to relax and enjoy the music. I know that my granddaughter would immediately sense it if I became too anxious, and so she helps me consciously move along the spectrum towards relaxation and enjoyment of the music."

A remarkable and lovely insight.