I'm new around here and came looking for a flute forum for a specific purpose - to get some help. I have a problem that will keep me from really advancing if I can't get over it.

Nerves.

Upon just entering high school I joined marching band because of my two older siblings and was pretty excited. I've taken flute lessons for a year but stopped because I enjoyed horseback more than flute lessons - still do. Marching band ended a few days ago: we took 6th in state! But during the long months of marching band my terrible habit has gotten worse and worse and worse. Mostly it started when we had to play a long eight-note run in front of the whole band for our director. And let me tell you, our director is really, really intimidating. By the time the flutes had started my hands were shaking. When it was my turn my palms were sweaty, my hands were still shaking, and my legs had decided to shake too. Never before had it been that bad. In 7th and 8th grade I had always been nervous to play for our director but he's so much, well, nicer than our current director that it wasn't that big of a deal.

A few days later we had a playing test in our section - six of us plus our section leader. I've gotten pretty close to my section leader despite the fact that she's a senior because she's helped me catch up with marching and all this other stuff (I had pneumonia during band camp. Yeah, during summer... ) she's really a decent friend of mine. But I could hardly play in front of her and the rest of our section. She marches next to me in the specific part we were testing on and was commenting on how I played it perfect in the show, in front of hundreds of people. But I couldn't play it in front of her.

I think I lost my confidence. And all of it.

This Thursday we have Flute Choir auditions. I wasn't going to audition because of my nerves but Erin, my senior friend, is making me after an argument we had over texting. Something along the lines of:
"What's the worst that could happen?"
"Jane would tell Mr.D that I failed the flute choir audition and he would kick me out of band forever."
"What the heck?"

Uh, yeah, she was mad. So now I'm playing a three octave chromatic scale, a two octave B flat major scale, and a random solo I picked out today. But I'm not so sure any of it's going to go well if I start getting nervous like I have been.

Any advice?

Practice like crazy. If you are confident that you know your material, you won't be as nervous.

I don't get apprehensive about an audition until someone mentions nerves. Just relax and don't think about being nervous so much. Think more about playing music, not the judgment of your band director.

Play in front of people as much as you can.

Audition for things as much as you can.

I too have a bad case of nerves and it wrecks almost everything I do. It was a lot easier when I was playing percussion. The instrument is already in tune and there is nothing you can do about it.

I am getting slightly better with the nerves. You just have to give yourself a pep talk and be confident that you can do it.

Deep down inside, you know you can do it. So just do it!

+1, especially on vampav8trix tip. It's not the same to play a pice for others as it is to play it for yourself, so if you want to be good at playing a pice in front of others you need to practice playing it in front of others.

Try to relax and focus on the music. I usually say to myself that it's ok to be a little nervous before playing, but when it's time to play - then it's time to play. Then the focus should be on the music not the thousands of things I could be worrying about. I've alread had time to worry about it, and it's to late to change thing or practice more anyway. Now it's time to just play.

I hate standing in line and wait for my turn to perform things! I've been trying to let the nervousness come and go more quickly. So that when it's my turn to actually say or play something I've had time to relax again. Maybe sounds a little odd, but has worked a few times. Another way is to volontary play first, or at the beginning, so that you don't give yourself time to stand and wind yourself up.

Remember, no matter how badly you happen to play on one occation, there are other auditions later on, and other perfomances. It's not fun to play badly on an important occasion, but it does happen to everyone sometime. Playing live is playing live, and anything can happen. All you can do to avoid it is to prepare as well as you can.

Remember to enjoy the piece you play!

If your problem showed up at a certain moment and it is new to you, growing worse and worse as you say, it could be that you are in a very stressful situation, one that is not doing any good to you.

It would be unfair to blame the band director with so little information, but you describe him in a rather negative way, or so I perceive, excuse if I am wrong at this.

I understand that you have not several years of flute studies (and therefore cannot be sure of what you can achieve and what not), and/or you are young enough to be intimidated by such a person and/or you suffer from the situation created, my suggestion is to avoid it altogether and try to develop you musical activity in a more friendly environment.

I know it is risky to suggest these sort of things, only based on my limited understanding and on very limited information. As it may sound (and it could be) a rather extreme solution, I also suggest you look for consulting with the psychological support Dpt. in your College or Uni, if there is one. I do not mean there is anything wrong with you, but maybe with the others.

Those people are prepared to help, your experience is quite normal and you will be in such situations quite often later in life, but maybe you are not prepared to face this one at this specific time.

I apologize if my suggestions are pure nonsense to you. I am trying to help, but it could well be that I completely missed the case.

Good luck.

Thanks for all of the advice. Right now I think I might go ahead and audition, even if it is just for the sake of auditioning. I think I just need to go in, do it, and come feeling good about myself. And if I don't, well, I'll have a problem.

I am actually starting to consider mentioning to my director how much of a fear I have playing in front of people. He knows that when you play in front of him it's not the best you could play it but other people I really shouldn't have a problem - but I do. Sometimes I wonder if something really is wrong with me.

I'll make sure to let you know how the audition goes. I'm off to practice!

performance = preparation/practice + potential - interference.

I always say, practice in different places in front of different people...a mixture of people you know well and complete strangers. This will get you *preparation* and *practice* dealing with *interference*. Gradually, with more and more *practice* with *interference*, it will become almost a non-factor, and you will play brilliantly for any audition or show.

Panix, there is very likely nothing wrong with you! Perfomance anxiety is very common. You are reaching a point in your playing when you wish to play well in front of others, and it's a kind of new experience.

Play a lot for others in low pressure situations, such as when people are busy doing something else so that your music is not the main attraction, and then gradually play in more difficult situations that come close to the real event.

We look forward to hear more when your're back from tha audition!

I forgot to mention a technique that I use when teaching people to fly. It works great for flute performance too. I used it for my college audition. I hope it works well tomorrow night. I have a solo that didn't get practiced a lot at wind ensemble practice. The director thought that other sections needed more work. I really wish I had gotten to play it more with the band but it is what it is.

Practice the piece a lot so that you are comfortable.

Use visualization. Imagine yourself playing in front of people and being relaxed. Imagine what you look like. Know that you are happy doing this and that everything is good.

Watch performers that you admire and see what they do when performing. As long as they are not jumping around a lot emulate what they do to a certain extent. I find that a little movement like a tiny dance, helps me be more relaxed. It helps the music to flow.

Be the music. Let it flow.
Use visualization.
Be confident.
Be happy.

Good luck.

Good news! The audition went over pretty well! I made it into flute choir and I must admit I'm pretty excited. =]

But I have to play for my band director next week. Haha. We'll just have to see how that goes.

I am glad you made it.

Just keep on playing!

Hurray! Congratulations!

Yes, unfortunately as soon you're done with one challenge the next awaits you. Just keep playing, remember that it's not ONLY hard work and nerves, but so much fun too!

Good to hear that :D

"Sometimes I wonder if something really is wrong with me".
90% of the people in the world are intimidated by being the center of attention and speaking or performing in front of others. If you make mistakes, they really don't matter, so don't make a big deal about. I went to a concert awile ago to see a big name band and the next day one of the members was apologizing in the newspaper for playing so badly. I've just started to play the flute again after a layoff of many years, and to help me get over my anxiety about being good enough for people to hear me, I practice in a park with all the mistakes we make in practice.

Practice, Practice, Practice if you are good and you can play the song impeccably you will not be nervous.
You can also try the classic nerve trick of imagining everyone in the room in their underwear.