jitters about my first open mic

anyone got any tips to calm me down, im afraid i'll mess up

Relax. Have fun and enjoy the experience. More power to you for stepping up and participating in an open mic.

I will tell you what not to do. Get drunk. I usually have a drink or 2 before going on stage in front of large crowds, but don't over-do it.

Bring a hat. I like to wear hats, because I can hide my eyes behind the brim and pretend like no one is there. It works for me.

Sunglasses work for my fiance. He says 'he feels better when no one can see the fear.'

The first time is the hardest. Once you get through that, it gets easier. You'll do fine.

Relax and have fun!

Don't worry about making mistakes. People hardly ever notice, and even pros make mistakes.

You could picture everyone naked... But that can be bad.

Actually, I think that is just a joke made up by someone writing a sitcom years ago and now it is considered standard blah blah. About the only thing that helps me is to really know what I am doing. I've spoken and performed for years and the only time I'm nervous about it is if I don't know what I'm doing. When I know what I am doing, the confidence takes over and I just rock it out.

So, practice a lot and get to where you can think, talk, walk, chew gum, and solve complex theoretical math problems while you play your set. If you can do that, a little thing like a crowd of people won't bother you so much.

~DB

Check my signature.

Do you have the opportunity to play for some friends or family? Playing for them should be easier and great practice. Most folks at open mics tend to be supportive. Play something you know really well, have fun and your audience will have fun. If you make a mistake, laugh it off and keep going. It's not like someone can dock your pay.
Regards,
Ray

Thanks for all of the advice and reassurance. I am contemplating my first open mic performance and the timing of this thread is perfect.

UkuleleJarr said:

Anyone have any tips to calm me down? I'm afraid I'll mess up.

Click to expand...

Messing up is nothing to be afraid of. I've done it plenty of times. You just plow right on. No biggie.

JJ

UkuleleJarr said:

anyone got any tips to calm me down, im afraid i'll mess up

Click to expand...

A friend of mine has done quite a bit of busking, and his observation is that most people won't notice mistakes in the middle of a song, and the intro is not as important as the ending. If you nail the end of the song, that's what they'll remember.

Just do it! A ukulele!! No one is going to take you serious until you just knock their socks off and then you're going to be the greatest thing that has come across that stage. People will be coming for the next three weeks to see the ukulele guy. Get out there and make us proud, boy.

Try to be one of the first ones to play at an open mic. The longer you wait to play, the more nervous you get. The more times you play, the more relaxed you will get.

practice what you are doing heaps and choose something you can handle easily.

best of luck with it too.

Cliff

Open mic's can be great for learning to play...some good advice here too....I've ran a ukulele open mic' here in England for 5 years: The Ukulele Research & Development Society....and the things soooo popular now that we've gradually introduced "rules" to try to challenge people to up their performance...these were just written as a kinda joke and are ment to be taken with a pinch of salt....but hidden in here is a lot of very sound advice....anyone who manages to make it through 2 songs without breaking the rules always gets a prize!

1. Don't sing in an "American". Use your own accent! (Obviously doesn't apply to Americans!)
2. Don't do covers...They are a/s** b/Too Difficult. (Thank you Malcolm Mclaren(He was the sex pistols manager...the sex pistols did lots of covers!))
3. Don't have the word BABY in any of your songs unless you are Dianna Ross.
4. Don't have the word SOUL in your song unless you are James Brown.
5. Don't do FUNK unless your name is Bootsy.
6. No excuse exists for using a harmonica or saxaphone.
7. Digery don't.
8. Don't sing with your eyes closed....you look like you're constipated.
9. You don't have "The Blues" what you have is a Fender Strat' that your daddy bought you.
10. Don't do songs about booze or drugs unless you are Shane McGowan or Shaun Ryder.
11. When no one is interested in your music, it doesn't mean you are Antifolk or Avant Garde it means you are crap...go back to the bedroom and have a re-think.
12. Be nice to the Sound People...manners are free and they are paying for their sins by being forced to listen to your music!
13. Don't say "Thanks!" untill someone claps.
14. Don't appologise for anything on stage. If you make a mistake, do it again and pretend you meant it.
15. Never blame the audience. It's not their job to listen, it's your job to entertain.
16. Guitar solos....mmmmmmh, just remember "Anyone can play guitar"
17. Jazz has melody, Noise is just noise...go write a tune!
18. Tune up BEFORE you go on stage.
19. Don't bore the audience with anecdotes unless you are naturally very funny.
20. "Making things more organic" is great if you're making vegetable soup but disastorous in song-writing.
21. There is a thin line between "inspired by" & "ripping off"...."Imitate & then inovate"

Anyone got any more?

I have a video of me explaining these on my YOUTUBE channel, but it's NOT SAFE FOR WORK:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RivNHwGBsHM

Open mic's....great way to learn & meet people...good luck!

12. Be nice to the Sound People...manners are free and they are paying for their sins by being forced to listen to your music!

Click to expand...

This is incredibly sage advice. I engineer for a couple of different bands. I walk into the venue, and they all start treating ME like a rock star because they want me to make them sound good. I've had situations where the bands didn't treat me well. I did my best by them, but I typically put up a fuss if our manager starts talking about having certain people back.

Some advice about performing. Doing a solo performance can still rip me up, and I've been playing one instrument or another for 15 years. Back when I was a music major focusing on classical guitar, I had some very BAD recitals. Totally awful. I'm not a guy who deals well with stress, and the anxiety of playing in front of people got to me. I could play incredibly complex pieces for my juries and for my friends, but walking up on that stage just absolutely did me in. It got to a point where, once, an instructor recommended that I take beta blockers before I perform. I didn't want to do that, though, because of the various side effects. So we did something that I found incredibly helpful. We put together an ensemble of classical guitarists. We performed a number of pieces in duets and trios for recitals, and that really helped me rebuild my confidence.

I found that playing with others can really help calm the nerves. You know that you've got someone watching your back. They're just as invested as you are, and they'll also be able to give you advice to improve your technique.

As everyone else has said , have fun! Music comes from the soul , so just enjoy it !

Dougf said:

A friend of mine has done quite a bit of busking, and his observation is that most people won't notice mistakes in the middle of a song, and the intro is not as important as the ending. If you nail the end of the song, that's what they'll remember.

Click to expand...

Dougf,
I'm not sure if busking is legal in Illinois.