In the latest episode of our music podcast, classical guitar virtuoso Jason Vieaux talks “Performance Anxiety”: what is it, and how can we deal with it? The show is available now anywhere you listen to podcasts, or you can check it out on our site. 

In the conversation, ArtistWorks CEO Patricia Butler and Vieaux discuss all things stage fright. While it’s common to “get the jitters” before a performance, for some, the fear and anxiety can be paralyzing. This often results in players avoiding the spotlight at all costs. With this in mind, we decided to ask our artist instructors — who have performed for numerous large audiences — to weigh in on the topic and share their thoughts. What tools do they use to deal with performance anxiety? 

“The more success you have in practice, the more you remember that and call on that,” Vieaux comments. “You need repetition of success, so start out practicing slowly, and correctly.”

On the ArtistWorks Music Series, Butler speaks with master musicians across all genres as they dive deep into topics like becoming a musician, playing at the professional level, and the journey of learning music. Over the coming weeks, we'll be spotlighting many artists and discussing all sorts of instruments and topics:

Performance Anxiety: Eric Marienthal – Wed, Jan. 22
Performance Anxiety: Mike Block – Wed, Feb. 5

New episodes are released every other Wednesday. Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the show.