5 Reasons We Learn to Perform

Even the most experienced performers can still know fear and apprehension around performance, so why do we do it?

Music is something quite special, but learning performance has a unique set of benefits all its own.

Here are our top 5:

1)Develop Poise and Confidence Under Pressure

It is perfectly normal to feel nerves, fear and butterflies before taking the stage. When you gain experience performing, you develop an awareness of the feelings and thoughts that arise when you are placed “on the spot” or under pressure.

By developing tools of how to interpret and manage these feelings, you grow and train yourself to feel confident. This will serve you throughout your musical performances but also in other areas of life when we are called to ‘perform’ at our best.

2) Experience growth outside of your comfort zone

“A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there.”

Let’s face it, no one really enjoys being outside of their comfort zone, but the more we feel this ‘discomfort’ and learn through experience that this is where growth and transformation takes place, the more likely we are to to “feel the fear and do it anyways” in all areas in our life.

Performing takes courage, and developing resilience and awareness to those feelings that accompany it develops strong character.

3) Learn to manage fears or negative inner dialogue

Most of us know that once we do take that step outside of our comfort zone, this is where we are sure to find that doubt and negative inner dialogue popping up!

Learning to be aware of our doubts and fears takes practice, and the exercise of learning to communicate about them is one of the most effective ways to shine light on those dark shadows. When we gain experience performing, we learn how to be prepared for these feelings and also learn tools to manage them which include practicing a positive inner dialogue.

4) Performance skills translate to other areas of life

This is not just about performing on the stage for your music recital, it’s about learning to perform on the stage of life!

Those with experience performing will be the first to tell you that the feelings they’ve learned to cope with on stage over the years are the same ones that pop up when they have to give a presentation, speak publicly or do anything else that might make them feel ‘on the spot’.

These are skills that will be drawn on to support a surprising number of areas of life.

5) Enjoyment of sharing your music with others

Music is meant to be shared, and can express what words cannot. The ability to enjoy communicating through music, and sharing music with others is a gift that last a lifetime. As you gain experience, musical performance becomes an increasingly transcendent and magical experience.

After all is said and done, learning to let go and enjoy the experience of sharing our music is an integral part of developing as a musician as well as human being.

These were the first 5 reasons that came to mind for us. Why do you perform and what has this skill brought into your life?

By Carmen Morin

---