Racing heart, trembling hands, dry mouth, shallow breathing, or the sudden feeling that you might forget everything. You've prepared your piece thoroughly. Everything works in the practice room, perhaps even during rehearsals. But as soon as you step in front of an audience, everything feels different. Your fingers become less reliable, your breathing changes, and your concentration starts to slip. Sometimes, you feel as though you can no longer access skills you've already m

As musicians, we face daily pressure to deliver top performance. We refine the finest nuances, spend hours in the practice room, and want to shine on stage. But what happens when making music suddenly hurts? Whether it's a pulling sensation in your forearm, neck tension, embouchure issues, or a sudden blockage – pain while playing or singing is a major taboo topic for many. Often, physical pain is accompanied by the fear of losing control, feelings of guilt, or worry about on

Do you still remember how that felt? The audition at the music school as a child, where the teacher stood up wordlessly after a mistake, turned her back on you, and left you sitting in an icy silence for minutes. The moment during your university studies, when the professor cut you off in the middle of a difficult passage, stared at you wordlessly for seconds, and then, in front of your peers, only dryly said: “Just leave it, nothing good is going to come of this today.” Or t

As a musician, you surely know this: You practice for hours, but certain movement patterns simply won't improve. Or worse - you develop...

Understanding the Complex Reality Behind the Symptoms It often begins gradually. A pianist notices that their little finger suddenly...

You're about to go on stage. Your instrument is tuned, your program is solid – and yet there's that quiet whisper in the background. That...

When Your Music Feels Trapped Inside You: A New Way to Approach Stage Fright What science tells us about performance anxiety and how you can reconnect with your musical expression "I'm just not a stage person." How often have you heard someone say this, or perhaps thought it yourself? Shaking hands, a racing heart, sweaty palms: For many musicians, these reactions seem like proof that they simply aren't made for the stage. But physical nervousness doesn't automatically mean t

A racing heart, trembling hands, shallow breathing, a tight feeling in your stomach — and the overwhelming urge to run away. We make music because we love it and want to share that joy with others. So why can it sometimes feel almost impossible to enjoy performing on stage? I know from personal experience just how agonizing performance anxiety can be. Even though I was performing at the highest musical level and was exceptionally well prepared technically, I experienced inten

Do you know the feeling of being stuck, unable to see how things could ever be different? Perhaps you've already tried many things to overcome your performance anxiety. You practice, prepare thoroughly, and work on yourself. And yet, when you step onto the stage, you find yourself experiencing the same tension, the same fear, or the same feeling of being unable to express yourself freely. At some point, it can become difficult to even imagine that things could be different. I

“That wasn't good enough.” “This passage has to be perfect.” “How could I make such a mistake?” Do these thoughts sound familiar? As musicians, our inner critic can follow us everywhere: into the practice room, onto the stage, and even long after a performance has ended. Instead of appreciating what went well, we focus on our mistakes and everything we think we should have done better. I know this all too well from my own years as a soloist. During practice, I put enormous pr

I am Regina Gleim, professional flutist and coach for musicians. Here in my blog, I share valuable knowledge and information about...