I am an introvert. I am not naturally an out going person or what some may call a people person. I am shy by nature. I do not seek the spot light. In my musical journey this has been an issue when it comes to public or live performances. To make matters worse I have an inherited nervous system disorder that causes tremors mostly in my left hand as I am right hand dominant. I have learned to avoid certain things such as caffeine, alcohol, and any things else that my cause the tremor to act up. Nervousness is something that can cause this to act up and it can cause my left hand to shake uncontrollably. I know for others even without a tremor or similar issue, stage fright can cause similar issues such as shaking knees, anxiety, and sweating. I have heard things over the years such as eat bananas or take beta blockers. I have not tried taking medications but did try bananas. They did not help me that I could tell. The two things that have truly worked and I swear by are try try again. Keep getting up in front of an audience and it will get easier. The more you do it the better you will get. Secondly I say be prepared. The more you practice and the better you know your stuff the more confident you will be and the less you will experience anxiety. I have found when I can play a piece of music to the point I do not even have to think about it I actually enjoy performing and can feel the music. This is better for me and the audience. Practice, practice, practice, and try, try again. Do not give up and you will succeed! You will find joy in performing. This is what I call faking it until you make it. Something that may also help in your journey of this is a study in Mindset. Check out this link to read more about growth mindset.
