Overcoming Stage Fright as a Musician

It’s not just always going to be easy from the first time you do something that you really want, you have to push yourself and it’s okay to be afraid. It’s okay to be nervous. But if you just get up there and be…know, that you’re yourself, and you’re expressing yourself, you’re on your way.

Jennifer Msumba

Jennifer:

Hi guys, today I wanted to talk to a very special friend of mine. Her name is Jenny Townsend, and she runs the Music Compound here in Sarasota, Florida, where I live. We have a long history together with music and life. 

I wanted to kind of talk about how I gained my confidence because a lot of people tell me, “Wow you’re confident on stage! I would never have known you used to be shy.” I wanted to go down memory lane with you a little bit about those first times I went on stage, because Music Compound really changed me and helped me grow as a musician and as a person. You were hosting and so encouraging. What do you remember about that day?

Jenny:

Yeah, well, I remember it was February of 2016 that you came, actually it was our [Music Compound] first concert too. So we were in it together, which was super cool to share that experience together over five years ago. And I remember you wore a Star Wars shirt, you played the piano. And I was just meeting you at that point too. So I didn’t know that you’d never really performed or that you were nervous. And you just got out there and you performed, and it was beautiful. And that was the start of so many performances and confidence boosters, and it’s been an amazing journey to watch you totally transformed from five years ago, just knowing you.

Jennifer:

Yeah, getting up on that stage, it was really hard for me. But I pushed myself because it’s something that I wanted. And I think that’s important to remember. It’s not just always going to be easy from the first time you do something that you really want, you have to push yourself and it’s okay to be afraid. It’s okay to be nervous. But if you just get up there and be…know, that you’re yourself, and you’re expressing yourself, you’re on your way. Finding an environment that is encouraging and where people are accepting makes all the difference. And I found that at Music Compound. Definitely.

Jenny:

Yeah. Well, and I agree with you, Jen. You know, you have to start somewhere and every performance is a growth opportunity, and every single time you get on stage, it’s a different audience. It’s a different setting. It’s a different song that you’re performing and possibly a different instrument as well. And you know, some of the most talented individuals that are here at Music Compound and around our community are afraid to get on stage and they are afraid to share their music. And it’s unfortunate because, it’s just that they don’t have the confidence in themselves to get on that stage. But once they do, it’s such a beautiful experience for everybody in the room to share. You can feel the nerves and then you can feel like, “Oh…I did it!”

Jennifer:

I remember too, when you had the first Got Talent competition and I was really nervous. And I did not win anything, but I made a new relationship with one of the judges… Veronica. And she brought me on to perform on the radio and on the local Suncoast View. And like, you never know what’s going to become of something. And also, you don’t always have to win something- you never know who you’re going to meet or encounter or what is going to change your life that day. It’s a very, very important lesson,

Jenny:

Right? Yeah. It’s all about opportunity because you don’t know by getting on that stage, what it’s going to lead to. And with Veronica as well, you not only got on radio and you got on TV, you also got some print in the Herald Tribune, also spoke at a large fundraising event as well that helped raise thousands and thousands of dollars for individuals here in our community. So you’re right. You didn’t know what to expect, and you were nervous getting on that stage, but that led to so many opportunities. And that’s the thing is sometimes we have to step out of our comfort zone. We’ve got to get out there and do it because you just never know what will happen. And there are so many positive things that came from this experience for you.

Jennifer:

And even if you have a disability, if you have autism or another disability, it doesn’t mean that you need to have to sit on the sidelines and can’t get out there and show what you’ve got, because we’ve all got something special inside to share. And if you’ve got something you want to share, go for it and don’t let that worry you or hold you back. If people are going to discount you for that, then that’s their loss. And they missed an opportunity. And I’ve been really accepted at Music Compound. And I’ve seen other people with disabilities at Music Compound, get out there and perform. And it just always makes me so happy because it’s a place that’s really encouraging.

Jenny:

I want to touch in on what you just said, about disabilities and not sitting on the sidelines. Once you take that stage, once you go out of your comfort zone and once you just go out there, your disability doesn’t even matter. That’s not what people are thinking. Every single time you’ve got on that stage, nobody says anything like, “Oh, she’s autistic.” Nobody talks about that. They talk about those lyrics you wrote. They talk about your voice, they talk about the instrument that you played. That’s what people remember. Or they’re like, “Hey, next concert. I’m not going after her!” That’s what Lenny said at the last concert because he went after you. So I’m really proud of you. And it’s been an amazing experience to watch you grow as a musician and totally transform. 

And yeah, not only do we have in-person concerts, we do virtual lessons and concerts now. So anybody can watch, which is also a great learning tool. And Jen, I know you’ve been really successful with your virtual journey through doing your music online and YouTube and everything.

Jennifer:

I think because a lot of people have shifted to online, it’s opening up a lot to bring people together from further away. So it’s been kind of a cool thing to see. Like, what we’re doing here with Elevating Autistic Musicians is more of an online thing, to bring and to highlight autistic musicians in the community. And I appreciate you talking to me, Jenny, and going down memory lane with me.

I believe that music is a great equalizer, that it brings people together and it’s something that we all share inside and are moved by. And what I hope people take away from this is, don’t be afraid to fail. Don’t be afraid to get up there and forget your lyrics or play a wrong note because it’s okay. You can, you can get through it and you can finish and say, I did it. And then you can learn and practice and get better every time and grow. So it’s okay to try. You don’t have to be perfect. And I hope people can take that away from this.

Jenny:

Yeah. And to your point, Jen, even people that don’t have disabilities go through that same exact scenario and the fear of failing and the fear of missing the note or certain things like that. So it’s just a musician thing. No matter if you have a disability or not, we’re all in it together, we’re all the same.

Jennifer:

I love that. Thank you so much, Jenny.

Jenny:

You’re welcome.

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Jennifer Msumba is an autistic musician, writer and filmmaker from Central Florida. You can follow her journey on YouTube here and listen to her new album here.