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PERFORMANCE ANXIETY: Any kind of performance anxiety needs proper coaching and needs to be dealt with by a professional…or at least someone close who can give you the kind of emotional support that strengthens you and gives you courage. With proper self-assessment and careful monitoring you can also combat it alone – of course it's not easy, but it is possible too. There are many tools and techniques on hand which I am very happy to share right now, being someone who has also been a major sufferer of anxiety in the past. It also comes back every now and again to harrass and make me feel less worthy. It is most certainly a huge hurdle for most performers and moreso it is a condition which never really goes away, because it also has its benefits. Low-grade stress and anxiety is often necessary for a performer – it is often part of the challenge and gets you 'in-the-zone', but left unmonitored and left without proper assessment, it can also get the better of someone. I highly recommend checking out the book 'The Art of Practicing – A guide to making music from the Heart' by Madeline Bruser and check out the website Brainpickings.org for philosophical writings which may ease some existentialist questions too – as an artist and performer I do feel that every aspect of one's life tends to be expressed in one's art, meaning that exposing oneself onstage will reveal both the developed and the undeveloped selves in whatever shape or form. Challenge not only your art but also the thoughts behind your art. I also suggest looking into theatre and performance techniques such as The Alexander Technique (super important for a vocalist – this is a technique which incorporates full and part body movements to support singing – as a vocalist, your body is your most important tool as it IS quite literally your instrument). Your mind, body and art are intrinsically linked. I support people who are actively combatting their fears and their anxieties. It is part of the human condition. Besides being a journey of the performer, it is moreso a Journey of the Self. So, kudos to anyone who is taking on the ultimately fulfilling challenge of Making Art. x

A post shared by Alexandra Alden (@alexandraaldenn) on Oct 29, 2019 at 12:37am PDT

“It also comes back every now and again to harass and make me feel less worthy. It is most certainly a huge hurdle for most performers and more so it is a condition which never really goes away, because it also has its benefits.”

The young judge uploaded her post after an X Factor singer warned that some of the judges on the panel had undermined her anxiety disorder and suggested she had faked a meltdown she suffered before her audition.

Alex said that while low-grade stress and anxiety is often necessary for performers, as it helps get them in the zone, it can get the better of them if left unmonitored.

Besides seeking help, she also advised singers suffering from anxiety to read Madeline Bruser’s ‘The Art of Practicing – A guide to making music from the Heart’, check out the website Brainpickings.org for philosophical writings and look into theatre and performance techniques such as The Alexander Technique.

“I support people who are actively combatting their fears and their anxieties. It is part of the human condition,” she said. “Besides being a journey of the performer, it is more so a Journey of the Self. So, kudos to anyone who is taking on the ultimately fulfilling challenge of Making Art.”

What do you make of Alex’s advice?

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