I am a shy person, I always have been. In orchestras I have always been around older players who were obviously much better than me and this always made me doubt myself and my ability. Us trumpeters are known for having a huge ego, but I have certainly never had one.
Not to blow my own trumpet (excuse the pun) but I am a good player. Yes I have some areas that I need to work on and I am still developing as a trumpeter, but I can play. I have however realised in the last few months that my confidence is what has been holding me back the most. In orchestras I find myself playing down if I feel that I'm not exactly playing right. My teacher told me earlier today "people will forgive you for playing the wrong notes, but they won't forgive you for not playing at all". So I thought to myself, this year is the year I show everyone exactly what I am capable of and I plan to stick to this.
I truly feel that confidence is the key to being a great musician. When giving a performance, you need to be confident. Do you ever watch a professional and think wow they look nervous? No because they look beyond this and just enjoy the performance. I'm not saying they don't get nervous, they just believe in themselves and show everyone exactly what they are made of.
Nerves are something that I have been battling with my entire trumpeting life and I think I am finally starting to deal with them. Never doubt yourself, this is probably the worst thing you can do before a performance. If you think the worst then there is a chance that the worst could happen. Be positive, it helps (honestly). Personally I think that the best way to combat nerves is to perform as frequently as you possibly can. Take up every opportunity you can to play in front of an audience, even if you don't want to, just keep telling yourself it will help in the long term.
Never, ever doubt yourself and show everyone what your capable of.
