Stage Fright Isn’t Just for Singers: Performance Anxiety in Everyday Life Part 1
Part 1: Stage Fright Isn’t Just for Singers:
Performance Anxiety in Everyday Life
By James Porter
Last Saturday night, I stood under the lights of a small community Cabaret Theatre and sang New York, New York in front of a live audience of about 100 people. Unlike karaoke nights at a neighborhood bar—where the crowd is noisy, half-distracted, and cheering on your courage more than your pitch—this was a room full of people quietly sitting, attentively listening, and waiting for me to deliver a polished performance with a professional accompanist.
It was terrifying.
Jim Porter backstage.
Despite having sung this Sinatra standard countless times before, the silence in that room felt heavier than the music. The first rehearsal was a disaster. I kept losing my place, drifting off key, and battling a rising sense of panic. I later discovered I’d accidentally downloaded the Liza Minnelli version in the key of F—far too high for my vocal range. It wasn’t until I switched to Sinatra’s version in D major that I started to feel grounded again.
Still, I was nervous all week leading up to the performance. I rehearsed obsessively, ran lines in my head while driving, and practiced in the mirror. And when it was finally over, I turned to my wife and said, with genuine relief: “I got my life back.”
It was the exact same phrase I used a few weeks earlier after receiving (relatively) good news following a months-long series of prostate screenings, blood tests, scans, and a biopsy. Despite the uncertainty surrounding my diagnosis, my doctor recommended “watchful waiting” over any immediate treatment. No definitive signs of cancer. For now, anyway.
So why did singing one song for a friendly audience bring out the same level of stress as fearing a life-threatening illness?
The answer lies in performance anxiety—a form of acute stress response that doesn’t always care whether the threat is real or imagined. It’s a kind of stage fright that can hit anyone, not just singers or actors. In fact, it’s something that many professionals—especially trainers, wellness presenters, and EAP counselors—encounter in their work.
Whether you're facilitating a workshop, delivering a keynote, or leading a sensitive one-on-one conversation, you're performing. And when there’s an audience (even a small one), expectations rise. You're not just sharing information—you’re being watched, evaluated, and, at least in your own mind, judged.
Performance anxiety doesn’t discriminate. It can strike seasoned speakers as well as first-time presenters. And it can manifest in a variety of ways: a shaky voice, a racing heart, a blank mind, or sudden doubt about material you know inside and out.
Ironically, the more we care about doing well, the more likely we are to feel this pressure. For me, singing wasn’t just a hobby—it was a meaningful way to celebrate turning 70. I wanted to honor the moment. I wanted to do the song justice. That very desire made it harder to stay relaxed.
In professional settings, the same pattern holds. When you're deeply invested in the content or the outcome—when the stakes feel high—you’re more vulnerable to anxiety. It’s not about ego or inexperience. It’s about exposure. You’re putting yourself out there. And that vulnerability, when paired with the pressure to “get it right,” can create a potent storm of stress.
But here’s the good news: performance anxiety is manageable. Like any other form of stress, it can be understood, anticipated, and worked with. In the next installment, I’ll explore how even perceived stress can feel just as intense as real, existential threats—and what that means for our mental and physical well-being. Then, in Part 3, I’ll share 10 practical tips for managing stage fright, based on what I’ve learned from both the spotlight and the scan. And touch upon what Dayna Gowan will be sharing with us during her webinar.
Erica Tuminski
Author