Feeling Afraid

My dear friend Nick Phan sent me this short clip of actor Edward Norton speaking about what it's like to start some new artistic project. I sang some Bach concerts with Nick this weekend, and shared with him how nervous I can sometimes get while singing Bach (Nick always amazes me with his grace under pressure in those situations). I find it inspiring to know artists of all calibers and fame levels struggle with fear and performance anxiety. Enjoy! And Happy Thanksgiving to all my American readers! 

Comments

[Sarah]

This explains everything for me! I tried telling some friends recently that every performance I have feels like an opportunity for everyone to discover I can't sing and I can't dance. VERY comforting to know others on the creative edge are working through the same feeling.

[William E. Nicholas]

Thanks so much for your kind response to my Bach Fan letter, and your mention on the next Opera Now podcast of my comment on your performance. And you were right in saying later on that podcast turned out to be one of the fairly open displays of sexual vocabulary. I am always relieved when Oliver's Corner comes on and things get more serious. I am no prude but ....sometimes the anatomical discussions of male parts gets a bit much. I could be more polite here and chracterise them as a learning experience for a fairly conventional straight Southerner who has some gay friends who are not so hip with the jargon. Bill Nicholas