You Need To Go On Stage And Fail

Sometimes, we all could use a pick me up and a touch of inspiration. As artists, we often doubt our abilities and creative process. You might find yourself thinking “nobody will like my song” or “I did a terrible job at playing that solo.” We’ve all been there.

Unfortunately, the self-doubt will linger unless you make a drastic change. A change that will be uncomfortable at first, but with time and experience, will become easy and second nature. You will likely enjoy it and yearn for it. In order to overcome your self-doubt, you must get on stage and fail.

Do I have to fail?! That sounds terrible you may say.

It is, going on stage for the first time in your music career is one of (if not) the most freighting experiences you’ll go through in your musical journey. And you will likely fail.

Why are you setting me up for failure Colt?!

That’s a great question and I’ll tell you why guitar friend. You need to go up on stage with the understanding that you will probably mess up. Now, I’m not talking about colossal mess-ups like this guy, but I’m talking about a missed lyric or a few missed notes here and there. The strumming pattern wasn’t perfect.

AND THAT’S OK!

As long as you prepare, you will get through the open mic night or gig just fine. You will have a belly full of butterflies and it will all seem like a blur. But you will get through it fine and realize you aren’t dead. The opposite actually, full of life.

Sure you might kick yourself for not nailing the solo or messing up a riff here and there, but that’s all part of the journey.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. And you, my friend, have just taken your first step. Was it perfect? No. (If it was, email me because I would love to work with you) Nobody’s first show was perfect – not even Jimi Hendrix.

But the next one will be better. You will have slightly fewer butterflies in your stomach, you will play the song slightly better, and your confidence on stage (and in only aspects of your life) will continue to grow.

Pretty soon, you’ll be headlining local gigs at large clubs around town with other aspiring guitar players asking you how you did it. You’ll look back at that first gig and see how far you have come and thank yourself for stepping out of your comfort zone to play in front of a crowd.

At the moment when we accept our weaknesses and stop deciding to grow, we’re the BEST we’re ever going to be. It’s all downhill from there.”

Personal financial adviser and online money guru, Ramit Sethi once said: “At the moment when we accept our weaknesses and stop deciding to grow, we’re the BEST we’re ever going to be. It’s all downhill from there.” Don’t be the best guitarist now. Push the best you as far way into the future as possible. And then go chase your best self.

Still, feel terrified of putting yourself on stage?

I get it. We musicians are emotional and the idea of being vulnerable on stage playing your own song sounds worse than not playing music at all. But the cool thing is, everyone one of us felt that way at one point or another. But that’s why Open Mic nights are perfect.

Open mic nights are mostly filled with other musicians in the same shoes. They provide a safe haven for musicians to test out their material or get comfortable with playing in front of a crowd. They are there to support your efforts, offer advice and feedback (in a positive way) and provide an environment where you can try new things without being judged.

If you’re thinking “Colt, I’m more of a jump in the deep end head first kind of guy/gal.” Then more power to you, start a band, play a gig in a bar or restaurant. If you’re in the DC area, sign up for a Flashband. Whatever you do, get on stage ASAP.

Hopefully, this has helped give you the 20-seconds of courage you need to sign up for your first open-mic night or say yes to that band looking to hire a musician to play gigs. Your first one won’t be perfect, but it won’t be terrible either – I can promise you that.

Get on stage and fail a little. Learn from it and practice more (or more efficiently) before the next gig and repeat. Pretty soon, you’ll look back and laugh at why you ever were nervous in the first place. Let me know about your first gig in the comments below.

Until next time, let the music play!