Playing my instrument in front of my peers...?

Question:

Playing my instrument in front of my peers...?

For my high school band class we have to play a musical piece in front of the band for our midterm. I play the clarinet and i play a quartet piece with other clarinets in the group.

I am very afraid that I'm going to get nervous because during the holiday concert I became very nervous while playing the concert because i sat on the end of a row and the whole audience could see me. My heart began to race and was pounding against my chest and then my lips and eyes began to twitch uncontrollably so much that i couldnt play while it happened. It stopped once i got under control of myself about halfway during the concert.

I am very afraid that this will happen when i play in front of my peers in the school band. My part of the quartet is probably the easiest part so im not afraid of messing up. I am just afraid that i will get nervous like i did in the concert because everybody is looking at me. How can i stop myself from getting freaked out while i play?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Practice playing in front of as many people as you can. Practice in front of friends and classmates.

Also, don't worry so much about the people watching you. Consider when you are listening to someone play. Are you listening for wrong notes or thinking mean things? Nope. Neither is anyone else! Every single musician in that room knows how hard it is to play in front of the class, and they all just want to hear you do your best. This line of thinking helped me greatly with my own nervousness in front of people.

Another trick I like to use is this: find a friend in the crowd, have them sit in the front if possible. Pretend that they are the only person in the room, and play for them. If you look up (which you probably won't anyways, you have to stare at the stand, right?) only look at them!

Finally, my band director taught me this trick. It is natural to be nervous, so before you play that first note stop and take a deep breath. Get focused, and think about something silly, like a fluffy bunny or something that reminds you of a happy memory. Now that you are relaxed and focused, look at your first note. Think about only the music, and then play! This way, you are sure that from note number one you are focused on only the music and not on any of the distractions, like the people in the room. Trust in yourself and the other clarinets in your group.

Good luck!