I Got Locked in the Bathroom
I got locked in the bathroom last night. I bet I also just got your attention. Why am I writing about this experience on a blog about stage fright? Here are some details of my misadventure. I think you will understand. Last night, we were about to sit down for a...
Attitude: Take a Closer Look at Yourself!
I lost my dear friend and colleague, Roy Schafer, on August 5. He was a few months short of turning 96 years old. Roy Schafer, psychoanalyst/psychologist extraordinaire and recipient of numerous prestigious awards, is known for his original work that helped people...
You Could Not Make This Up…
While this blog is about a recent experience of mine, it feels somewhat self-serving in light of the trauma that is being lived currently by the parents and children who are separated at the US border as well as the soccer team in Thailand waiting for rescue. My heart...
Parts Unknown
Last week, within days of each other, we lost two beloved and admired public icons: Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain. Both died from suicide. Both were at the pinnacle of their careers and success. Or so we thought. While I did not know either celebrity personally, I...Managing Stage Fright with Julie J. Nagel – LIVE from the Michigan Theater Stage
Your Money or Your Life!
The late, great comedian Jack Benny (who was also a very fine violinist) was known for his (supposed) stinginess spending his own money. In a classic TV skit, Benny was accosted by a robber who commanded him to stick up his hands and demanded “your money or your...
Thinking and Feeling About Performing
Performing is not only about playing the music or giving a talk or taking a test. Performing also reveals thoughts and feelings about yourself which, in turn, have an impact on your comfort and competence both on and off stage. In our emotional lives, both unhelpful...
How to Inhibit Success in Music Students
A decision to pursue a career in the performing arts is a lifelong and complex undertaking. Musicians begin instrument lessons in early childhood, when the ego and talent are developing simultaneously. During these young vulnerable years and at any age, music teachers...