Originally posted by lalimacefolle

But since people came to enjoy the music, I played my ass off, and the music plowed through me...

As musicians, we have to be prepared to expect the unexpected, and pressure can sometimes work for us or against us. It all depends on the environment that we put ourselves into, and if we trust ourselves and what we are fully capable of. I've had some really rough experiences over the past few years, hoewever, (for the most part)I've always worked very well under pressure. It's not something we look forward to, or something that we ask for, however in situation where I've come unprepared, I've always managed to perservere.

However, when you're in a band, it's much more difficult, because the mistakes of others sometimes become your own. When you're by yourself in a coffee shop, sometimes it's easier, because you know what you can do, and where you weak spots and strong spots are.

skee1: Joseph

I would rather play under pressure. I sometimes get,
high off of pressure on the stage.

(Good Topic Joseph)

Mark

I guess in a way, when we know so many other people are counting on us, it kind of makes us feel important. As a musician I've always been very meticulous, and when it comes to playing under pressure, sure we all sometimes lose our lunch before hand, and our palms get very sweaty, but once we're up there, we just get to business. If we didn't have those butterflys before the show, than it wouldn't be real. I usually save the beers for afterwards, because it's hard to drink on an empty stomach.

Raskolnikov: I think pressure helps myself and my band as a whole get things together and focus on what we need to do, and when. As for getting up and doing it; Tae Kwon Do took care of stage fright a long time ago.

We all need a little bit of pressure, because it's important to focus on both the good aspects and the band aspects of our performance. We can't expect to be perfect, so we have to be prepared to notice our weak spots so we can have them under control next time around. I don't think those weak spots ever completely diminish, because that's what leaves room for improvement.


When it comes to writings music and writing lyrics, I work well with pressure when it comes to music, but as for the lyrics, I just have to wait for the right words to come along. With music, when I know I have a deadline, I tend to toss a few ideas back and fourth, depending on my mood. However, as a lyricist, we aren't always quite sure what to write about, (or how to express ourselves.) Sometimes, in order to feel fully confident we have to delve into our past for inspiration. And that's something that we're not always quite ready to do.


-Joseph