Unlock the transformative power of performance anxiety and turn your nerves into your greatest strength. Discover practical, evidence-based strategies to reclaim your confidence, elevate your artistry, and perform with fearless authenticity.
Transform stage fright into focus, resilience, and expressive power with actionable tools from a seasoned vocal performance mentor.
With over 30 years of experience as a performer, educator, and licensed Body Mapping instructor, Suzanne M. Stone blends science, psychology, and artistry to guide performers in overcoming anxiety and thriving on stage.
Expressive Strategies
Master Your Talent with SMART Goals and Deliberate Practice
Synopsis of “Expressive Strategies”
You don’t need to silence your anxiety to shine—you just need the right strategy to transform it.
This inspiring guide equips vocal athletes and performers of all backgrounds with compassionate, research-backed strategies to understand, reframe, and harness performance anxiety. With warmth, clarity, and lived experience, Suzanne M. Stone helps you turn fear into fuel—so every performance becomes a powerful expression of your true voice.
Introduction – A Shared Journey
Performance anxiety is not a flaw—it’s proof that you care. Suzanne opens this journey with vulnerability and honesty, inviting you to reframe fear as an invitation to grow. You’ll walk this path with someone who has been where you are and believes in where you’re going.
Chapter 1: Setting the Stage
Your nervousness doesn’t mean you’re unprepared—it means you’re invested. This chapter normalizes performance anxiety and helps you begin seeing it not as a barrier, but as a signal of your deep commitment to your craft.
Chapter 2: Understanding the Physiology of Performance Anxiety
Why does your heart race? Why do your hands tremble? You’ll discover the science behind the symptoms and learn how to work with your body—not against it—to reclaim control and calm onstage.
Chapter 3: Navigating the Inner Stage
Your thoughts shape your stage presence. This chapter helps you uncover limiting beliefs, quiet your inner critic, and rewrite your mental script with truth, self-compassion, and clarity.
Chapter 4: Building Confidence
Confidence isn’t something you’re born with—it’s something you build. Learn how to root your self-assurance in preparation, presence, and purposeful practice.
Chapter 5: Nutrition, Lifestyle, and Holistic Well-Being
Your body is your instrument. This chapter gives you powerful tools to reduce anxiety naturally through supportive habits—rest, hydration, nutrition, and movement—designed specifically for vocal athletes.
Chapter 6: The Power of Pre-Performance Practices
A strong pre-performance ritual becomes your secret weapon. Borrowing from sports psychology and elite performers, this chapter helps you create a routine that grounds your energy and ignites your focus.
Chapter 7: The Role of a Support System
You’re not meant to do this alone. Discover how to build a circle of support—mentors, friends, and fellow performers—who lift you up and help you show up as your fullest self.
Chapter 8: Building a Personal Toolkit and Action Plan
This is where transformation becomes tangible. You’ll develop your own customized, evolving action plan, complete with SMART goals, journaling prompts, and strategies tailored to your unique experience.
Chapter 9: The Performance Day Blueprint
Walk into show day with peace and power. This hour-by-hour guide helps you stay centered, focused, and energized before, during, and after your performance.
Chapter 10: Enduring Resilience and Welcoming the Spotlight
Resilience means showing up—shaky hands, open heart, and all. You’ll learn how to perform with grace through unexpected challenges and find joy even in imperfection.
Chapter 11: Key Insights and Lifelong Application
This final chapter gathers the lessons learned and helps you anchor them into a lifetime of expressive, empowered performance. You’ll finish knowing you’re not just managing anxiety—you’re mastering the art of showing up.
Appendix: Curated Resources
Explore hand-picked breathing exercises, body mapping references, nutrition tools, and further reading to support your continued growth as a resilient and expressive performer.
Expressive Strategies to Transform Performance Anxiety invites vocal athletes and performers of all kinds to reimagine stage fright as a powerful source of energy and insight. With inspiring stories, proven strategies from sports psychology, and compassionate coaching, this guide helps you create a personalized plan that transforms fear into confidence. Whether you’re a rising star or seasoned artist, you’ll gain the tools to turn nervous energy into expressive freedom and every performance into a triumph of resilience.
Digital Resources
Digital Resources
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