WPGU 107.1
Credit: Chicago Sun-Times
Nothing will ever match that feeling when I stepped out on stage for the first time. As I paced back and forth in the green room with my guitar slung over my shoulder, making innocuous conversation about music with another performer, the sudden adrenaline rush caused a shakiness in my legs and voice. The notion that my legs just might fail me while I would be on stage only heightened my performance anxiety. To my surprise, walking up on stage and introducing myself would end up being the hardest part of that night because when it was time to perform, it was as if something came over me. My anxiety was replaced with comfort, and I found myself singing with more conviction and presence than I ever could in the comfort of my room. It was that cold January night when I realized that performing was my new passion.