As a child, I was painfully shy. When my mother took me to music classes for toddlers, I was always the little girl on the outside of the circle, watching from a distance, not daring to join in.

There’s actually a video of my mother and me on the Mr. Rogers television show when I was just three years old. She had been invited to the show to talk about the lovely wooden toys she was making for children, but I could barely answer Mr. Rogers’s questions as he held me and I shyly fiddled with my hands behind my back!

Things got a little easier once I was in school. I didn’t have any trouble participating in group games or communicating with adults close to me, but how to have good conversations with other children continued to perplex me.

I didn’t have any performance anxiety playing the violin, though. I could play the violin fearlessly as a soloist with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, with the famous Jesus Lopez-Cobos conducting, in front of an audience that wrapped 360 degrees around the stage. 🎻 But speak to a few people in public? No way!

Whenever I was asked to speak from a stage at a concert, I would flat out refuse; someone else would have to do it. Around age eleven, interviewed for a newspaper, I still remember how terrified I felt! My mother had to make phone calls for me, or they just wouldn’t happen.

I’m not exactly sure why I found expressing myself verbally so challenging, but since I didn’t feel understood, I must have decided it was easier to stay quiet much of the time. 💭

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Care to share?

Enrollment for Relaxed Confidence, Joy & Flow, my 5-week Level 1 program is now open! Ask me for details and get 50% OFF before April 12th!

With Love & Light,
Jennifer ❤️

The above is an excerpt from ‘Make Great Music with Ease! The Secret to Smarter Practice, Confident Performance, and Living a Happier Life'

Need a great gift? Find the book here: BOOK LINK

If you love the book, please leave a quick review here – thanks! 🙏
(No purchase necessary to leave a review.)