Performance Anxiety

Classical guitarist Michael Murray offers tips for Dealing with Performance Anxiety that include:

Perform Regularly - The more you do something, the more normal and less scary it becomes
Perform Successfully - It doesn't matter how often you perform if each performance is a failure, if anything you are making things worse.
Start with Low Pressure Situations - Play for a local seniors group, hospital patients, family, friends, etc.
Pick a repertoire you can handle easily - Playing pieces in public that are near the borderline of your abilities is not the way to develop confidence in your playing abilities.
Play long programs - the adrenalince rush only lasts 5 - 10 minutes.