Overview
Sara Solovitch studied piano as a young child and fell in love with music. As a teen, she played Bach and Mozart in her hometown's annual music festival but was overwhelmed by fear. She attended the Eastman School of Music's preparatory department, where stage fright led her to give up aspirations of becoming a professional pianist. In her late fifties, Sara gave herself a one-year deadline to tame performance anxiety and play before an audience. She resumed music lessons while exploring meditation, exposure therapy, cognitive therapy, biofeedback, and other remedies. She performed in airports and retirement homes before renting a public hall and performing for fifty guests on the day before her sixtieth birthday.
Stage fright is one of the human psyche's deepest fears. Surveys in the United States repeatedly rank public speaking as one of the top fears, affecting up to 74 percent of people. Drawing on her own story and the experiences of others she meets--actors, preachers, athletes, even a tightrope walker--Solovitch has written a thoughtful examination of the myriad causes of stage fright and the equally diverse ways to overcome it.
Full Product Details
Author: Sara Solovitch
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Imprint: Walker & Co
Weight: 0.454kg
ISBN: 9781620400937
ISBN 10: 1620400936
Pages: 288
Publication Date: 09 March 2017
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming
Availability: Not yet available
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.
Reviews
Interspersed with her own story, Solovitch provides plenty of context on performance anxiety in general ... For those who similarly suffer, and they are legion, the book suggests, the memoir offers comfort and hope. Kirkus Reviews Readers will find her story fascinating. Publishers Weekly Solovitch's book is not just a memoir, but a practical guide for the multitudes who share her ... performing fears. One of the unexpected pleasures of the book is Solovitch's description of playing the piano ... her dedication to her craft and the joy she experiences as she immerses herself in the music. BookPage Interspersed with her own story, Solovich provides plenty of context on performance anxiety in general ... For those who similarly suffer, and they are legion, the book suggests, the memoir offers comfort and hope. Kirkus Reviews Anyone who has ever sweated over a speech or panicked over a presentation will be inspired by Solovitch's courageous struggle. American Way magazine Solovitch is a skilled, self-deprecating, wry, and quizzical writer, who fills her account both with diligent research into all relevant fields--from psychology and medicine to sports history--and wonderful vignettes of fellow phobics. The Times of London Not only has Sara Solovitch written a gripping and compelling tale of her own journey as a musical performer confronting stage fright, Playing Scared will hold significance for anyone who fears the spotlight, whether in the boardroom, on the playing field or on stage. Masterfully done! -- Jennifer L. Eberhardt, associate professor of psychology at Stanford University and a 2014 MacArthur Fellow Who knew that stage fright was so widespread--the sad secret of many musicians, athletes, actors, and people from all walks of life who dissolve when giving a talk to a dozen people? Brava to Solovitch for weaving the fascinating history of stage fright together with her own experience of playing the piano literally scared stiff, and for enriching all of us by sharing her triumphant story. -- Katie Hafner, author of MOTHER DUGHTER ME and A ROMANCE ON THREE LEGS: GLENN GOULD'S OBSESSIVE QUEST FOR THE PERFECT PIANO If your knees knock, your heart races and your sweat glands become hydrants at the terrifying prospect of taking the stage, you're in good company. I once had stage fright. So did Sara Solovitch. If you're in the club, fear not. This book will set you free. -- Steve Lopez, author of THE SOLOIST: A LOST DREAM, AN UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIP AND THE REDEMPTIVE POWER OF MUSIC This fascinating book is a memoir of the author's journey from uncontrollable stage fright as a young pianist to the joy of recovery in middle age ... and there are quite a few useful tips along the way. -- Stephen Hough, concert pianist and composer If Solovitch came to the subject with the desperation of the afflicted, she studied the problem with the thoroughness of an investigative reporter. San Jose Mercury News
Author Information
Sara Solovitch is a former reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer whose articles have appeared in Esquire, Wired, the Los Angeles Times, and the Washington Post. She has been a health columnist for the San Jose Mercury News and worked as a medical writer at Stanford University. This is her first book. She lives in Santa Cruz, California.
