@TimeChaser:

Thanks for rooting for me, and I'll do my best to forget the audience and lose myself in the music. ^_^

It does sound daunting, but you're right that doing somehting like this is the only way (right now) you can get over your anxieties about public performance.

I've performed before people, and it didn't bother me too much, because I think a key is to just think about the music and nothing else.

I hope this works out for you the way you'd like it to ^^

@TwistedCyberChick:

About the whole "music tastes" thing:

You've got to realize that I was raised as neither. I dabbled in piano lessons while I was still homeschooled, but I didn't get into music seriously until about the sixth grade.

However, I've been basically immersed in all music since before I was born. Most of my jazz listening happened before I went to sleep at night; my father would leave the radio on after I was put to bed, and the jazz hour was usually the last thing I remember. (My distaste for New Age music comes from the times I was kept up past midnight and the New Age program came on with really creepy children's voices and strange stuff like that.)

So instead of trying to listen to jazz, find a recording and try listening without listening. Just feel it, even though that makes utterly no sense. When I listen to Classical, I'm pulled along, and all my emotions are intensified three-hundredfold. Jazz is the exact opposite of intense; just chill music, ya dig?

Also, look up Goodnight and Go by Imogen Heap; she fits into my "distract the brain now" section, for when I need to drift or need to write.

@Allamorph:

You're probably right that a lot of it is mental. I've used the same reasoning against Shika when she's said certain cello parts were simply too difficult. I didn't like hearing her give up before really giving it a shot.

What exactly does that "-__-" indicate? Disinterest? Disapproval? Or not knowing who Gershwin is? ...

About the whole 'jazz' thing... You've gotta realize that I was raised an Orchestra student, not a Band student. It'll take a while for all those influences to leave my system. Apparently, three years isn't quite enough. Just like so many other musical avenues, I'm sure I'll come around someday, but on the whole, I need a heavy strings or guitar prescence to enjoy most brass-winds pieces. I need to feel some familiarity with music to deeply love it. Someday...someday...

@TwistedCyberChick:

Brianna was inspiring, and I know many of the things I played effortlessly when sitting beside her I'd have problems with today.

That's probably because you think they're hard. =P

No, seriously. My younger sister is in the jazz band at her school (trumpet), and we had this nice easy groovin' piece for Sunday that we were rehearsing the Wednesday before, and she took one look at it and decided she couldn't play it. "It's too fast," she said. (tempo was 92-ish)

My studio professor mentioned something similar when he was talking about how he could play so high. He said "nobody ever told me it was supposed to be hard." So I guarantee you half of the music's difficulty is your head talkin' ya down. (^_^)

Just recently at a talent show I played some Gershwin on violin doubling the piano melody.

-__-

I'm not a big jazz fanatic....

I'll learn ya here yet. =P

@SomeGuy:

They want me to lean towards classical Beethoven-esque elevator music, so I should be able to pull out some simple entertaining pieces I did in lesson books.

I should really look into some Glenn Miller, shouldn't I? I'm not a big jazz fanatic, but it's nice for easy-listening, right? Simple's good.

Thanks to both you guys for the recommendations. ^^

@Allamorph:

I have several reasons to prefer ensemble work. I don't only play better when in a group, I play drastically better if some of those people are more skilled than I am. I think some of the best violin work I ever did was when I was stand partners with a child prodigy two years my senior back in my sophomore year. Brianna was inspiring, and I know many of the things I played effortlessly when sitting beside her I'd have problems with today.

You've hit it on the head with the facial expressions. We're rather expressive in my family and I've always had a terrible time not letting it show when I make mistakes. People've told me they wouldn't notice if I just kept a straight face, but whenever I mess up it sounds so horrible to me that I can't help but have a reaction. I'll work on it, though. The point behind this is to improve, so I'll do my best.

Just recently at a talent show I played some Gershwin on violin doubling the piano melody. Is that close enough? =P

Agreed. Learn the Glenn Miller stuff and you'll be set forever.

Otherwise . . . just collect a lot of fairly-easy but doesn't sound boring type songs to play? In any case, I wish you all the best.

I share your unease with solo work. I absolutely detest being in the forefront. Even piano accompaniment makes me sweat. But get me in a group and I love it. I feed off of everyone else's skill and excitement, and that makes me push harder, which usually has the same effect on them.

*is listening to "Money For Nothing*

That reminds me—you need to add Dire Straits to your list of musicians up top there.

Here's about all I can tell you, though. Don't worry about it too much if you bollox a few things. Nerves happen, and although we always aim for perfection on stage, this crowd you'll be playing for would love you if you played three hours worth of variations on Mary Had A Little Lamb, Hot Cross Buns, and Chopsticks. They won't care if you screw up a lick here or there, so just don't make a big deal about it facially if you do screw something up. 'Course it ain't what you want to happen, but if they look up when they hear something off and your face isn't showing it, they'll brush it off immediately and forget about it, and only remember how good you sound.

But I'm sure you know this already. (^_^)

Also, if you could learn some Glen Miller real quick, they'd love you forever. =P