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, The Soloist: A Lost Dream, An Unlikely Friendship and the Redemptive Power of Music
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 Daughter Me and A Romance on Three Legs: Glenn Gould's Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Piano
Fascinating ... We hear about music, sport, philosophy, psychology ... and there are quite a few useful tips along the way * Stephen Hough *
Although a non-musician, I loved her account of tense masterclasses and the religiosity of daily practice. 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...How fortunate for readers - and, as it turns out, Solovitch's own deep joy - that she finds the courage to open [the piano lid] once more -- Janice Turner * The Times *
Captivating ... fascinating and wide-ranging new book ... Solovitch has in her corner a large and sympathetic crowd of psychologists, piano teachers and family members ... More often than not, Solovitch's digressions into the history of performance anxiety are illuminating ... Solovitch is good at elucidating both musical and scientific concepts and she deftly weaves together her descriptions of various musical pieces with accounts of the psycho-physiological phenomena she was experiencing while playing them -- Scott Stossel * Observer *
Thoughtful and wide-ranging exploration of stage fright ... What really drives the narrative is a genuine quest for understanding, paired with a personal journey towards salvation ... A sensitive interviewer, Solovitch deftly teases out her subjects' stories, many of which are heartfelt and moving, including a pastor who stutters and quakes through every Sunday sermon and a baseball player who was mocked on national news. And even attracted death threats, when performance anxiety stole his ability to pitch ... Shedding light so eloquently on such a widespread and too easily trivialised affliction -- Emma Smith * Sunday Times *
Funny and surprising * Alexander Waugh, Literary Review *
