{"product_id":"9781620400920","title":"Playing Scared: A History and Memoir of Stage Fright","description":"\u003cb\u003eThis cultural history and memoir of stage fright will resonate with anyone terrified of speaking or performing in public.\u003c\/b\u003eStage fright is one of the human psyche's deepest fears, challenging actors, musicians, professional athletes, and people from all walks of life. Surveys in the United States repeatedly rank public speaking as one of the top fears, affecting up to 74 percent of people.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSara Solovitch studied piano as a young child and fell in love with music. At ten, she played Bach and Mozart in her hometown's annual music festival, but was overwhelmed by fear. As a teen, she attended Eastman School of Music, 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, beta blockers, and other remedies. She performed in airports, hospitals, and retirement homes before renting a public hall and performing for fifty guests on her sixtieth birthday. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUsing her own journey as inspiration, Solovitch has written a thoughtful and insightful examination of the myriad causes of stage fright and the equally diverse ways to overcome it, and a tribute to pursuing personal growth at any age.","brand":"Bloomsbury USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47174277071088,"sku":"9781620400920","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781620400920_p0.jpg?v=1763858659","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781620400920","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}