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Erica Kiesewetter's experience with performance anxiety began dramatically when she fled the Juilliard Concerto Competition, only to find herself caught in the infamous Blizzard of '78. This early experience, while perhaps extreme, highlights her long journey in understanding and managing the challenges of performing under pressure. Over the years, she has explored and integrated a variety of approaches to cope with performance anxiety. These methods include meditation practices, body-work techniques, psychotherapy, and perhaps most importantly, extensive performance experience itself. By consistently performing, she has gained a deep understanding of the dynamics of stage fright and developed practical strategies for overcoming it.

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This accumulated knowledge and experience have led Erica to create a workshop called "Mind Over Nerves." In this workshop, she shares her codified techniques and insights with students and performers. She currently presents "Mind Over Nerves" at Bard College and has also conducted it at other prestigious institutions, including the Round Top Festival Institute and the New York Youth Symphony. Beyond these formal workshops, Erica also integrates her expertise in managing performance anxiety into her private teaching with individual students, as well as within the various audition classes she teaches. This ensures that her students, whether aspiring professionals or dedicated amateurs, have access to the tools and strategies they need to perform at their best, even under the stress of auditions and performances.

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