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Do not try to stop being nervous. This will only make you more nervous. Use your nerves to become very excited about how well you're about to play. Take a moment to breathe and visualize yourself playing that solo how you want it to sound.
Also, make sure you accept the fact that you are not perfect and everyone misses notes. So if you miss a note, it won't ruin your confidence.
Good luck on your performance.

Do things every day along with your practice... Especially things that make your body feel that way./ I suggest start working out. Lots of cardio vascular activity. gets your heart rate up, gets you breathing heavily, gives u a little dry mouth. Start a good healthy diet for the repair of your body. When you get up on stage, and your heart pounds, or you start to breath funny, youll be more used to it because u do it every day. might help... works for me

The way I try to handle nervousness is : Tell yourself: "I like what I´m doing. If somebody doesn´t, they´re free to leave".
Of course I´m aware that in truth you can´t expect that from anyone during a running performance, but it might give you a kind of "so what" attitude.

Getzeng50s wrote:Do things every day along with your practice... Especially things that make your body feel that way./

I'd like to add something to this valuable comment. I just did a series of Tubby the Tuba performances with a local orchestra. To prepare, I would do 75 jumping jacks then immediately go to my horn and practice the solo. This way I practiced getting nervous as well by getting my heart rate up and effectively decreasing my lung capacity. I felt so prepared even in this respect that when I got to the first rehearsal, I was relaxed and played very well.

I think that it's a mental game more than anything else. If you worry about getting nervous, you will get nervous, and will likely decrease you chances of success. By gaining success and confidence overcoming neverousness in practice through repetition (as described above), you will greatly increase your ability for success in the performance. Good luck!

Just curious--why, with a previous thread defending the use of beta-blockers, did no one mention their use here?

In my opinion, it's the nerves that come with a performance that make performance worth doing, and worth remembering.

I like the exercise comments...except I have personally always found more relaxing activites benefit me best before performing..... A nice long walk....perhaps a bike ride along a scenic area....some yoga/tai chi or any other "breathing/meditation based exercise. These raise your heart rate , but at the same time relax your mind/body and allow things to be seen a little clearer. I still get excited, but have a better ability to control the anxious feelings....at least thats my opinion....

As for Chucks comment...I do think that educated use of beta blockers can have very beneficial results if "nerves" are really bad. I have only tried them once, but have to say they really did help.

You can't hold back.You gotta give them both barrels.If you splatter it off the walls,you will at least take comfort in the fact that you were going full out at the time.The reward will be worth it.If your have the experience It sounds like you have,you can make a mistake sound like a new riff.
After you get your part down,really down,it would be good to drill with other members of the ensemble.There is much to learn in thier intepetation and attitude toward the piece.
I have read the tubenet posts to you and I have learned a few things I want to try before my next performance.When you complete your rehersals and preparations you will then be free to focus on your audience on the night of the performance.Play to them and take thier energy.You'll be fine.
tubatooter1940

The best that I've played is when I don't care about what anyone would think. If I think that a particular performance is "important", then I get worried, and then I worry about why I'm worried, and predictably, it just gets worse. If I just don't give a darn, then I play fine.

Balls to the wall works, too.

"The Performer Prepares" by Robert Caldwell ISBN: 1-877761-26-5 SB

"You Are Your Instrument" Julie Lyonn Lieberman ISBN: 1-879730-20-0

"Fight Your Fear and Win" Don Greene, Ph. D. ISBN: 0-7679-0625-X

"The Inner Game of Music" Barry Green, W. Timoth Gallwey ISBN: 0-385231-26-1

"The Mastery of Music : Ten Pathways to True Artistry" Barry Green ISBN: 0-767911-56-3

"Performance Success : Performing Your Best Under Pressure" Don Greene ISBN: 0-878301-22-4

"Overcoming Performance Anxiety" Rod Farnbach, Eversley Farnbach ISBN: 0-743212-75-4

"Stage Fright in Music Performance and Its Relationship to the Unconscious" Michael I. Goode ISBN: 0-974393-41-X