--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Playing music in front of thousands of…" description: "\"Playing music in front of thousands of people never bothered me. It was only when I started putting on magic shows in front of a much smaller audience ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/638/david-lovering-65511_audience_playing-music-in-front-of-thousands-of-p_2652900.jpg" --- # Playing music in front of thousands of people never… ![“Playing music in front of thousands of people never bothered me. It was only when I started putting on magic shows in front of a much smaller audience that I would begin sweating bullets, so I'm much more focused now.” quote by David Lovering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/638/david-lovering-65511_audience_playing-music-in-front-of-thousands-of-p_2652900.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/638/david-lovering-65511_audience_playing-music-in-front-of-thousands-of-p_2652900.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/638/david-lovering-65511_audience_playing-music-in-front-of-thousands-of-p_2652900.jpg) > “Playing music in front of thousands of people never bothered me. It was only when I started putting on magic shows in front of a much smaller audience that I would begin sweating bullets, so I'm much more focused now.” [David Lovering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lovering/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Stage anxiety shifts with audience size; smaller, intimate settings increase focus and pressure. **In simple terms:** I get nervous with small audiences. Key Takeaway Use pressure to sharpen performance. Themes performance anxiety audience size focus growth Mood introspective motivational Type artistic self‑improvement When to use this quote - concerts - magic shows - public speaking Key Concepts psychology performance art Questions to Reflect On - Why does intimacy amplify nerves? - How can you turn nerves into energy? A Different Perspective Small audiences can feel more scrutinizing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Audience Begin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience-begin-2363761/) [Bothered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bothered/) [Bullets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bullets/) [Focused](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focused/) [Fronts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fronts/) [Magic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic/) [Magic show](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic-show/) [Magic Shows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic-shows-591393/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Music Thousands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-thousands-2363760/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Playing music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-music/) [Shows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shows/) [Smaller Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smaller-audience-284557/) [Sweating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sweating/) ## Related quotes > [I did a lot of magic shows growing up. My dad is a graphic designer so he helped me brand myself and create a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/borns/i-did-a-lot-of-magic-shows-growing-up-my-dad-is-a-graphic-designer-so/) [Borns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/borns/) > [When I was eight, I started what could be considered my first business, performing magic shows in Mexico City.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-lubetzky/when-i-was-eight-i-started-what-could-be-considered-my-first-business/) [Daniel Lubetzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-lubetzky/) > [My interest was magic, believe it or not. I became an amateur magician and did something like 400 magic shows through my teen years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-pogue/my-interest-was-magic-believe-it-or-not-i-became-an-amateur-magician/) [David Pogue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-pogue/) > [Ever since I was a little kid, whenever my parents would have company over, I would put on shows, whether they would be magic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-muth/ever-since-i-was-a-little-kid-whenever-my-parents-would-have-company/) [Ellen Muth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-muth/) > [“clearheaded person could probably tell that the magic shows are fake, the fierce animals trained, the dangerous stunts relatively safe. But people want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/clearheaded-person-could-probably-tell-that-the-magic-shows-are-fake/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm like that person who hates going to magic shows - and I love magic, I love wizards - but going to a show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aubrey-plaza/i-m-like-that-person-who-hates-going-to-magic-shows-and-i-love-magic/) [Aubrey Plaza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aubrey-plaza/) > [The amazing thing about music is that however many thousands of records I've got now, I know that there are still thousands more that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-d/the-amazing-thing-about-music-is-that-however-many-thousands-of/) [Mike D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-d/) > [Music is thousands and thousands of years old and I don't think that basic, primitive connection to the language of music ever changes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/music-is-thousands-and-thousands-of-years-old-and-i-don-t-think-that/) [Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) > [Art has a smaller audience than, say, movies or other forms of mass consumption. But that doesn't mean the work doesn't have an impact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-solondz/art-has-a-smaller-audience-than-say-movies-or-other-forms-of-mass/) [Todd Solondz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-solondz/) > ['Community' gets to be the indie movie, while a 'Modern Family' gets to be the big blockbuster release. They service that big massive audience,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-russo/community-gets-to-be-the-indie-movie-while-a-modern-family-gets-to-be/) [Anthony Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-russo/) > [Those who turn against the Church do so to play to their own private gallery, but when, one day, the applause has died down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/those-who-turn-against-the-church-do-so-to-play-to-their-own-private/) [Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) > [We are being entertained all the time - in the bathroom, on the train, in our beds. Sure, there is a smaller audience for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-nichols/we-are-being-entertained-all-the-time-in-the-bathroom-on-the-train-in/) [Mike Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-nichols/) > [American actresses have more problems than I do; I'm lucky to be able to play what I want for a smaller audience, because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carice-van-houten/american-actresses-have-more-problems-than-i-do-i-m-lucky-to-be-able/) [Carice van Houten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carice-van-houten/) > [It sounds like I'm joking when I say it, but when I wrote 'Take Me To Church' and a lot of these things, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hozier/it-sounds-like-i-m-joking-when-i-say-it-but-when-i-wrote-take-me-to/) [Hozier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hozier/) > [The choice or decision to take on a film certainly isn't calculated as far as doing something that will be successful against something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-pitt/the-choice-or-decision-to-take-on-a-film-certainly-isn-t-calculated/) [Brad Pitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-pitt/) ## More by David Lovering > [I remember playing Coachella and seeing kids in the audience who weren't even born when we had our initial run of success. They were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lovering/i-remember-playing-coachella-and-seeing-kids-in-the-audience-who/) [David Lovering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lovering/) > [I think people are well aware of our impact on the industry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lovering/i-think-people-are-well-aware-of-our-impact-on-the-industry/) [David Lovering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lovering/) > [When Pixies broke up in 1993, I gave up the drums for the longest time. I hadn't been doing a lot, but I ended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lovering/when-pixies-broke-up-in-1993-i-gave-up-the-drums-for-the-longest-time/) [David Lovering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lovering/) [Explore all 4 David Lovering quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lovering/) ## More Audience quotes > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It's those moments, those odd moments that you look for and sometimes by creating this kind of loose atmosphere you find those little moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/it-s-those-moments-those-odd-moments-that-you-look-for-and-sometimes/) [Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [One of the best moments of any Liars show is hearing the crowd squawk 'We're doomed! We're doomed!' on cue during 'We Fenced Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/one-of-the-best-moments-of-any-liars-show-is-hearing-the-crowd-squawk/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [It's the adrenaline rush you only get from being in front of an audience. It's addictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-saadiq/it-s-the-adrenaline-rush-you-only-get-from-being-in-front-of-an/) [Raphael Saadiq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-saadiq/) > [If I had to speak in front of a Korean audience, I would be hard pressed to sound other than a little girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-na/if-i-had-to-speak-in-front-of-a-korean-audience-i-would-be-hard/) [An Na](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/an-na/) > [The liveness of theater, and the excitement of experiencing it alongside an audience, is something you can't get at home. That makes the theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-blaemire/the-liveness-of-theater-and-the-excitement-of-experiencing-it/) [Nick Blaemire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-blaemire/) > [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [I have to feel the audience. I enjoy that feeling of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gahan/i-have-to-feel-the-audience-i-enjoy-that-feeling-of-community/) [Dave Gahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gahan/) > [When you lived it for years and years and years and seen different characters just get pummeled and squashed because 'I said so,' it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-you-lived-it-for-years-and-years-and-years-and-seen-different/) [Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/) > [“During the first few minutes of your presentation, your job is to assure the audience members that you are not going to waste their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/during-the-first-few-minutes-of-your-presentation-your-job-is-to/) [Dale Ludwig and Greg Owen-Boger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/) > [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I don't think about who the audience is for my books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-don-t-think-about-who-the-audience-is-for-my-books/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [I feel I have been playing all primary characters. And if your character forms a connect with the audience, it doesn't matter if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angad-bedi/i-feel-i-have-been-playing-all-primary-characters-and-if-your/) [Angad Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angad-bedi/) > [When I was playing piano, it was like, 'I'm going to write a song using all the white keys.' My music director, who knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tesh/when-i-was-playing-piano-it-was-like-i-m-going-to-write-a-song-using/) [John Tesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tesh/) [Browse all 9,118 Audience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Playing music in front of thousands of people never bothered me. 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