They've toured the globe, performed at the Olympics, and
hauled in their share of accolades from the Grammys to the
American Music Awards.
But even seasoned music pros like Shawn Stockman, Wanya
Morris, Nathan Morris, and Michael McCary of Boyz II Men
admit that performing live can still be nerve-wracking. So
if certain Boyz seem a little "possessed" during their
performances-as some fans have observed-you can chalk it up
to good old-fashioned performance anxiety.
"A lot of times, when I really think about performing, I
shake a lot," Wanya's said. "So I try to close my eyes and
not see anybody in the audience because it's scary."
Other band members say they have discovered less extreme
ways to cope with tention of a live performance. For
Shawn, performance anxiety is not even an issue anymore. He
learned to conquer his fear for one very simple reason: "If
I'm nervous, I can't sing," Shawn's said. "But I feel just
like, even at the award shows where other entertainers are
watching, they're people just like us. So I don't let that
intimidate me anymore."
Of course, if the Boyz ever truly allowed stage fright to
get the best of them, they would hardly have earned a
reputation for putting putting on such exhilarating live
performances. Especially considering, as Nathan's pointed
out, it's the band's responsibility to keep the crowd
involved.
"When we are performing, we feel what the audience is
feeling," Nathan's explained. "As performers, if the crowd
is not into it, your job is to go out and get them."