Dr. David Lee Fish, Ph.D.
Creator of Speak with Confidence
I earned my authority on performance anxiety the hard way, through years of nerves sabotaging performances, lectures, and other high-stakes moments.
Just Some of the Podcasts Dr. Fish Has Appeared on Recently
Unlikely Path to Performance Anxiety Authority
Here's my story in two parts: a biographical sketch and a reflection on my journey with stage and speech fright, which led to the development of a mindful solution for performance anxiety (stage fright, speech fright, and competition anxiety).
Biographical Sketch
I grew up in Tucson, Arizona, and began playing saxophone in 5th grade, quickly developing a passion for music. This led me to Western Michigan University, where I studied saxophone and performed alongside legendary artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Little Richard, and the Temptations.
A turning point came when I saw Harry Chapin in concert, inspiring me to pursue singer-songwriter dreams in the San Francisco Bay Area. While there, I also explored Zen Buddhism at the Empty Gate Zen Center, studying under Korean Master Seung Sahn, an experience that profoundly shaped my approach to life.
When my music career didn’t take off as planned, I returned to school and earned a Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology from the University of Michigan. My studies took me to Japan, where I performed traditional festival music on the bamboo flute with my teacher, Wakayama Taneo.
I later founded a popular music program at Catawba College in North Carolina, where I spent years teaching and frequently speaking in public. One of my proudest accomplishments was co-founding the Association for Popular Music Education, which continues to shape music education today.
I’ve remained active as a performer, releasing the folk-rock album The Last Troubadour through Renaissance Records, produced by David Kershenbaum and featuring Leland Sklar on bass.
Now in Durham, North Carolina, I'm the principal of College Music Major, a consultancy that helps music students gain admission to college. However, my primary focus is the program I developed to help others tame their performance anxiety, a journey I’ve lived firsthand.
Achievements & 
Challenges
Red-Faced Embarrassment |
| Little League Strikeout King Knocked the ball out of the park in practice. Wiffed every single time at bat in games. |
| Gonna Work the Saxophone Took to the instrument like a "duck to plum sauce." Performed with Ella Fitzgerald, Little Richard, and more. |
| Big Stage, Bigger Stage Fright First "big gig" caused me to freeze on stage while backing Sonny and Cher at a local show. |
| California Here I Come Moved to the Bay Area after graduation from college to pursue my singer-songwriter dreams. |
| "Only Go Straight" Learned the power of detachment studying Zen under Korean master Seung Sahn. |
| Japan Studied Japanese festival music and dance for two years in Tokyo under the leader of trouped honored as an Important Cultural Asset by Japanese government. |
| Becoming Dr. Fish Earned Ph.D. under William Malm in ethnomusicology from the University of Michigan. |
| Catawba College Founded a thriving program for students of popular music in North Carolina. |
| APME Played central role in founding the Association for Popular Music Education, a leading professional organization. |
| Last Troubadour Renaissance Records releases my album of original folk-rock songs produced by David Kershenbaum. |
| Performance Anxiety Solution Developed a successful approach for taming performance anxiety based on mindful detachment. |
Performance Anxiety and Me
My struggle with performance anxiety began in elementary school, when I stumbled over my words while reading aloud. Later, in Little League, I crushed batting practice but froze in actual games. As a teen saxophonist, I experienced the same paralysis while backing Sonny and Cher, despite performing well in rehearsals.
Even in college, stage fright followed me, yet my music teachers offered no real solution beyond "just push through." It wasn’t until I joined the Empty Gate Zen Center that I discovered a way forward. Seung Sahn’s teachings on detachment helped me realize that I didn’t need to fight my anxiety. I just had to let go of it.
Years later, while trying co-author a book with a therapist, I described my Zen-based approach to handling stage fright. She immediately recognized it as mindfulness, a psychological practice gaining mainstream attention. She lent me a book by Jon Kabat-Zinn, and to my shock, I discovered that he, too, had studied under Seung Sahn, meaning our methods stemmed from the same source.
This realization led me to formalize my approach into the 5-Day Solution, which I first shared with Catawba College students and later expanded to faculty and non-musicians. Over time, I refined the method, adapting it for speakers, performers, and professionals.
When I released the 5-Day Solution book, the response was overwhelmingly positive. Readers found it life-changing, helping them manage performance anxiety and find confidence on stage.
Now, after pandemic-related delays, I’m launching an online course to ensure this method can reach and help even more people.
If performance anxiety holds you back, I’m here to tell you. There’s a way beyond it.
I’ve lived it, I’ve studied it, and I can help you move past it, too.