[muffinhead]

I enjoy performing in front of others; I play guitar, (attempt to) sing, and play clarinet. However, I have rather irritating anxiety that usually shows up in excessive sweating and hand tremors, which reduces the quality of my performances. Is there any way that I can cope with this?

Hand tremors would definitely affect your playing I never had excessive stage fright so I can't offer any first hand tips that I know work. I've heard that doctors have prescribed a nonnarcotic drug for stage fright. I'm not positive but I think it was Inderal/propranalol.
There are other musicians and former musicians here. Maybe someone has first hand knowledge of something that doesn't require a prescription medication.

[BLUEDOVE]

You could try reverse psychology,i.e. DELIBERATELY make a mess of it,play wrong notes etc., in front of friends,and or jokingly say,
"Boinggg,now that's how NOT to do it!". Lighten
whole thing up.

Unless you're part of an ensemble and/or getting paid to play

[radioactive1]

Play for yourself; don't worry about rejection if you make a mistake. I went through the same thing. It is a natural part of being a musician. When I was in high school, I didn't want my mom to come to my concerts because she was so critical of me. I was so self conscious about my playing, I would not practice at home.

[Koko2]

To paraphrase Joni Mitchell, a painter only has to paint their masterpiece once, but a musician is required to paint their Picasso again and again on the stage each night. Maybe if you play in front of an audience often enough, it becomes comfortable.

[Solipsist]

Originally Posted by Koko2

To paraphrase Joni Mitchell, a painter only has to paint their masterpiece once, but a musician is required to paint their Picasso again and again on the stage each night. Maybe if you play in front of an audience often enough, it becomes comfortable.

Well put (or rather: well put, Joni).

This is how I got over my anxiety about playing in front of others:

First, i played in front of my animals a lot (at home, obviously). Then, i played in my backyard in front of the birds. Then the front yard in front of the birds and random passer-byers.

Once that last one became acceptable, I began asking small cafes if I could play out front of their establishments, or inside. Then, i randomly played in parks (not busking, officer, just getting over my fear of performing before an audience).

Now, i still get the jitters before performing, but it's not nearly as debilitating as before.

[Tommo]

This post hits close to home. I am a musician...it's what I do. There is only ONE thing that will solve every single problem that comes up: being in the moment.

You can't leave your mind free to wander past what you are currently playing. I had a hard time staying in the moment...and a sports psychologist gave me some shortcuts. Evidently, this plagues athletes, too.

You referred to an irritating anxiety. Well, this wouldn't be possible if you are able to "go to that happy place".

Have you tried TM??? That is pretty much all about getting into "the moment"..."the happy place"???