Stage Fright Masterclass
Layer By Layer GO! – Episode 11
📅 Released: August 17, 2025
🎙️ Host: Don
🎧 Listen now on:
Buzzsprout |
Spotify |
Apple Podcasts |
Amazon Music |
YouTube
This episode isn’t just another podcast — it’s a Stage Fright Masterclass. Don breaks down five Icebreaker lessons that can turn shaky knees into standing ovations, blending real performer stories, a powerhouse SongStudy, a pasta recipe for confidence, and a “This Day in Music” feature on Tears for Fears’ Shout. Whether you’re a songwriter, speaker, or just someone who dreads public moments, this one’s for you.
🕐 Timestamps
- 00:00 – Introduction
- 06:07 – Icebreaker #1: The First 10 Seconds Rule
- 11:00 – Icebreaker #2: Know Your Plot Before You Step on Stage
- 12:16 – Song Study: Believer (Imagine Dragons)
- 16:12 – Icebreaker #3: The Bridge – Keeping Them With You
- 20:09 – Icebreaker #4: The Killer Ending
- 24:00 – Barbra Streisand Story
- 27:04 – Recipe: Parmesan & Herb Spaghetti
- 31:15 – This Week in Chart History: Shout (Tears for Fears)
- 33:00 – Final Thoughts & Closing
🎵 Featured Songs
- Believer – Imagine Dragons (YouTube)
- Shout – Tears for Fears (YouTube)
- Originals from Don Panzik – explore more in the Music Vault
🍽 Recipe: Parmesan & Herb Spaghetti
Simple, elegant, and rock-solid every time — the food equivalent of nailing your opening line and knowing exactly how to land the ending.
📝 Ingredients
- 8 oz spaghetti
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley or basil, chopped
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Optional: pinch of red pepper flakes
👨🍳 Instructions
- Bring salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water.
- In a skillet, warm olive oil, sauté garlic until fragrant.
- Toss in pasta, reserved water, Parmesan, and herbs. Stir until creamy.
- Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Serve immediately.
📝 Journal Prompts
Icebreaker #1 – The First 10 Seconds Rule:
If I had 10 seconds to make a great first impression, what would I say, and how would I want them to feel afterward?Icebreaker #2 – Know Your Plot Before You Step on Stage:
If my performance or conversation was a 3-act story, what would be my opening hook, my middle depth, and my final punch?Icebreaker #3 – The Bridge: Keeping Them With You:
What’s one way I can re-engage an audience halfway through my performance, and how would I deliver it?Icebreaker #4 – The Killer Ending:
What’s the exact last line, last chord, or last gesture I want my audience to experience — and why will it stick with them?Icebreaker #5 – The Encore: Turning One Win into Momentum:
What went right in my last performance, and how can I repeat or build on that within the next 30 days?
☕ Support the Show
If you enjoyed this episode and want to help fuel the next one, you can Buy Me a Coffee. U.S. listeners — tip $25 or more and get a free CD copy of A World Of Our Own.
📓 Companion Journal
Stay consistent with daily prompts and performance planning — grab the Layer By Layer GO! Journal.
🔗 Quick Links
- 🎵 Explore the Music Vault – Click here
- 🍽 More Recipes – Click here
🎧 Listen to the Episode
Click here to listen to Episode 11: Stage Fright Masterclass