ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Joe Kowan - Musician and graphic designer
By day he's a graphic designer, and by night Joe Kowan is a quirky folk singer-songwriter.

Why you should listen

Joe Kowan is a Boston-based musician and graphic designer who has been struggling with stage fright since he first started writing songs at age 27. Despite his adorably expressed fears, he charms audiences with his own style of quirky folk and acoustic hip-hop, by turns poignant, salacious and comical. In 2009 he released the gangsta' arts and crafts video for his original song “Crafty,” and in 2011 he was a finalist in the USA Songwriting Competition.

Kowan is a senior graphic designer on State Street Global Marketing’s Brand Strategy team. With a BFA in sculpture and design, his work explores diverse areas of design including scenic, print, environmental design and wayfinding.

More profile about the speaker
Joe Kowan | Speaker | TED.com
TED@State Street Boston

Joe Kowan: How I beat stage fright

Joe Kowan: Kako sam pobijedio strah od nastupa

Filmed:
2,585,266 views

Kao mladoj vrsti, čovječanstvu je dobro koristio istančan osjećaj straha, dajući nam lasersku usredotočenost izbjeći da nas pojedu konkurentske zvijeri. Ali manje je prekrasno kada se taj isti organski, kradljivac tijela pojavi ispred 20 ljubitelja folk glazbe na večeri otvorenoh mikrofona utorkom. Dlanovi se znoje, ruke tresu, vid zamagljuje i mozak govori: "BJEŽI: to je strah od javnog nastupa." U ovom šarmantnom, melodičnom malom govoru, Joe Kowan govori o tome kako ga je pobijedio.
- Musician and graphic designer
By day he's a graphic designer, and by night Joe Kowan is a quirky folk singer-songwriter. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
JoeJoe KowanKowan: I have stagefaza frightstrah.
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Joe Kowan: Imam strah od javnih nastupa.
00:14
I've always had stagefaza frightstrah,
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Uvijek sam imao strah od javnih nastupa
00:15
and not just a little bitbit,
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i to ne malen strah,
00:17
it's a bigvelika bitbit.
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već veliki strah.
00:19
And it didn't even matterstvar untildo I was 27.
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I to nije uopće bilo bitno do moje 27. godine.
00:21
That's when I startedpočeo writingpisanje songsPjesme, and even then
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Tada sam počeo pisati pjesme, i čak tada
00:24
I only playedigrao them for myselfsebe.
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sam ih svirao samo za sebe.
00:26
Just knowingpoznavanje my roommatescimera were in the
sameisti housekuća madenapravljen me uncomfortableneudoban.
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Bilo bi mi neugodno i već kad bih znao da su moji cimeri u kući.
00:30
But after a couplepar of yearsgodina,
just writingpisanje songsPjesme wasn'tnije enoughdovoljno.
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Ali nakon par godina, samo pisanje pjesama nije bilo dovoljno.
00:32
I had all these storiespriče and ideasideje,
and I wanted to sharePodjeli them with people,
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Imao sam te priče i ideje, i želio sam ih podijeliti s ljudima,
00:35
but physiologicallyfiziološki, I couldn'tne mogu do it.
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ali psihološki, nisam to mogao učiniti.
00:39
I had this irrationaliracionalan fearstrah.
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Imao sam taj iracionalni strah.
00:42
But the more I wrotenapisao, and the more I practicedprakticira,
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Što sam više pisao i što sam više vježbao,
00:44
the more I wanted to performizvesti.
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više sam želio nastupati.
00:45
So on the weektjedan of my 30thth birthdayrođendan,
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Dakle, u tjednu mog tridesetog rođendana
00:47
I decidedodlučio I was going to go to this locallokalne openotvoren micmikrofon,
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odlučio sam otići na lokalni otvoreni mikrofon
00:50
and put this fearstrah behindiza me.
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i ostaviti taj strah iza sebe.
00:52
Well, when I got there, it was packedupakiran.
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Pa, kad sam stigao ondje, bilo je puno.
00:55
There were like 20 people there.
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Bilo je dvadesetak ljudi ondje.
00:57
(LaughterSmijeh)
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(Smijeh)
00:58
And they all lookedgledao angryljut.
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I izgledali su ljuto.
01:01
But I tookuzeo a deepduboko breathdah, and I signedpotpisan up to playigrati,
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Ali udahnuo sam duboko i prijavio se za sviranje,
01:05
and I feltosjećala prettyprilično good.
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i osjećao sam se poprilično dobro.
01:06
Prettylijep good, untildo about 10 minutesminuta before my turnskretanje,
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Poprilično dobro do otprilike deset minuta prije nego što je došao red na mene,
01:09
when my wholečitav bodytijelo rebelledpobunili, and
this waveval of anxietyanksioznost just washedopran over me.
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kada mi se cijelo tijelo pobunilo i preplavio me val anksioznosti.
01:15
Now, when you experienceiskustvo fearstrah,
your sympatheticsuosjećajan nervousživčani systemsistem kicksudaraca in.
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Kada osjetiš strah, tvoj simpatički živčani sustav proradi.
01:18
So you have a rushžuriti of adrenalineadrenalin,
your heartsrce ratestopa increasespovećava,
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Osjetiš nalet adrenalina, puls ti se poveća,
01:21
your breathingdisanje getsdobiva fasterbrže.
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disanje ti se ubrza.
01:23
NextSljedeći your non-essentialneesencijalan systemssustavi startpočetak
to shutzatvoriti down, like digestionprobavu. (LaughterSmijeh)
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Sljedeće, tvoj nebitni sistemi se počnu gasiti, poput probave. (Smijeh)
01:29
So your mouthusta getsdobiva drysuho, and bloodkrv is routedusmjerava
away from your extremitiesekstremiteta,
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Pa ti se usta počnu sušiti, krv ti se počne preusmjeravati iz ekstremiteta
01:32
so your fingersprsti don't work anymoreviše.
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i prsti ti više ne rade.
01:35
Your pupilsučenici dilaterastezanje, your musclesmišići contractugovor,
your SpideySandy senseosjećaj tinglesOsjećam trnce,
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Zjenice ti se prošire, mišići ti se stegnu, tvoje Spiderman osjetilo zabruji,
01:38
basicallyu osnovi your wholečitav bodytijelo is trigger-happybrz na obaraču.
(LaughterSmijeh)
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u osnovi ti cijelo tijelo postane spremno za uzbunu.
01:43
That conditionstanje is not conducivepogodan
to performingobavljanje folknarodne musicglazba.
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Takvo stanje nije pogodno za izvođenje folk glazbe.
01:48
(LaughterSmijeh)
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(Smijeh)
01:49
I mean, your nervousživčani systemsistem is an idiotidiot.
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Mislim, tvoj živčani sustav je idiot.
01:52
Really? Two hundredstotina thousandtisuću yearsgodina of humanljudski evolutionevolucija, and it still can't tell the differencerazlika
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Stvarno? Dvije stotine tisuća godina ljudske evolucije, i još uvijek ne može razlikovati
01:56
betweenizmeđu a sabersablja toothzub tigerTigar and 20 folksingersfolksingers
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sabljastozubog tigra i dvadeset folk pjevača
01:58
on a TuesdayUtorak night openotvoren micmikrofon?
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na večeri otvorenog mikrofona utorkom?
02:00
(LaughterSmijeh)
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(Smijeh)
02:02
I have never been more terrifiedprestrašena -- untildo now.
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Nikad nisam bio toliko prestravljen -- dosad.
02:06
(LaughterSmijeh and cheersklicati)
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(Smijeh i navijanje)
02:15
So then it was my turnskretanje,
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Tada je došao red na mene,
02:17
and somehownekako, I get myselfsebe ontona
the stagefaza, I startpočetak my songpjesma,
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i nekako se popnem na pozornicu, počnem svoju pjesmu,
02:20
I openotvoren my mouthusta to singpjevati the first linecrta,
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otvorim usta da otpjevam prvi stih
02:23
and this completelypotpuno horribleužasno vibratovibrator --
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i ovaj potpuno jezovit vibrato --
02:25
you know, when your voiceglas waverskoleba --
comesdolazi streamingtekući out.
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znate, kad ti glas zatreperi -- počne izlaziti.
02:27
And this is not the good kindljubazan of vibratovibrator,
like an operaopera singerpjevač has,
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To nije dobra vrsta vibrata, kakav ima operni pjevač.
02:30
this is my wholečitav bodytijelo just convulsingconvulsing with fearstrah.
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Ovo je samo moje cijelo tijelo u grčevima od straha.
02:33
I mean, it's a nightmarenoćna mora.
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To je noćna mora.
02:34
I'm embarrassedzbunjen, the audiencepublika
is clearlyjasno uncomfortableneudoban,
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Sramota me, publici je očito neugodno,
02:37
they're focusedusmjerena on my discomfortnemir.
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i usredotočeni su na moju neugodu.
02:39
It was so badloše.
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Bilo je jako loše.
02:43
But that was my first realstvaran experienceiskustvo
as a soloSolo singer-songwriterpjevač, tekstopisac.
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Ali to je bilo moje prvo pravo iskustvo kao kantautora,
02:47
And something good did happendogoditi se --
I had the tiniestnajsitniji little glimpsesvjetlucanje
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I nešto dobro se dogodilo -- imao sam najmanji mali uvid
02:50
of that audiencepublika connectionveza that I was hopingnadajući for.
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u onu povezanost s publikom kojoj sam se nadao.
02:52
And I wanted more. But I knewznao
I had to get pastprošlost this nervousnessnervoza.
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Želio sam još ali sam znao da moram nadići tu nervozu.
02:56
That night I promisedObećao myselfsebe:
I would go back everysvaki weektjedan
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Tu noć sam si nešto obećao: da ću se vraćati svaki tjedan
03:00
untildo I wasn'tnije nervousživčani anymoreviše.
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sve dok ne budem više nervozan.
03:02
And I did. I wentotišao back everysvaki singlesingl weektjedan,
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I jesam. Vraćao sam se svaki tjedan,
03:04
and sure enoughdovoljno, weektjedan after weektjedan,
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i zaista, tjedan za tjednom
03:08
it didn't get any better. The sameisti
thing happeneddogodilo everysvaki weektjedan. (LaughterSmijeh)
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nije bilo ništa bolje. Ista se stvar događala svaki tjedan. (Smijeh)
03:12
I couldn'tne mogu shaketresti it.
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Nisam se mogao toga otresti.
03:14
And that's when I had an epiphanyBogojavljenje.
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I tada sam dobio prosvjetljenje.
03:16
And I rememberzapamtiti it really well, because I
don't have a lot of epiphaniesUkazanja. (LaughterSmijeh)
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Sjećam ga se jako dobro jer ne dobivam često prosvjetljenja. (Smijeh)
03:22
All I had to do was writepisati a songpjesma
that exploitsiskorištavati my nervousnessnervoza.
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Samo sam morao napisati pjesmu o svojoj nervozi.
03:26
That only seemsčini se authenticautentičan when I have stagefaza frightstrah,
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To se čini autentičnim samo kad imam strah od nastupanja
03:28
and the more nervousživčani I was,
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i što sam bio nervozniji
03:29
the better the songpjesma would be. EasyLako.
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to bi pjesma bila bolja. Lako.
03:32
So I startedpočeo writingpisanje a songpjesma about havingima stagefaza frightstrah.
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Pa sam počeo pisati pjesmu o strahu od nastupanja.
03:36
First, fessingfessing up to the problemproblem,
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Prvo, priznavanje problema,
03:39
the physicalfizička manifestationsmanifestacije, how I would feel,
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fizičke manifestacije, kako bi se osjećao,
03:40
how the listenerslušatelj mightmoć feel.
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kako bi se slušatelji mogli osjećati.
03:42
And then accountingračunovodstvo for things like my shakynesiguran voiceglas,
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I računajući na stvari poput drhtavog glasa,
03:44
and I knewznao I would be singingpjevanje about a
half-octavepola oktave higherviši than normalnormalan,
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a znao sam da ću pjevati pola oktave više nego inače,
03:47
because I was nervousživčani.
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jer sam bio nervozan.
03:49
By havingima a songpjesma that explainedobjašnjen
what was happeningdogađa to me,
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Imati pjesmu koja objašnjava što se sa mnom događalo,
03:53
while it was happeningdogađa,
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dok se to događalo,
03:54
that gavedali the audiencepublika permissiondopuštenje to think about it.
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dalo je publici dopuštenje da razmišljaju o tome.
03:56
They didn't have to feel badloše
for me because I was nervousživčani,
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Nisu se morali osjećati loše zbog mene jer sam bio nervozan,
03:59
they could experienceiskustvo that with me,
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mogli su to doživjeti sa mnom
04:00
and we were all one bigvelika happysretan, nervousživčani,
uncomfortableneudoban familyobitelj. (LaughterSmijeh)
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i bili smo jedna velika, nervozna, neugodna obitelj. (Smijeh)
04:06
By thinkingmišljenje about my audiencepublika,
by embracingobuhvaćajući and exploitingiskorištavanje my problemproblem,
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Misleći na moju publiku, prihvaćajući i iskorištavajući moj problem,
04:10
I was ableu stanju to take something
that was blockingblokiranje my progressnapredak,
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mogao sam uzeti nešto što je blokiralo moj napredak,
04:13
and turnskretanje it into something that
was essentialosnovni for my successuspjeh.
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i pretvoriti to u nešto nužno za moj uspjeh.
04:17
And havingima the stagefaza frightstrah songpjesma let
me get pastprošlost that biggestnajveći issueizdanje
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Ta pjesma o strahu od javnog nastupa omogućila mi je da prođem najveći problem
04:20
right in the beginningpočetak of a performanceizvođenje.
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odmah na početku nastupa.
04:22
And then I could movepotez on,
and playigrati the restodmor of my songsPjesme
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Tada sam mogao nastaviti i svirati ostale svoje pjesme
04:24
with just a little bitbit more easeolakšati.
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sa samo malo više olakšanja.
04:27
And eventuallyeventualno, over time, I didn't
have to playigrati the stagefaza frightstrah songpjesma at all.
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Na kraju, s vremenom, uopće nisam morao svirati tu pjesmu o strahu od javnog nastupa.
04:33
ExceptOsim for when I was really
nervousživčani, like now. (LaughterSmijeh)
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Osim kad sam bio jako nervozan, kao što sam sad. (Smijeh)
04:40
Would it be okay if I playedigrao the
stagefaza frightstrah songpjesma for you?
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Bi li bilo u redu da vam sada odsviram tu pjesmu?
04:43
(ApplausePljesak)
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(Pljesak)
04:52
Can I have a sipgutljaj of watervoda?
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Mogu li dobiti gutljaj vode?
04:55
(MusicGlazba)
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(Glazba)
05:00
Thank you.
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Hvala.
05:07
♫ I'm not jokingšali, you know, ♫
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♫ Ne šalim se, znate,♫
05:10
♫ this stagefaza frightstrah is realstvaran. ♫
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♫ ovaj strah od nastupa je stvaran. ♫
05:15
♫ And if I'm up here tremblingdrhtanje and singingpjevanje, ♫
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♫ I ako ovdje drhtim i pjevam, ♫
05:19
♫ well, you'llvi ćete know how I feel. ♫
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♫ pa, znat ćete kako se osjećam. ♫
05:23
♫ And the mistakepogreška I'd be makingizrađivanje, ♫
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♫ I pogreška koju ću činiti, ♫
05:27
♫ the tremolotremolo causedizazvan by my wholečitav bodytijelo shakingdrmanje. ♫
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♫ tremor uzrokovan trešnjom cijelog mog tijela. ♫
05:31
♫ As you sitsjediti there feelingosjećaj embarrassedzbunjen for me, ♫
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♫ Dok vi sjedite i neugodno vam je zbog mene, ♫
05:34
♫ well, you don't have to be. ♫
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♫ pa, ne treba vam biti. ♫
05:37
♫ Well, maybe just a little bitbit. ♫
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♫ Pa, možda samo malo. ♫
05:40
(LaughterSmijeh)
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(Smijeh)
05:41
♫ And maybe I'll try to imaginezamisliti
you all withoutbez clothesodjeća. ♫
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♫ I možda ću vas sve pokušati zamisliti bez odjeće. ♫
05:49
♫ But singingpjevanje in frontispred of all nakedgo strangersstranci
scaresplaši me more than anyonebilo tko knowszna. ♫
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♫ Ali pjevanje pred golim strancima me straši više nego što možete zamisliti. ♫
05:57
♫ Not to discussraspravljati this at lengthdužina, ♫
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♫ Neću dugo o ovome, ♫
06:01
♫ but my bodytijelo imageslika was never my strengthsnaga. ♫
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♫ ali slika o mom tijelu mi nikad nije bila jača strana. ♫
06:06
♫ So franklyiskreno, I wishželja that you all would get dressedobučen, ♫
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♫ Pa iskreno, volio bih da se svi obučete. ♫
06:10
♫ I mean, you're not even really nakedgo. ♫
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♫ Mislim, zapravo niste ni goli. ♫
06:15
♫ And I'm the one with the problemproblem. ♫
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♫ Ja sam onaj s problemom. ♫
06:18
♫ And you tell me, don't worrybrinuti
so much, you'llvi ćete be great. ♫
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♫ I kažete mi: ne brini toliko, bit ćeš odličan. ♫
06:25
♫ But I'm the one livingživot with me ♫
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♫ Ali ja sam onaj koji živi sa mnom ♫
06:28
♫ and I know how I get. ♫
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♫ i znam kakav postanem. ♫
06:30
♫ Your advicesavjet is gentlenježan but latekasno. ♫
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♫ Vaš savjet je nježan, ali kasan, ♫
06:35
♫ If not just a bitbit patronizingzaštitnički. ♫
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♫ a možda pomalo dolazi s visoka. ♫
06:38
♫ And that sarcasticsarkastičan toneton doesn't
help me when I singpjevati. ♫
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♫ Taj sarkastični ton mi ne pomaže kad pjevam. ♫
06:43
♫ But we shouldn'tne treba talk about
these things right now, ♫
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♫ Ali ne bismo trebali pričati o tim stvarima sada. ♫
06:47
♫ really, I'm up on stagefaza, and
you're in the crowdgužva. HiBok. ♫
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♫ Stvarno, ja sam na pozornici a vi u publici. Bok! ♫
06:54
♫ And I'm not makingizrađivanje funzabava of
unnurturedunnurtured, irrrationalirrrational fearstrah, ♫
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♫ I ne ismijavam urođeni, iracionalni strah, ♫
07:03
♫ and if I wasn'tnije readyspreman to facelice this, ♫
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♫ i da se nisam spreman suočiti se s ovim, ♫
07:06
♫ I sure as hellpakao wouldn'tne bi be here. ♫
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♫ zasigurno ne bih bio ovdje. ♫
07:10
♫ But if I beltpojas one noteBilješka out clearlyjasno, ♫
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♫ Ali ako jednu notu otpjevam jasno, ♫
07:15
you'llvi ćete know I'm recoveringoporavak slowlypolako but surelysigurno. ♫
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♫ znat ćete da se oporavljam polako, ali sigurno. ♫
07:20
♫ And maybe nextSljedeći weektjedan, I'll setset my guitargitara ringin'zvone
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♫ I možda ću sljedeći tjedan namjestiti gitaru da svira ♫
07:24
♫ my voiceglas clearčisto as watervoda, and everyonesvatko singin'Pjevajmo. ♫
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♫ moj glas bistar kao voda i svi pjevaju. ♫
07:28
♫ But probablyvjerojatno I'll just get up and startpočetak groovin'-Daj, ♫
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♫ Ali vjerojatno ću se samo popeti i početi svirati, ♫
07:32
♫ my vocalvokalne cordsžice movin'Idemo brzo, ♫
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♫ svoje glasnice pokretati, ♫
07:35
♫ at speedsbrzine slightlymalo fasterbrže than soundzvuk. ♫
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♫ brzinom malo bržom od zvuka. ♫
07:48
(ApplausePljesak)
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(Pljesak)
Translated by Senzos Osijek
Reviewed by Katarina Lukec

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Joe Kowan - Musician and graphic designer
By day he's a graphic designer, and by night Joe Kowan is a quirky folk singer-songwriter.

Why you should listen

Joe Kowan is a Boston-based musician and graphic designer who has been struggling with stage fright since he first started writing songs at age 27. Despite his adorably expressed fears, he charms audiences with his own style of quirky folk and acoustic hip-hop, by turns poignant, salacious and comical. In 2009 he released the gangsta' arts and crafts video for his original song “Crafty,” and in 2011 he was a finalist in the USA Songwriting Competition.

Kowan is a senior graphic designer on State Street Global Marketing’s Brand Strategy team. With a BFA in sculpture and design, his work explores diverse areas of design including scenic, print, environmental design and wayfinding.

More profile about the speaker
Joe Kowan | Speaker | TED.com