Press & Media
Dr. David Lee Fish is a performance anxiety and Zen-trained mindfulness authority — and the creator of Speak with Confidence, Perform with Confidence, and Compete with Confidence. Available as a source, guest, and expert commentator.
Contact for Media InquiriesAbout Dr. David Lee Fish, Ph.D.
Dr. David Lee Fish, Ph.D.
Performance Anxiety & Zen-Trained Mindfulness Authority · Creator, Speak with Confidence
Dr. David Lee Fish is a performance anxiety and Zen-trained mindfulness authority, and the creator of Speak with Confidence — an online course helping professionals tame speech fright — and a growing curriculum extending his method to performers and competitors.
His approach has an unusual origin: while studying Zen under Korean master Seung Sahn at the Empty Gate Zen Center, Dr. Fish unknowingly learned the same tradition that would later shape the mindfulness movement. Seung Sahn also taught Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. Dr. Fish’s approach to performance anxiety grew directly from that Zen training.
He holds a Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology from the University of Michigan, performed alongside Ella Fitzgerald and Little Richard, and froze on stage backing Sonny & Cher — an experience that launched a decades-long inquiry into performance anxiety. He is the author of The 5-Day Stage Fright Solution (5-star Reader’s Favorite) and co-founder of the Association for Popular Music Education. He is based in Durham, North Carolina.
Dr. Fish’s core insight — that anxiety is not a problem to eliminate but a doorway to presence — runs counter to most conventional advice. His READ method (Remember, Engage, Accept, Detach) draws on Zen principles to help people tame performance anxiety without fighting it. The method is the foundation of Speak with Confidence (available now), Perform with Confidence, and Compete with Confidence — three courses, one root cause, one method.
Credentials
Education
Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology, University of Michigan
Zen Training
Student of Korean master Seung Sahn — the same teacher who trained Jon Kabat-Zinn
Author
The 5-Day Stage Fright Solution — 5-star Reader’s Favorite Award
Performance Background
Performed alongside Ella Fitzgerald, Little Richard, and the Temptations
Academic
Founder, popular music program, Catawba College; co-founder, Association for Popular Music Education
Endorsements
Mel Fair (actor); Pat O’Connor (artist manager & CEO, POC Media)
Topics Dr. Fish Can Speak To
Quotable
“Performance anxiety isn’t keeping you from being confident. It’s undermining the confidence you already have.”
“The harder you fight performance anxiety, the tighter its hold. Accepting rather than resisting your nervousness is what releases it — the same principle as a finger trap.”
“That surge of adrenaline isn’t a malfunction. It’s your brain’s internal bodyguard trying to protect you. You’re not broken — you’re perfectly human.”
“You don’t need to feel confident to step forward. You need to step forward — and let confidence surface in the doing.”
Book & Curriculum
The 5-Day Stage Fright Solution
A practical guide to taming performance anxiety
Dr. Fish’s book introduces the mindfulness-based approach that became the foundation for his curriculum. Drawing on his Zen training and decades of work with performers, speakers, and athletes, it walks readers through the core practice of accepting rather than fighting anxiety — and why that counterintuitive shift changes everything.
5-Star Reader’s Favorite AwardSpeak with Confidence is the first course in a curriculum built around Dr. Fish’s READ method. Additional courses for performers and competitors are in development.
Available now
Speak with Confidence
For professionals who want to tame the speech fright that undermines their authority when speaking in front of others.
Coming soon
Perform with Confidence
For musicians, actors, dancers, and other performers navigating the anxiety that strikes in the spotlight.
Coming soon
Compete with Confidence
For athletes and competitors who need to access their full ability under the pressure of competition.
Recent Appearances
Update episode titles and links as appearances are added to the Qwoted media profile.
Book Dr. Fish as a Source or Guest
For interview requests, expert commentary, podcast bookings, or press inquiries, reach us directly.
media@riseupeight.com