Walk up, say your name, ask theirs. That’s the whole trick most people are too scared to try.

Almost everyone at a party or a first practice is waiting for somebody else to do the approaching. The trick is not charm. It is being the one who moves first, and the reason it works is that the other person is relieved rather than judging you. Three seconds of discomfort buys the entire rest of the conversation.

Try it once this week on someone standing alone. Your name, their name, one question about why they are here, and that is the whole script. You do not need a better opener than the one everybody already uses.