Overcoming Stage Fright

What can we do as singers to reduce our nervousness and increase our confidence when we are on stage? A little bit of adrenaline before an appearance is actually great for you and your audience. It means you care! However, sometimes the negative association we have with being nervous can actually prevent us from raising ourselves to new levels and hold us back from our ability to do what we can do! Here are some tips on how to overcome stage fright! 1. Technique - A lot of people neglect their vocal technique and when they get on stage they are missing the backbone to rely on. Take the time and get a routine ready to train your vocal muscles so that they know what to do when you get on stage. 2. Preparation - “Oh yeah, I’m pretty good, I know my part…kinda” should not be the way to go. Make sure you know the notes, lyrics, rhythm, etc. Make sure you prepare very well, so it’s easy to recall when on stage. 3. Breathing - How do we breathe to calm ourselves down? Deep breaths huffing and puffing don’t help to calm us down. The exhalation is the bodies relaxation function. Do a long exhale if you want to calm yourself. Quick breaths won’t do the job. Give yourself some time and take long and slow exhales to calm yourself down before singing. 4. Acting - You need to be somewhat of an actor while you sing. Every style needs to transport a message, to communicate the lyrics and if you focus on that you will be a lot less nervous. The moment you perform, you want to communicate the message and not thinking of how you sound. 5. Don’t Impress the Audience - If you really want to overcome stage fright, you need to “silence your ego”. If you want to succeed on stage, don’t ask yourself if they like you. Try it this way: “I have a gift to share. I wonder how I can love these people and entertain them?” The audience is there to have a good time. Instead of worrying if your audience will like you and if you will impress them, rather tell yourself: “My audience wants me to have a good time and I wanna have a good time with my audience!” Walk on stage with an entertainment mindset rather than a judgmental thinking. Fill the room with your energy, you will be amazed about the feedback! 6. Visualization: Create a Success Log - You need to do your “Thinking Work” and play with your healthy imagination. Work things out ahead of time by imagining your desired result. Spend time imagining a successful performance. See and feel it with your mind’s eye. This will help you to replace any negative thoughts by something that makes you feel good. Take your time to visualize in a quiet place whenever you can!