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Whether you are an amateur or a pro, singing in front of people can be a frightening rather than an enlightening experience. You sing because you love to do it, but stage fright makes it a not-so-fun thing to do and may even stop you from performing altogether. In this blog and video (below) I share with you 6 ways to overcome your stage fright, enabling you to get up in front of people and sing your heart out!
Now, don't get me wrong, you may always have some jitters before getting up in front of a large OR small audience. I do!! But these six things will help make those jitters manageable and before you know it, the angst will dissipate and you'll be rocking the stage like - well - a rockstar!
1 Be Well Rehearsed. Wether it's a pro gig or karaoke, know the tunes you plan on singing, and know them well. That means know when you come in on the verses and the choruses. Sing the songs over and over before you hit the stage so you are comfortable with them. Preparation is HUGE! Once you have the tunes in your head you will be more confident in your performance. Hence, less anxiety.
2. Don't Overthink It. Don't sike yourself out! Don't start thinking about all the things that could go wrong. You wouldn't press the brakes on your car while you're pushing down the gas peddle, would you? Why set yourself up for a bumpy ride? Forget about the negativity and self doubt. You are well rehearsed, remember? You are ready to go! Get up there and do it!
3. Plug In. Plug in to the performance, and unplug from the "stuff" around you. Whatever may be eating at your brain disconnect yourself from it for as long as you are on stage. I personally also plug into God! I let his peace and calm wash over me. Let go and let God, folks!
4. See the Audience as your Friends. Seriously, once you see the people in the audience as friends, you will find you start treating them as friends. Simply smiling at the people in the audience and acknowledging them with eye contact, if possible, goes a long way toward making a performance successful. People feel the friendly vibes and respond in kind. There are times in larger venues when it is really hard to see the audience or have eye contact with them, especially if you have a spotlight shining in your eyes, but if you have the "friend" mindset, it will ease your angst (it's always easier to sing for friends) and enable your audience to feel more connected to you.
5. Give Yourself Permission to Make Mistakes. You will mess up here and there, we all do! It's okay! If it's an obvious mistake, laugh it off. However, most of the time no one even knows. Just keep going. It's not the end of the world.
6. It's Not Life or Death. Performances are not life or death situations. Even though there are times when a performance can be life altering, like auditions and such, they are not life or death circumstances. However, sometimes, we treat them as though they are and fill ourselves with so much anxiety we become unable to function. The fight or flight "thing" takes over and we are riddled with adrenaline, sweaty palms and a pounding heart. If this happens to you, ease up on yourself then repeat numbers 1-5!
Well, I hope this helps you to bring your stage fright down to a level of simple jitters! LOL! No doubt you'll still have a few butterflies before you get up on stage, we all do! BUT the good news is that butterflies fly away after a couple of songs!
All for now my friends!
Jo