I know a lot of performers who struggle with this challenge. I am not willing to call it a problem because I think this is an issue that is mostly generated by the mind and by thinking. By focusing on the anxiety we actually make it worse. I want to go over some of the stages I see people go thru and then I’m going to give you some tips for how to start overcoming these thoughts, or illusions.
Anticipation – this is often the worst stage for people. They believe that actually being on stage is the worst part, but this is the stage where they are tortured for hours and sometimes days before a performance. Thinking of every little thing that could possibly go wrong. I have said this to singers forever and I’m going to say it again now…
WHAT YOU THINK, YOU WILL CREATE!
If you focus on what might go wrong, chances are good you will bring it into reality.
Avoidance – From there, the next thing some performers do is let it stop them from performing all together. This only reinforces the stage fright. The more you get on stage the more you will learn to manage your thoughts, and emotional responses. If you continually avoid the stage, you prolong the period of anticipation.
Anxiety or panic - then the next time you have to get on stage, you can’t breathe, you shake, sweat, feel light headed… and since your are focusing on you and what you’re feeling, it is next to impossible to give… and I want to emphasize this… to perform is to GIVE a great performance. If you are focused on me, me, me…. It’s hard to GIVE a great performance…
This is also the stage when some performers try to manage the stage by altering it with substances. Let me make this clear. I don’t think this is ever a good idea. It is never good for you physically or good for your body because we need the body to be strong in order to help us sing. It also makes you less aware and SOMETIMES you do things you would never normally do, you miss things that you would have been able to handle if you had a straight head on your shoulders… Even if everyone else is doing it, IT’S NOT YOUR PARTY. It’s the audience’s party.
You need to be constantly aware when you are on stage, things happen that aren’t always planned and you will need your wits about you to handle them instantly… If your judgment is impaired, that will likely not happen, and like I said you will do things that you would never normally do.
Appraisal – so then you get off stage, look back and appraise how you did. Oh my God and then I did this and I didn’t do this… I shouldn’t even be up there… sound familiar… If you didn’t feel like you performed up to your best, you start the cycle all over again from the top and start talking yourself into the next bad performance.
Do you see how this cycle works?
There are a few things you can do to help get you thru these stages and help you manage your anxiety.
Breathing:
This is the biggest thing you can learn to do. You’ve no doubt heard me say this a million times, breathing for singers is not the same as breathing for everyday life. You need to learn to breathe abdominally and diaphragmatically if you want to sing really well. You also need to learn deep breathing for relaxation. Not only of your body in order to let the sound come out and to support the sound, but deep breathing will help you over come nerves. Breathing is the first place I notice nerves in singers on stage. When singers are not breathing correctly and not supported, voices waver, notes are tight or flat and they are generally just not confident up there.
If you take a couple of deep breaths now.. go ahead… notice how you feel.. You may put your shoulders back, you may shake your head around, and chances are good you feel pretty confident and relaxed. That’s where good performing comes from. Being able to let the energy flow thru you. You are alive and feeling great. Now you have something to GIVE to your audience.
Be Prepared:
Practice, practice, practice! What you know inside out and backwards you will feel more confident about doing. And practice it like you will be on stage. Practice how you walk out. Practice what you will say. Practice taking the mic out of the stand and please move the stand behind you so you don’t have to try and sing around it. Don’t hang on the mic stand, it only looks like you’re tired. It is not a crutch. When you practice speaking, speak out loud. Say it and sing it like you will do it on stage.
If you make a mistake, KEEP GOING! If you stop every time you make a mistake, you are teaching yourself to stop when something happens, and oh… guess what… when it happens on stage, that’s what you’ll do… then you’ll just have one more thing to pick on yourself about. If you make a mistake, make that a time to practice how you will get yourself out of it without the audience knowing. I can’t tell you how many made up lyrics or mumbles I’ve sung on stage. And I’ll tell you what, as long as I look confident and deliver my mumblings with a smile and a gesture, 99% of the time, NOBODY EVEN NOTICED!
Perform in front of friends or family:
When you have practiced your song or whatever performance your doing and you feel confident. Gather some friends and family together and sing it in front of them. They will love it and it will help you by having some people in front of you to perform to. If you can go to other safe places to perform great. Maybe it’s at a family picnic, or in a choir. What ever you do, start putting yourself in front of people a little at a time. That way when the crowd is larger, it’s the same for you, just a few more people.
Expect to feel some nerves:
Don’t think you shouldn’t feel nervous. If you can learn to turn nerves in excitement, it can help drive your performance… I always get butterfly’s right up to the point where I step out of the wings. I have learned to manage it so it doesn’t get the best of me and turn that energy into great performances. What I’m saying is that if you feel nerves, it’s perfectly normal. You just have to learn how to handle them. And you can learn how!
Cut yourself some slack:
If you are learning to perform, and believe me, it is something most people need to learn to do, you have to start somewhere. If you were learning to fly a plane, you wouldn’t start by jumping into the cockpit of a 747… if you were in the Tour de France, you wouldn’t jump on your Huffy and get in next to Lance Armstrong would you? … you have to start somewhere and that’s the beauty about learning, your not expected to be perfect. Performing is a skill you learn over time. You learn by having great coaches and mentors helping you. You learn by watching other great artists. Get concert videos of your favorite performers and watch what they do. Incorporate some of what they do into what you do. Get your hair brush and start practicing!
The bottom line is this:
KEEP SHOWING UP! What you intend in your thoughts with passion, you will act upon and ultimately create. You have the choice.
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