What is stage fright and how can it be avoided? I believe that when a singer is at all insecure about whether or not their voice will work under pressure, they become anxious about exposing themselves to public scrutiny. Without a solid foundation of vocal technique, stepping into the limelight and risking possible humiliation if your voice cracks can cause any singer to feel frightened. On the other hand, if you are totally confident that your voice will always work for you, under even the most stressful circumstances, you can turn the feeling of “butterflies in the stomach” to that of excitement rather than fear.
A solid foundation of good vocal technique is absolutely necessary. This means you spend the time (months or years) building and developing your vocal technique, along with dance training for movement, and acting training for interpretation. I have a saying: “Poor preparation equals poor performance”. The more time you spend on daily training and practice, they more professional you will look onstage.
I have found that singers who do not have acting training often think they are emoting much more than they actually are. They may be feeling the emotion when they are singing the music, but the audience is not connecting to it. These singers need to learn some basic acting skills. Speaking the text rather than singing it, as if you are acting in a play, will help you connect to the emotional content of the words, separately from the music. Print out the words with double spacing and under each line write one word that embodies the emotion of that line. For example: hopeful, dejected, sarcastic, etc. Now say the line in a mirror, while strongly feeling the emotion. What gestures and facial expressions would you naturally use to express yourself in a conversation? To take this a step further, try the same line with differing subtest. For example, say the line “I’m at a Payphone” (hopefully), and then “I’m at a Payphone” (angrily) and then “I’m at a Payphone” (dejectedly). Each subtext or feeling will bring forth differing facial expressions and gestures. Then decide which one is best for your interpretation of the song.
Video-record your rehearsals, using your phone or computer. Sing your song once, with all your moves, facial expressions, and gestures planned out. Now, sit down and watch it. Analyze what is working and what is not working. Work with a choreographer to create natural looking movement. Don’t think that it will just magically come together onstage in front of an audience. Plan how you are going to move, what you will say, gestures, and expression, and then rehearse these until they are second nature, using the tool of video-recording as feedback during your rehearsal process.
Along with physical rehearsal, mental rehearsal can be most helpful. This technique is used by athletes and has been proven to be effective. Sit down in a quiet place, close your eyes, and mentally see yourself performing your song. See every movement, sing every phrase in your mind, and then see an ecstatic response from your audience. Mental rehearsal can be very powerful!
The final aspect is that of reframing your thoughts. You are always going to feel some kind of adrenaline rush about performing. You may be surprised to know that many of the most highly paid and successful artists and entertainers have also experienced the same feelings of nervousness while waiting in the wings to go on. The feelings don’t ever go away, but you can “reframe” or change your perspective about what you call or name those feelings. The same feelings can be called “nervous, fearful, and anxious” or “excited, anticipatory, and thrilled”. Sometimes, it’s all in the name. So re-name your potentially negative feelings and call them something positive. These feelings can be made to work for you in a positive way if you say to yourself “I am excited to share my music with this audience” instead of “ I’m scared they won’t like me”.
Daily vocal training and technique exercises, a weekly voice lesson with a qualified voice teacher who teaches mix, reframing negative thoughts into positive ones, mental rehearsal, visualizing, working on acting skills, and video-recording and analyzing your work will all go a long way towards making every performing experience fun and exciting. It’s all about preparation.
I wish you all the best as you reach for your dreams! Tricia Grey, MM
At Sing Like a Star Studios you can learn the vocal technique of the stars. If you don’t live near Atlanta, you can take voice lessons with Skype. Please visit our website at www.singlikeastar.com and click on the GET STARTED tab to register for a professional vocal evaluation and consultation.
