Quote Of The Day:
“I throw my hands up in the air sometimes sayin’ EH-OH, gotta let go”
Taio Cruz
Hands… they are most interesting appendages. They give us humans an advantage over other species in the animal kingdom because they are so dexterous and can do so many things. You think that would be a good thing right?
A common statement I hear when I am vocal and performance coaching is “I don’t know what to do with my hands”. One of the first things I try to bring attention to is avoiding wrapping both of your hands around the microphone when it is on the stand. Sometimes, this gives off an air of insecurity as if you are hanging on for dear life. It also tends to cover up your face, which is an important way singers communicate emotion to their audience.
Personally, I use the mic stand about 80% of the time when I am doing a performance and hand-hold the microphone for the rest. I choose to leave the mic on the stand for most of my set because I really like using my hands as a tool to enhance my vocal performance. Your body and how you move it is also a part of your instrument as a singer. Learning how to become comfortable in your vocal abilities and the way you move physically on stage is all a part of the experience of becoming a better performer.
Here are a few insights into how to look comfortable behind the microphone when it is on the stand. The first thing that you want to be aware of is moving in a way that is complimentary to the song style. For example, if you are singing a groovy r & b song, you won’t want to stand still like a scarecrow and not use your hands and your body to help project how soulful the song actually is. Give into how it makes you feel and how you want to move to it. You can move and sing at the same time in a very subtle kind of way without having to be as choreographed as Lady Gaga or Michael Jackson when singing a song. I use my hands to tell a story when I sing, just as I would do if I were talking to help animate what I am saying. You want to come off looking natural and not affected or too choreographed. You also want to avoid gestures that are too big in case it looks too dramatic and over thought. It’s all about being natural. Check out this video I did recently to see what I am talking about http://youtu.be/0Dc_ckogkq0.
One more little tip I love to share with singers is that you can really make people feel something and sit up and take notice when you ever so subtly place your hand on your own body. Things like placing your hand on your heart or running your hand through your hair or even grabbing your crotch like Michael Jackson (lol) will make people sit up and take notice whether it makes them feel attracted to you, warm all over, or maybe even shocked (admit it, those of us who remember the 80’s were a little shocked and/or intrigued the first time we saw Madonna writhing on the floor with her hands all over her own body or MJ grabbing himself on television or in a video… nowadays, that wouldn’t be shocking at all and it show us how we’ve become a little desensitized over the years. But the point is… how did it make you feel?) As a singer and performer, the more comfortable and natural you come across to your audience, the better the connection will be to project emotion to them by how great you not only sing, but how naturally your body moves as well.
Until Next Time… Breathe and Happy Singing!
Angela
ps – ten days and counting down to the launch of my online vocal program, The 5 Point Singing System… Woohoo!
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