Quote Of The Day:
If you have stage fright, it never goes away. But then I wonder: is the key to that magical performance because of the fear?
The interesting thing to me about the above quote is the second part of Stevie’s statement. Maybe nervous energy is the secret ingredient to creating a magical performance. Going on stage with your “bum puckered” may give you a heightened sense of awareness of the stage, your audience, your songs and give you a slight edge that can create said magic. However, I believe that stage fright comes in varying degrees and can be overcome in time with the gaining of confidence in your vocal ability and musicianship. Some people do suffer from stage fright their entire careers, but for me, the stage feels like home more than any place in the world. After 30 years in the music business and having played thousands of gigs one would hope to have a comfort level. Occasionally, I feel the nerves taking over, and then I practice the things I am about to share with you. Let’s talk a little about how to overcome the fear of the stage.
Breathing
How does it always get back to POINT 1 from my manual The 5 Point Singing System “Breathing”. Well, breathing has a lot to do with nervousness and being able to calm yourself down when nerves start to take over. When you get scared or nervous, what do you tend to do? Yep, STOP breathing or hold your breath or take small shallow quick breaths. Some research suggests that people who suffer from panic attacks are “bad breathers” and learning to take deeper, slower, relaxed breaths can greatly help the onset of panic and nervousness. (Does this sound like the singer’s breath idea of breathing from the belly button up? – Yes it does). The theory of knowing exactly where you are breathing when singing a song will help the song feel effortless and “floaty” and hopefully help you, the singer, reign in any nervousness once your breathing rhythm is happening correctly. Learning to be a “good breather” will hopefully have your nerves settle within the first verse of the song.
Nerve Calming Exercise
Here is a little trick I do if I feel the nerves starting to happen before a performance. Slowly inhale through your mouth a big full, from the bellybutton up breath. Hold it for about 4 seconds and then slowly release the air until it is all depleted. There is a nice sense of calm when you get to the end of the breath. This exercise has literally stopped my knees from knocking together. Repeat this two or three just times before going on stage and after you have warmed up vocally. Keep breathing and all will be well.
Being Prepared
Another factor that may be a trigger for nervousness is feeling ill prepared for a show. I have to admit that nervousness will overtake me if I am feeling that I am underprepared or that I am working with musicians that haven’t done their homework. Maybe this is the kind of magic that Stevie Nicks mentioned above and it happens because you are so hyper aware of keeping everything on track that it works to create an energy felt by all. This kind of situation usually works out fine in the end, but it is exhausting. You will feel depleted from the extra awareness you have had to bring with you onto the stage. Keep breathing and have a shot of tequila after the show to get you back down to earth LOL.
Until next time… Happy Singing!
Angela
— Delivered by Feed43 service
