Stage fright is a big
problem among performers of all kinds and at all levels of
experience. Finding ways of overcoming stage fright and
turning nerves and adrenaline into positive forces in your
performance is just as important as great technique. This
article gives some tips on how to overcome stage fright
whenever those butterflies in your stomach get out of
hand.
In order to get over stage fright you first need to identify
what it is you're afraid of. After you pinpoint the source of
your fear, you can beat stage fright. The most common stage
fright fears for singers are:
Cracking during the performance and not being able to
hit the high notes
Looking stupid in front of friends
Forgetting the words to the song
Fearing success or failure, rejection, or the
unknown.
Symptoms of stage fright include butterflies in your
stomach, shaky knees, a dry mouth, a sudden urge to cry or run
away, trembling hands, a racing heart rate, nausea, runny nose,
cold hands but sweaty underarms and an urge to pee no matter
how many times you visit the bathroom. Do any of these sound
familiar?
To overcome stage fright, it's important not to assume that
you must be calm before a performance, this will just set you
up for stage fright. Expecting to be nervous and jittery, on
the other hand, can enable you to sing through your anxiety.
You don't want to stop the adrenaline, but rather eliminate the
underlying fear that leads stage fright. In fact you can use
the fight-or-flight adrenaline rush to enhance your
performance.
The biggest key to overcoming stage fright in singing is
preparation. The following pointers can help you prepare
yourself better and reduce stage fright during your
performance.
Stay positive and motivated as you practice. To
overcome stage fright you need to figure out a way to
motivate yourself. What kind of reward do you need to get
yourself to practice regularly?
Set goals for each practice and don't try to tackle too
many things at once or you'll feel overwhelmed and only
encourage the anxiety of stage fright.
Practice at the level you intend to perform. This is
one of the best ways of overcoming stage fright. Practice
all the details of your song separately and then gradually
piece it all together until you consistently create the
sounds you want to create in your performance.
Set a deadline for memorizing the song. A lot of people
get stage fright because they fear forgetting the words of
the song. The melody and words of the song need to be in
your long-term memory. You will not overcome stage fright
if you try and learn the song the night before your
performance. I recommend having the song memorized 7 days
prior to the performance.
Speed read through your text to help you remember the
words. Forgetting the words of a song that you've memorized
usually happens because your concentration momentarily
slips. To beat stage fright you need to practice
concentrating on the task at hand and speed reading through
the text on a regular basis will help you put the text in
your long-term memory.
Choose music that enhances your strengths and shows off
your areas of expertise. This will help eliminate anxiety
and be helpful in overcoming stage fright on the night of
the performance.
