“How To Sing In Front Of An Audience” by Elizabeth R.

      The size of a crowd, whether small or large, watching your performance can make you very nervous. I have had much experience singing in front of people by myself or with a band and I want to help those who suffer from the same problems I did and still do from time to time. 

 

Step 1: Memorize your lyrics!

Knowing a song inside and out eliminates one of the fears that might race through your head before a performance. Start off small by memorizing every three lines and repeating them until it is stuck in your brain, then move on. Also, give yourself enough time before a show to memorize it because learning it in a day or a couple of hours can be incredibly stressful.

*Helpful tip: Even if you do forget a line during your performance, do not panic or drop the mic and run off stage. You can mumble along with the melody or simply repeat the same verse until you can remember the words. 

Step 2: Know what the song means and how you connect to it!

Dissect the song and draw meaning out of it so you know what you are singing about. Making a personal connection to a song will help make your performance more emotional and genuine. Interpreting the song will help you so you can sing it as if you are telling a story which will keep your audience entranced and captivated. 

Step 3: Practice in front of a mirror!

Watching how you move and what facial expressions you make allows you to fix any problems that you may not notice unless someone tells you. During a sad song, you should not be smiling and during a happy song, you should not be frowning. Unmatched expressions with a certain type of song can make your audience confused or uncomfortable. While practicing in front of a mirror, you should be aware of any distracting habits like constantly playing with your hair (which I am very guilty of) or with your clothes. The audience can read these habits as nerves or carelessness. Watching a singer that simply stands with his hand in his pocket makes him look like he does not want to be there or that he is bored. Movements and the expressions you make are an important part of performing because, even if you are singing in another language that hardly anyone knows, everyone will know what you intend to communicate. However, facial expressions are not about how beautiful you can look while singing because the most authentic performances are not about appearance but about how your emotions show through your face.

Step 4: Practice in front of your family and friends or sing at an open mic night!

In order to get yourself more comfortable with singing in front of people, you need to actually go out and do it. It is best to start off small and with people you trust. Have your parents sit down and watch you or you can even go to a coffee shop or other dining place that offers an open mic night. Even doing small shows like these can get you used to the feeling of performing in front of others and make you less nervous. 

Step 5: Take care of yourself!

Before any show you should always get a good night’s rest and drink plenty of water to prevent your throat from becoming dry. Maintaining a healthy regimen can eliminate the fear of being inhibited from singing by being too sick, stuffy, or dry. Drinking warm tea (that is not caffeinated) also helps because it soothes and hydrates your throat. Do not drink any cold drinks before a show because it causes your vocal chords to tense up. 

*Helpful tip: Even if you are sick (depending on how badly), you can still sing and sound good! In the days leading up to your performance avoid dairy, caffeine, and even almonds because it creates excess mucus and phlegm. Also, avoid eating late at night before a performance because it can cause acid reflux, which causes our stomach acids to flow back up to our throats, and makes singing painful and irritable. 

Step 6: Be warmed up!

Make sure you have warmed up by doing vocal exercises! You can find many warm-up videos on YouTube. Some beneficial warm-ups are lip trills, sirens, and massaging your jaw to release any built up tension.

Step 7: Take deep breaths!

It is the day of the show and you are extremely nervous. Before your call time, take deep breaths. This will calm you down and relax that rapid heartbeat.

Step 8: Do NOT fall victim to any of your fears!

The hardest part for me to get over was thinking about what people thought of me while I was singing. If someone had a stern face I thought that they didn’t like me or my voice and I would slowly coil into a quivering wreck. Telling myself that I will never see these people ever again made me stop caring about their reactions and made me stop dwelling on if I messed up. In most cases, it is true that you will never see those audience members ever again so you can take comfort in that and perform to the best of your ability.

      I used to care so much about what people thought of me but I have been singing for so long that people’s hate or mean comments do not even phase me anymore. You need to remember that confidence does not build overnight. I have been performing since I was ten and I feel like I just developed this mentality. For some, it might have come even faster but I accept myself and my weaknesses, strengths, and progress. If you do not, you can fall prey to someone else’s harsh words. Singing on stage or singing to a group of strangers takes a lot of courage and you worked hard to prepare and put yourself out there for everyone to spectate. If people hate you for it, do not give them an ounce of your attention. You are doing something you love and are passionate about. Believe in yourself and own your performance.