Do you know that even well known professional singers also get stage
fright now and then. A bout of terrible stage fright had prevented the
great Barbara Streisand from performing live for many years. So you are
not alone, aren't you?
In reality, stage fright is only a mental condition for the fear of the
unknown. Yes, it is the basic human fear, a survival instinct. This is a
very common affliction and affect everyone who have to go on stage to
face an audience. Surveys have shown that many people fear public
speaking more than death, what more a singing performance.
There will always be many questions racing through your mind at break
neck speed before each show such as 'Oh dear, I have a bad throat today,
will it affect my singing. Will I go out of tune? How will the audience
react to my performance?'. This is when you will break out in cold sweat
and become frigid.
As answers to these questions cannot be known until after your
performance, you get stressful and so anxiety and fear weigh in heavily
on you. Hey, why bother about it when no matter how you wreck your mind
and fret over it, you will never find any answers until after your
singing performance, isn't it?
Stage fright fear triggers a fight or flight response producing hormonal
changes in your body, making the body rigid, shutting down digestive
system and increasing your heart rate. This definitely is not an ideal
condition for singing.
You do know that stress and anxieties can affect your voice, persona and
performance in a detrimental way and that will compound your fear even
further. Everything just pyramids up.
One of the best ways to overcome stage fright is to be mentally and
physically well prepared. Having known that you have practiced your
songs and performance thoroughly will give you the confidence and
strength to take to the stage to flaunt your talent and hard work
rehearsing.
Another way to overcome stage fright is to take your mind off it. What
better way to do that than to do your warming up vocal exercises. I know
that many singers don't even bother warm up their vocal chords. How can
a singer sing effortlessly without warming up their instrument, in this
case, the vocal chords properly?
Warming up before a performance not only takes your mind away from the
stress, it helps you hit the notes easier and protect your vocal chords
from damages, sometimes, even permanent damage.
Just as important as warming up is to cool down your voice after a
performance as your vocal folds are all stressed up and need to be
relaxed. By not cooling down, you risk vocal damage and when your
strained voice, having not recovered before your next singing
performance, you will risk another bout of anxiety attack leading to
stage fright. It is a vicious cycle.
Do always remind yourself that stage fright is only in your imagination
and can be controlled if you are determined enough to. Don't just fret
about it. Do something. Like stepping onto the stage and give the best
singing performance of your life.
Once you have done it once, you can do it again and again and will
succeed in get rid of stage fright forever. That will be the most
beautiful feeling a singer can ever feel.
About The Author
Chris Chew is a jazz pianist and a trainer. See more of his articles at
his website and blog
Sing like a star and
How to get started as a singer
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