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Stage Fright!!!!
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RRRRR! After many years on stage, I know what singers go through dealing with the shakey microphone, forgetting words, knocking knees, and that racing heartbeat. Stage fright is so hard to get over unless you keep going back on stage over and over again and becoming familiar with being in front of people weekly, if you can. For a singer, this is one of the biggest problems. Most churches have singing groups that may require an audition, and that's a good place to find a support system of like-minded people. Singing in a small group can give you the feeling that you aren't alone up there on stage. It builds confidence.
Volunteer for church related productions. If you are good with children and your church has a childrens' program, this would be a great place to start. Children aren't judgemental, and they want you to do well and help them have fun. They aren't going to keep score or even remember if you messed up.
When you do have to go on stage alone, preparation at home is the key. Practice till the walls in your house know all the words to the song; at least until you can recite every verse and disect the song by verse and bridge. Then, begin to envision your performance being an inspiration to others. This is a technique used by athletes before the big game. They imagine themselves making the shot that wins the game. Even if you have to let yourself fall asleep with this in mind, it will help you on the day of the performance. Your mind will have already been there, done that - perfectly!! So, no sweat. If you can arrange a practice time in the actual sanctuary or stadium, it will help to familiarize yourself with how many people will actually be there when it's full. Later, it may not be so shocking when you step out on stage seeing how huge and full it can be.
On the day of the performance, don't be late. Give yourself plenty of time to get up and warm up your instrument. Nothing is worse than stacking stress on top of stress. If you are waiting on your turn and minutes are counting down, focus on deep breaths. If your heart is racing - hold your breath for 3 seconds and breathe. Holding your breath for a little bit will slow your heart rate down. If you are someone who has trouble remembering the first few words of the song, write them on a piece of paper or your palm. If you've noticed your hand shaking the microphone while you are singing, change the microphone to the other hand for a while. If you've noticed your knees are knocking, try standing with one foot a little in front of the other with knees slightly bent. Walk around the stage to the other side.
If you've ever watched the movie Center Stage, there's a part where the prima ballerina says to her partner how her nerves are getting to her. He says, "Use it! Dance it!" That's the best thing I can recommend. Use the nervous energy as a positive force to push your performance further. Use it to give yourself the edge over all of it. Use it to distinguish yourself as the performer you always dreamed you could be.
Volunteer for church related productions. If you are good with children and your church has a childrens' program, this would be a great place to start. Children aren't judgemental, and they want you to do well and help them have fun. They aren't going to keep score or even remember if you messed up.
When you do have to go on stage alone, preparation at home is the key. Practice till the walls in your house know all the words to the song; at least until you can recite every verse and disect the song by verse and bridge. Then, begin to envision your performance being an inspiration to others. This is a technique used by athletes before the big game. They imagine themselves making the shot that wins the game. Even if you have to let yourself fall asleep with this in mind, it will help you on the day of the performance. Your mind will have already been there, done that - perfectly!! So, no sweat. If you can arrange a practice time in the actual sanctuary or stadium, it will help to familiarize yourself with how many people will actually be there when it's full. Later, it may not be so shocking when you step out on stage seeing how huge and full it can be.
On the day of the performance, don't be late. Give yourself plenty of time to get up and warm up your instrument. Nothing is worse than stacking stress on top of stress. If you are waiting on your turn and minutes are counting down, focus on deep breaths. If your heart is racing - hold your breath for 3 seconds and breathe. Holding your breath for a little bit will slow your heart rate down. If you are someone who has trouble remembering the first few words of the song, write them on a piece of paper or your palm. If you've noticed your hand shaking the microphone while you are singing, change the microphone to the other hand for a while. If you've noticed your knees are knocking, try standing with one foot a little in front of the other with knees slightly bent. Walk around the stage to the other side.
If you've ever watched the movie Center Stage, there's a part where the prima ballerina says to her partner how her nerves are getting to her. He says, "Use it! Dance it!" That's the best thing I can recommend. Use the nervous energy as a positive force to push your performance further. Use it to give yourself the edge over all of it. Use it to distinguish yourself as the performer you always dreamed you could be.
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