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Taming
the Beast called Stage Fright
by
Pro Voice Coach Susan Anders
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It's your first performance-your palms are so sweaty that
you're sure your strings will die within seconds, your heart
is beating like a jack-hammer, your throat is cornflake-dry.
It's
your fiftieth performance-your palms are so sweaty that you're
sure your strings will die within seconds, your heart is beating
like a...hey, wait, wasn't this supposed to get better with
time? Well, yes and no. Virtually everyone, from the very
beginner to the seasoned veteran, has experienced some form
of performance anxiety. And while it's true that nerves lessen
the more you perform, they can still appear out of the blue
after years of performing and cause all those awful symptoms:
heart thumping, sweating, dry mouth, inability to move, and
dizziness. Stage fright can close up your throat and tighten
your diaphragm, making it difficult to breathe, a nasty feeling
for anyone and a real drag if you are singing as well as playing.
Luckily,
there is a lot you can do to alleviate stage nerves. Here
are a bunch of aids I've gathered over the years from other
perfomers and from my own experience. Everyone is different,
so you'll have to experiment and find out what works best
for you.
Preparing For The Performance
Practice, practice, practice:
There's nothing like being well rehearsed. Guitarist-singer
Jai Uttal once told me that he sometimes felt he had only
50% of his guitar dexterity on stage. I have felt the same
way, so when I think I have a song down, I practice it even
more, remembering that possible 50% loss of chops. On stage,
if I start that first song and my mind is jabbering on about
the size of the audience and why can't I breathe and what
the hell is this song about, my well-rehearsed fingers and
voice go on auto-pilot.
Play
"bigger" than you plan to be:
Most performers hit with nerves lose a bit of dynamism musically
and physically. if you know that you tend to freeze up on
stage, prepare by playing more dynamically then you intend.
If you "practice bigger" you can afford to lose
a bit. Sing somewhat louder than usual. Sway your body to
keep it loose (yes, even if you perform seated). Exaggerate
any performance moves you usually fall into: hip sway, foot
tap, whatever.
Mental
Run-Through:
Imagine your entire performance, from taking the stage until
you finish and hear the applause. Picture people in the audience
watching you, what you say before you play, how you move during
the song, and how you respond to the applause. Imagine everything
going exactly as you want. Studies have shown that this technique
improves performance skills. For some people it helps to spend
a few minutes getting into a meditative state first. To do
this, sit, eyes closed, breathing deeply and slowly for a
couple of minutes. Silently repeat a calming word or phrase
("Amazing Grace how sweet the sound" works like
a charm), or move your awareness through your body, starting
with your feet then working upward, relaxing each muscle as
you go. Then visualize your performance.
I've
found that getting aerobic calms me and gets me breathing
deeply. I often swim laps as I mentally run through my set,
remembering key points of songs and what I might say in-between.
Actual
Run-throughs and Practice Performances:
Turn off the phone, set some time aside and run your song
or set, including any in-between patter. Then when you're
ready, find a safe audience to perform for before the "real"
performance. Beginners can sing for their pets or roommates
in preparation for scarier performances, while more advanced
performers can hit open mics for a low pressure tryout. Taping
yourself (audio or video) can also simulate the pressure of
an actual performance. Whether playing alone or for an audience,
if you flub something, keep going; learning to cover your
mistakes gracefully will also relieve anxiety. But take note
of what goes awry and key in on those areas during practice
sessions.
Savvy
set order:
I make sure to start with a high energy song so I have somewhere
to channel any adrenaline overload. Most of us lose our jitters
after a song or two-therefore, save your more difficult songs
for later in the set.
Just Prior to the Performance
Move around:
Do something vigorous, like running in place, to dispel some
of that nervous energy and deepen your breathing. Swinging
your arms or doing a mock hula will relax your diaphragm and
help you get a fuller, calming breath.
Or
Get
still:
(I realize the previous technique and this one are polar opposites,
so experiment and find out which works better for you.) While
either sitting or standing, do some deep breathing to center
yourself. Mentally focus on either your breathing or your
imaginary run-through.
The
"Ha!" :
Force your abdomen in to expel air, like either an airy belly
laugh or a dog panting. Try four "ha"s then an easy
inhale, repeat. The vigorous movement can loosen your abdomen
so you breathe deeper, which relaxes you. If you are a singer,
doing this with your mouth closed lessens the drying affect
of the extra air passing over your vocal chords, but even
so, don't over-do it just prior to singing. You don't have
to be noisy: I've done this surreptitiously (I think!) while
sitting in the audience at open mic performances where there
was no backstage.
Pressure
points:
Tap solidly but not painfully hard with the pads of your fingers
to hit the following points, in order: 1) just below the center
of your cheek bones, 2) just below the center of your collarbone,
and 3) on your sides under your armpits. Breathe deeply as
you tap, tapping 10-15 times each location.
Whichever
relaxation method(s) you try, make sure to set aside the time
to do it. Don't go out to dinner with friends and race in
breathlessly moments before going on stage. Give yourself
time to get grounded. Don't worry if you're sharing backstage
space with others; performers are used to weird pre-performance
rituals.
During the Performance
A couple of times I've had zero stage fright until the second
I walked on stage. Obviously I couldn't ask the audience to
hold on while I did some yoga to relax. Here's what can help
if nerves persist on stage:
Refashioning
eye contact:
You probably already know the importance of maintaining eye
contact with the audience. But, if nerves have made you anxious,
making eye contact with someone can freak you out. Instead,
try looking at people's hairlines or foreheads. To the audience
it looks like you're maintaining eye contact, but it can feel
less threatening to you.
Movement:
The more I've performed the more I've gotten into moving my
hips while I'm playing and singing. It's not that I'm trying
to look sexier (though that's not a bad thing on stage); it's
that I've found it relaxes me and keeps me breathing deeply.
If it works for you, develop a performing style that incorporates
a bit of movement. You don't need elaborate choreographed
routines; a gentle sway can do the trick. If nerves freeze
you as you walk on stage, force yourself to move a bit with
your first song. Very soon it will stop feeling forced and
you'll relax.
Think
of nerves as gasoline:
Onstage you can't stop to try relaxation techniques. Now is
the time to think of nerves as an energy source. If you can
channel it into your performance you'll really see some sparks
fly. Here's where to send it:
Get
back to the meaning of the song!
What were you feeling when you wrote or first heard your song
that made it special? What story, mood, and/or character is
it about? If it sounds like I'm trying to make a method actor
out of you, well, yeah. Do your homework in advance-find out
while practising what hooks you deeper into the song. It might
be by creating a movie in your mind that accompanies the song,
remembering where you were when you first heard or wrote the
song, or focussing on the lyrics. If you write your songs
you might think this is easy, but have you ever played a song
about being heartbroken and realized that you wrote it two
years before and now can't remember the heartbreaker's name?
I have. You have to re-create your mood from two years ago,
dive into the character that was you. Whether you're singing
or playing, if you are distracted by nerves ask yourself:
"What am I communicating here?" Get back to the
meaning. I saw Ray Charles on tv last year singing "Georgia"
for the forty-millionth time. He sang it as if the song were
brand new, completely full of fresh feeling. If you can remember
only one hint after reading this, this is the one to retain:
Find the soul of the song while performing and nerves magically
disappear. Not to mention your performance will be much richer.
Questionable Methods That Sometimes Work
Mention your nervousness :
I've seen many a performer say "Gosh, I'm nervous"
early in a show, then proceed to do a killer set that leaves
the audience impressed with both their chops and their willingness
to be vulnerable. Sometimes if you tell the truth your nervousness
disappears. This is very risky, since you may come off as
unprofessional. Your audience doesn't want to be nervous with
you. I'd try it only with a very sympathetic audience, and
only if you know that you can deliver the goods afterwards.
Pharmaceuticals:
Oh boy, this is a controversial subject. Heavy use of alcohol,
pot, et al will mess with your judgement and dexterity (though
you may think that you sound fantastic), and also will dry
out and trash your vocal cords. Virtually no one advocates
their use. However, there is one drug that appears to help
nerves: beta blockers. Beta blockers interfere with the body's
adrenaline response and can greatly reduce the usual stage
fright responses like rapid heartbeat and shortness of breath.
I've consulted three doctors who agree that beta blockers
are safe if not overused. One is an excellent guitarist/doctor
who swears by them. If used daily, however, your heart rate
might slow to ten beats per minute! Absolutely don't use them
without consulting your doctor. I've tried them a few times
and discovered that they alleviated the fluttery feeling before
the show, but along with it I lost my post-performance high.
My singing and playing ability didn't seem to be affected,
but during two different shows I forgot words to songs, a
rarity for me. I'd vote for trying natural methods first.
There's
a reason for performance anxiety; you care about doing a good
job. Blasé performers don't get stage fright. Luciano
Pavarotti has said that if he ever stopped being nervous before
a performance he'd know he'd lost his passion and would quit
performing. So the next time stage fright appears, consider
yourself a passionate person, try some of these techniques
and channel that nervous energy into a transcendent performance.
©
Susan Anders. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reprinted with permission.
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Susan
Anders is an experienced vocal coach, performer
and songwriter currently teaching and gigging out of
Nashville, Tennessee. Her quality training
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