confronting stage fright and sing confidently in front of others

This post is solely the result of a conversation I had in a singing lesson with one of my voice students, Francesca T.  Thank you Francesca!

To understand this discussion, I want you to watch the following video in which Will Smith discusses his skydiving experience.  It is hilarious and worth your six minutes.

There are many ways singers can confront their stage fright.  I have lots of different techniques, from mental tricks to physical habits that can help singers overcome their fear of singing in front of a crowd.  However, all these tricks pale in comparison to the single truth that you have to realize as a singer to be effective: there is no rational reason to be afraid.

Here's why.  When you hear a singer for the first time, do you want that singer to perform poorly?  Of course not!  You want the singer to blow your mind and make your evening amazing, inspire you, help you experience emotions etc....The reality is that singers have incredible power when they perform.  Singers have the ability to inspire and heal thousands of people just by the sound of their own voice.  Singers actually have all the power in this situation.  Judges and audiences are the passive recipients of your ability.  Singers have all the control.

When you realize this truth, and it does take time to truly understand it and believe it, I promise you will never feel the impact of stage fright.  Singing lessons provide the tools to get to this realization, but ultimately it is a self-discovery no teacher can impart.  You truly have to believe it in your core to eliminate your fear.

For me, this moment of realizing my own power as a singer and eliminating a major case of stage nerves came after college.  I was a working a normal desk job, saving money for a house as I waited for my wife to graduate college in another city.  Needless to say, I was very busy and did not have a lot of time to perform or take voice lessons.

At an audition for a local community musical, a lightbulb went off in my head.  I realized that auditioning was its own version of performing, and that instead of worrying about whether I got the singing job, I should enjoy the experience as much as I could because I might not get to perform for a while.  I knocked that audition out of the park.  People were laughing, crying etc...all because I simply let go of my fear and live in the moment and embrace the performance I had the privilege to put on.

DWS