Ways to Memorize Lyrics

Singers have an extraordinary amount of things to think about: pitch, rhythm, acting, movement, and unlike any other musician, WORDS.  Singers are the only musician class that are expected to MEMORIZE their music.  It is no wonder that singers often forget words during the stress of performance.  Here are some quick ways to memorize your music:

1) Write the song lyrics on flashcards(a musical phrase per flashcard seems to work best)
2) Associate lyrics with different colors, emotions, acting goals etc...Our mind works best when given numerous ways to remember.
3) Try speaking your song as a monologue:  No music, just the words as if they were part of a play.
4) Focus on the areas where you forget your lyrics.  Do not practice the first two minutes over and over, if it is just a line or two in the middle that you forget.
5) When you feel like you are completely memorized, be sure to test yourself by singing in front of a good friend.  Performance stress will bring up any weak links in your memory.

DWS