Some Tips for Overcoming Stage Fright...

[michael11]

Hi,

my name is Dean

I'm a fearoholic...



...actually, almost twenty years ago I was diagnosed with Panic Disorder - along with a bunch of other disabling mental stuff... If your stage fright is annoying - cool, you'll find a way to work through it........, but if anyone reading this thread has fear that leans toward disabling you might want to take a look at some of the cognitive therapy stuff that I have put up on JoePanic.com (a website I started about ten years ago to help people trying to recover from anxiety and depression.... the psychological part of anxiety/depression recovery steps are very similar)....

...there was a time when my fear was so intense I could not come out of my house... these days, not only can I make it out of my house, I can go anywhere do most anything and stuff like performing on stage and speaking in public are a breeze....

...you can teach yourself to be calm on stage... it takes practice and clear, undistorted thinking, but it can be done

HTH

dean

Hi Dean!


Fantastic site,I've bookmarked it and will be a regular visitor.


Mick

[suzdoyle]

Great thread here. I teach workshops about singing and speaking without fear. Here are some tips and tricks that I've gleaned from numerous performers over the years (especially for those working their way towards being more comfortable in front of audiences):

1. Bend your knees. This helps ground you. Take a moment before you begin singing/ speaking to take a deep grounding breath.

2. Look "beyond" the audience (just slightly over their heads). This makes it looks like you're looking at them, when really you're looking at the wall behind them.

3. Imagine a scene or setting (like in a play) for your song (which is telling a story) or speech. Have your character, rather than you, tell the song. The more you visualize the setting for the story of your song (modern times vs. olden days/ cold vs. hot/ summer vs. winter/ inside vs. outside, etc.), the more you are in "the story," rather than being a vulnerable person standing there.

3.5 -- It has been said that we all have a "board of directors," inside -- meaning, different facets of our personality. E.g., one board of director is confident, while another is insecure; another is cranky while yet another is joyous. When about to perform, imagine "activating" your confident aspect of self, while at the same time drawing a circle around the insecure one, letting them float away for a while. It sounds strange, but it really works.

4. When about to sing a high note, drop your arm (or bend your knees, or drop a finger or hand downward). This tricks your body into relaxing, as if you are not reaching for a high note, but rather, falling into it. A good way to practice this is to sing from low to high while raising your arm (on the lowest note) and dropping it as you work up to the high note. Then do the opposite. Sing High (arm down) to Low (raising the arms.

5. Sing (or speak) horizontally, not vertically. This keeps things relaxed and even, no matter where your voice goes.

6. Keep your voice relaxed and open. The biggest trick to sounding relaxed is to breathe deep in your belly, and have your mouth feel as if you are yawning. This keeps everything relaxed. One way to experience what it feels to have a relaxed voice is to look up towards the sky and sound out "oh," or "ah" on a tone. There is no way your voice can be tight when looking upward. Practice singing while looking upward, then slowly move your head back to where you are facing forward -- all the while keeping that same open, relaxed feeling in your throat.

7. Understand what truly causes fear when speaking or singing -- According to Gavin DeBecker (author of "The Gift of Fear," and "Fearless," ) it is not fear of performing, but rather, the fear of being embarrassed or foolish and being "kicked out of the tribe" that is at the root of performance anxiety. The best way to deal with this fear is to give yourself permission at the outset to be a FOOL. This takes all the pressure off. We all secretly delight in seeing people be courageous and foolish in front of others. Taking a stand to do so is a powerful way to embrace an authentic interaction with the audience, rather than a perfection-oriented one.

8. Above all, remember that most people are rooting for whoever is on stage. It is courageous to take a stand to express yourself in front of others. The more you do it, the easier it gets.

Hope this helps!
Suz

[coachdebra]

Thanks, man - the trick for lyrics, is really to focus in on the emotion of your song. So many times we start to think "okay, what's the next line?" when we're onstage, when we don't normally think that way, because the fear forces us to. But if you focus your mind on the emotion, and what the lead character is experiencing, forgetting lyrics tends to go away... because now you're involved in the story...

That was a great tip I learned from Steven Memel who presents at the Raod Rally... : )

That's awesome - it's a basic acting technique - You can also focus on who you're singing to and what you want from them. For example, if it's a love song - are you singing to your lover? Do you want her to love you back? Do you want her to say yes to your proposal? Are you singing to the guy who just dumped you? Do you want him to feel really, really bad? If you focus on who you're talking to and what you want from them, you will be immersed in the song and that will also help you get and stay involved in the story. AND if you make a clear intention behind every line - then you will have a lot less trouble remembering those lines. They will evolve naturally out of your intention.

(Formerly an actor of stage and screen... in a past life...)
Debra

[AndyKotz]

I sort of graduated from the Jim Morrison "sedated state" school of thought. Then you can wander right out there and say... "what crowd..."