Preparing to perform is an essential tool for any musician. Looking after your health, training your voice/instrument are only part of that preparation – the ‘spirit’ of your performance … that indefinable magical ingredient … comes from within you. Some people call it self confidence, inner strength, emotional courage, the ability to carry on when everything around you is falling apart, or turning those stage nerves into a sparkle that reaches everyone in your audience.

If you do not believe this can exist … try watching the Robbie Williams Live at Knebworth 2003 DVD. Whether you like Robbie or not, you will find it hard not to be affected by the energy.

Do it for Yourself!
When you take that stage you are on your own there is no one by your side you can lean on. Therefore it is so important that you are doing it for yourself … NOT for family, friends or your tutor. None of them will be there on that stage with you. It is also a really BAD idea to have any of them backstage whilst you are preparing. Much as they mean well in all they say and do … they will never come close to understanding the mental preparation you need to go through.

Performing is often a solitary, selfish, lonely and self fulfilling act. There is not enough room on that stage for boyfriends, girlfriends, parents, or passengers of any kind harsh though that may seem. Save all that for the after-show party.

Use the quick links below to jump straight to the section you need:

Nerves or stage fright?
Some coping strategies that people have tried and found not to work:
The Quick Fix using breathing techniques
Visualisation
When is the best time to Visualise?
Grounding, Centering and Focussing.
Grounding and Centering using Chi
Taking the Stage

Nerves or stage fright?
Nerves are good for performers. They provide adrenaline which you can control and turn into positive energy which adds that extra something to your performance.

Stage fright is not good. It will freeze you, make all your movements look stilted and forced, degrade the tonal quality of your voice and make you forget the words. With good preparation you should never suffer from stage fright.

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Some coping strategies that people have tried and found not to work:

1. TOBACCO? OK – let’s be realistic here. It works for some older musicians but remember … as a singer you need to take care of your voice … so NO!
2. DRUGS? Absolute NO NO! It’s not big or clever. It will trash your voice, your body, your head and any hopes you may have of progressing. How many successful drug addicts do you know?

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The Quick Fix using breathing techniques
This is useful for those last 60 seconds. Close your eyes, try and blank out everything around you and concentrate on your inner self.

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your hands by your sides.

Breathe in slowly for a count of 5 - bringing your hands up slowly level with your chest in a prayer position.

Breathe out slowly for 5 pushing your hands down and outwards to either side away from your hips.

Repeat until you feel you are regaining control.

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Visualisation
The human nervous system cannot distinguish between a REAL or an IMAGINED experience.

Q: How can you use that knowledge to your advantage?
A: By visualising an experience (your performance) and making it as complete and REAL as possible. By going through this MENTAL rehearsal you will have a massive confidence boost when you have to do it for real.

Here are a few guidelines to help you make the most of your own visualisations:

1. Engage ALL the senses.
   FEEL the warmth of the spotlights.
   HEAR the rapturous applause of the audience.
   SEE the lights dazzling you, and the faces of the band/dancers to your side.
2. Mentally swap places with the performer when you attend/watch a concert. Imagine that the singer is in the audience watching YOU on the stage.

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When is the best time to Visualise?
Generally, anytime you have a spare moment BUT the best times are those grey areas between waking and sleeping. So, as you are dropping off to sleep or first thing in the morning just as you are waking … whichever works for you.
This is a highly effective method for preparing for just about any situation that demands you be at your best, and is used routinely by Olympic Gold Medallists as well as performers of every kind. Try it before an exam, interview, or asking someone you really like for a first date.

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Grounding, Centering and Focussing.
Use this more detailed technique in conjunction with your visualisation and you will overcome even the worst pre-performance nerves.

Those final few minutes before taking the stage can be very frenetic and a little bit frightening. You never seem to have enough time to prepare before you are called up to the stage from your dressing room. Backstage is dusty, dark and chaotic with scenery, stage-hands, runners, people coming off stage, and the Stage Manager waving frantically at you to hurry up. Just as you thought you were doing so well you suddenly find you are being controlled by other agendas of time that you have to fit in with.
It is vital that you have some sort of plan or coping strategy … or your nerves will blow you out of the water before you can even reach the stage.

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Grounding and Centering using Chi
If this was Star Wars they would call it Using the Force.
This is a great technique, but it requires you to practice it in private at home until it feels comfortable and familiar.

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Sinking The Chi:

1. Stand with feet a hip width apart, hands hanging heavily at your side.
2. Let your hands float up slowly over your head gathering Chi energy (think of it as a giant ball of light gathering around your hands.)
3. Let your hands float down in front of your body as you slowly exhale and imagine pulling all that energy into the Tan Tien (pronounced Dan-shien) … just below your belly button. Do this three times.
4. The third time, let your hands come to rest over the Tan Tien. Let them sit there for a few seconds while you continue to breathe slowly and you hold an image of yourself on the stage under the spotlight … just as you see yourself during your visualisation practice. Repeat to yourself in your head … I am ready. I am in this moment. I am in control. I am totally confident. I am gonna rock this place!

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Taking the Stage 
Know that when you step out there … that this moment was created for you to shine, for you to be at your very best, for you to excel and exceed all expectations.

Know that when you step out there … that YOU are in Control, YOU are Centred, YOU are Focussed.

Know that when you step out there … The stage is there for YOU. Command it. Own it. Make it yours. For three or four minutes its entirely your World.

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Make the experience as REAL AS POSSIBLE.

ALCOHOL? NOT a good idea!