What is stage fright?
Stage fright is the entire collection of stories you tell yourself in your brain, whether it be 1 or 1, 000 – that culminate into ONE final thought; “What I’m about to do is dangerous.”
Those stories in your brain can be many variations of things like this:
- I am not confident with my voice
- What if I blow chunks and people make fun of me?
- What if I forget the lyrics?
- What if I can’t hit that high note section in that song?
- What if my voice cracks or I sound terrible?
- What if they hate me and want to boo me off the stage?
- What if I make a fool of myself?
- What if nobody shows up?
I could list many more reasons for stage fright but it is extremely important to understand that phobias are IN OUR MINDS. Some people are afraid of heights, others are afraid of drowning and so on. Though there may be good reason to be afraid of jumping out of an airplane, performing in front of people is not dangerous.
How does stage fright manifest itself?
What actually “happens” to you when you experience stage fright is different for everyone. With your fear of performing, you may experience things like this:
- Sweaty palms
- Dry mouth
- Unable to speak
- Increased heart rate
- Tingling sensation in various parts of your body
- Stomach ache
- The shakes
- Brain race – your brain is processing too much information
- Feelings of nausea and wanting to throw up
- Overwhelming desire to sleep
Preparation
The first thing we can do to overcome stage fright is start with something easy. And to be prepared to the point where you are so “ready” you don’t have to “think about it” with an easy song. OVER prepare for what you are actually doing, so when it comes time, it will be UNDER your capabilities. For example; if your goal is to sing Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” in front of the American Idol judges, start by practicing nursery rhymes or party songs. Sing those with all the range that you have and stretch yourself so sing them BEYOND the range necessary to sing “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Then move on to mid level material. After a while, you WILL get to a point where you are over prepared and will be able to sing with confidence.
Repetition
Repeat your song over and over, embedding it so deep in your mind that it becomes second nature. Repeat your song while multi-tasking other things, like shopping or doing math.
Exposure
Increasing your exposure is vital to overcoming stage fright. Ask friends and family if you can sing for them, even if it drives them crazy. Let them know that practicing in front of them will help you.
Then take it to the next level, go to a Karaoke Bar or Open Mic Night, or sing a solo at your church, a campfire or street promenade. Performing as much as possible in a relatively safe environment where it doesn’t matter that much is an excellent way to build confidence.