How to show up more confidently on stage 🎙️
This post loosely accompanies Gab & Jam,
Many folks are nervous on stage…
Stage fright is a really big thing for A LOT of people. We’re trying to help potential D.I.Y. Rock Stars, but there are some things that you can do to counteract that. That’s what this is for.
This topic was inspired by this post: https://beccaklein.co/how-to-show-up-confidently-on-camera/
And has included enhancements from:
Check out the episode for the full discussion.
Butterflies…
While we don’t think that you EVER get over having butterflies in your stomach—the anticipation of going onstage can be overwhelming—but sometimes you have to flip it into a positivity. The GREAT part is that is that it shows you care if you are anxious about a performance, but at the same time, we don’t like to be OVERLY prepared.
I like to KNOW what I am going to do, but I don’t like it when every single line is already prepared. I like to allow some room for improvisation and reading the room.
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Here are 8 tips for being more confident on stage:
1. Prepare, if you can.
If you’re a performers, rehearse the song. If you’re a speaker, go through your notes. –Again, I like to have some bullet points and one subpoint under each bullet point (to guard against my mind going blank due to nervousness). This allows me to have something to glance it that jars my memory and gets me explaining. Once I am talking and really feeling what I am saying, I forget to be nervous and can just vibe with the audience. That’s when I start enjoying the “performance” part of being in front of people. THAT’S where the magic starts.
2. Prepare a way to introduce yourself.
When you begin your talk or your song, how are you going to introduce yourself—and maybe even your band—to the audience? Figure out what that will be and practice it so often that it becomes second nature. –The example that I came up with when I took a class called “Raise Your Voice” at the Detroit Institute of Music Education is “Hi, I’m Vox and I’m here to rock!” –According to this class’s instructor, if you start out strong and with a definitive opening, not only does it help alleviate some of YOUR nervousness, as a performer, and ALSO helps the audience has confidence that you will be entertaining.
3. Get inspired by others.
Here’s a hack—or a shortcut—for INSTANTLY crafting some new moves. We often see others who have cool moves or clever lines or who hold the mic a certain kind of way. So, our suggestion is to watch performers that you respect and try to incorporate some of their moves into your own onstage presence. –We DEFINITELY could tell that Prince did that from the very beginning of his career. In one of his early music videos, he danced more like Mick Jagger—whom he was on tour with at the time. As the years progressed, he added new dance moves—ala David Lee Roth, etc.—but Prince was known to watch quite a few live performances. –Hey, if it was good enough for Prince, it seems like it might be helpful for the rest of us too.
4. Develop a stage persona.
It’s no secret that some of the shyest individuals seem to transform into someone else once they hit the stage. Therefore, being able to assume a more assertive demeanor onstage helps gird against nervousness and helps an artist give an outstanding performance. cThink about Beyonce’s alter ego, Sasha Fierce. When she was in this persona, she was formidable and powerful. –So it is when you decide to “channel” your most dynamic parts of your personality. It makes it where you barely notice the audience, sometimes, because you’re having fun play acting your most outrageous you.
5. Practice in the mirror or videotape yourself.
The more you can see yourself going through the material, the more you will see what works for you and what does not. By taking the perspective of the viewer, you get a chance to see if you are coming across as the awesome artist that you intend or if you’re playing it small. When you can see how you’re holding your hands, how you’re holding the mic, how your stage outfit looks on you, how much of the stage you use, and how you engage with the band, you can decide if you would like to make different choices that play up the best of what you have to offer. This can give you more confidence when you ACTUALLY have to deliver your performance.
6. Don't sweat it if you make a mistake.
Nobody knows and if it's THAT big of a mistake, laugh it off, take a deep breath, and move on! –Dwelling on it will only exacerbate the situation. It erodes YOUR own confidence—which hinders you moving forward—and eats away at the audience's confidence that you will be any good. –Or you could just acknowledge the mistake, start again, and let it go. Your audience is more forgiving than you think, if you pick right back up and give it your best.
7. Wear comfortable clothes that allow you to move.
You want to exude a “rock star” appearance, but there’s nothing worse than wearing clothes that make you feel self-conscious or are fussy and inhibit your movement, so get some that are fashion-forward, but also that don’t take you out of your “zone.” –Advice from Van Halen’s front man David Lee Roth? “My advice for aspiring young artists is just two words: breathable fabrics.” Known for doing a lot of jumping around on stage, he wore what is akin to wetsuits, so that he could do his aerial kicks. –While we aren’t QUITE so acrobatic, we can relate to feeling comfortable—but still memorable—in whatever it is you decide to wear. What it does is help assuage some of your nervousness, because fussing with your clothes and feeling uncomfortable won’t be the first thing on your mind. What will be on your mind is delivering a kickass performance.
8. Get audience participation
One of our favorite concerts was one where Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians created a song on the spot with the crowd’s help. It was a great example of how getting the audience involved can be a powerful thing. –Now, we know that you MAY not be at the point, where you are wanting to write a song with the audience on the spot, but we KNOW that there are ways that you can get folks involved. –You could always ask “How y’all feeling tonight?” or something equally easy. –What it does is get them engaging with you, which relaxes you AND them. You both become allies in wanting to have a good time at your show. And THAT’S why it’s worth doing. So, when you can, find ways to get the audience singing along and/or responding back to you in some kind of way.
We find that when WE let go and try to have just a little fun, it makes for a more enjoyable performance for us AND for the audience. So, we hope that we’ve given those of you, D.I.Y. Rock Stars, some ideas for building more confidence and allaying some of your anxiousness when it comes to performing and/or presenting yourself on-stage and on-camera.
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What about you?
How do YOU show up more confidently on-stage?
We’d love to know.
Leave them in the comments below.
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