Getting up on stage is not an easy thing, nor is it for everyone. If you ultimately aren’t able to ever feel comfortable on stage, don’t knock yourself for it. It’s actually not a natural state to be the centre of attention and in fact people who are able to sing on a stage comfortably are in the minority. So you aren’t a freak if you can’t get up on stage; weirdly enough, the people who can do it without feeling fear are – at least that’s one way to look at it. But even if you are overwhelmed with anxiety at the thought of getting up and singing in front of strangers, it doesn’t mean that you can’t do it. Here are some handy tips to help you to get over stage fright so that you can get over that initial hump.
1. The right frame of mind. It’s important to understand why you are feeling stage fright in the first place. You should know that it is not a sign of weakness. It doesn’t mean that you are shy either. In fact a lot of great stand up comedians and actors are actually shy in their personal lives, and getting up on stage lets them release a side of themselves they otherwise don’t get a chance to express. So if you happen to be shy, don’t automatically rule yourself out as a karaoke singer. And always keep in mind that even the most experienced performers will still experience stage fright or a touch of the nerves. So why does this happen? It’s basically a biological reaction to an unpredictable circumstance. You are dealing with your fight or flight response and a rush in adrenaline. It happens to everyone and it has nothing to do with how strong or weak you are.
2. Stay positive. Armed with the information that everyone has some degree of stage fright, you now know that you are not alone. So stay positive and tell yourself that you feelings are natural and normal. Harness your excitement to pump up your energy levels and get yourself ready for that performance. And try your hardest not to let negative self-talk creep into your head. When you are feeling the most anxious, you might try to talk yourself out of singing but you will probably regret it if you had the chance but backed out. Getting over stage fright will always require you to believe you can overcome anything.
3. Practice, practice, practice. If you know your chosen song inside and out, you will put yourself in a much better position no matter what happens. Sometimes instinct will play a big role when you are performing for an audience. And when all else fails, you lose your place, or you start feeling your nerves all you have is your innate natural reaction. Luckily, if you practice a song hard enough you can imprint the lyrics and melody into your head so that even if you lose yourself on stage, there’s a chance your instincts will kick in. In short, the more you practice the more you can rest assured you’ll be ok on stage no matter what happens. Get yourself a home karaoke machine and get the hours in that you need. Buying a karaoke system is easy and you get to have fun at home too.
4. Visualize success. Along the lines of stay positive, you can try to picture yourself up on stage and singing successfully. Try to imagine everything from the audience, to the bar, to the stage itself. Get a complete picture see yourself singing your chosen song. Most importantly, see yourself singing well and enjoying yourself. Put everything in a positive light and don’t visualize anything negative.
5. Get experience. Experience is the key to getting over stage fright. It might be a bit of a catch 22, but it’s true. Remember no matter how bad your first experience is, it’s likely that your second will be better. So you might want to think of getting over stage fright as an ongoing process. You have to keep at it as you expose yourself to the stage as it becomes more familiar with you. And never forget, a certain degree of nerves is actually good for you and it helps the performance. Many celebrity singers say that if you don’t feel nervous anymore it means that you don’t care – and that makes everything worse. So keep trying to push your own boundaries because it will get easier with each performance.
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