Nervous when singing? Quick tips from your Vocal Coaching Expert
Work with a vocal coaching expert, like Koko Vocals…
…to mark correct breathing points, choose voice qualities and find the most efficient and effective way to communicate. (For example, you may need to breathe earlier than your body needs in order to prep the next phrase.) Get all the help you can get! In other words…
Be prepared. Preparation is key.
Anikó ‘Koko’ in a studio vocal recording
1) Lyrics, Music, Technique:
Nothing is more nerve-wracking than going blank - forgetting your lyrics or the tune - as soon as you step on stage. Ensure you know everything really well and have done your acting development work (more on this later) so that each line makes sense in terms of the drama. Also, knowing how you will deliver each line, in terms of vocal quality (breathy, belted, sotto voce, operatic, etc…) and with dynamic (volume) and emotional (intention) variation (especially on repeated lines), will really help.
Working with an acting line-learning app will help you get your lyrics under your tongue and to become second nature. I love working lyrics / text really fast to get them into my muscle memory.
Visualisation / drawing can help with strophic songs (repeated melody / different text), and physical choreography can help with memory, too (but be prepared to let it go out the window, if it suits the moment).
Hydrate, eat well and avoid alcohol all week.
Get a good night’s sleep before show/gig day.
Anikó (Koko) backstage for Mirrors, singing with saxophonist composer Jan Kopinski and the Reflektor Band
On the day of a show…
Preparation is also key!
On the day of a show, get a schedule going, as well as a checklist. (I recently read Atul Gawande’s The Checklist Manifesto: how to get things right, thinking, “How will I use this??”
I now use checklists for nearly everything, from vocal coaching lessons to concert preparation. See my list below you can adapt for your own Checklist of Concert Essentials!)
Exercise.
Yoga, meditation and gentle cardio, like a nature walk, are great ways to prep the body for performance. I love Bianca Sapetto’s live yoga classes… Or for quick recorded classes, Yoga with Adriene.
Steam and Hydrate
Drink water, have a hot shower and breathe deeply. Or use a steam pot, like Dr Nelson’s steam inhaler to prepare your voice!
It’s also good for when you have got a cold…
Do your vocal warm up in the morning, even for an evening show.
You wouldn’t think this would make a difference, but the evening warmup will then just be a top up. You will also have warmed up at your most relaxed, rather than when you may already be dealing with nerves at the venue.
Do your hair at home (if using hot rollers).
Doing hair in a venue can be cumbersome, with hot irons and hot rollers being the most annoying. But we all love awesome hair.
Rather than having to worry about lugging more paraphernalia (you haven’t seen my concert essentials list yet, have you?), just doing your hair at home removes one thing from your list of things to do when you’re there. Makeup should be fresh, but hair can be done early.
Arrive early.
You’ll have time to have a relaxed conversation with organisers and colleagues, get to the loo (important for us water sippers!), and prep mentally.
You can also prepare the space in front of your mirror. Even if you have a shared dressing room, it’s nice to have delineated your own spot. I admit, I usually have a nest of items around me, so I feel more secure.
Checklist of Concert Essentials
Ensure you have all the necessary items backstage (or on stage!) to make you feel safe and prepared:
DOWNLOAD YOUR PDF CHECKLIST HERE. EXCEL VERSION HERE. (PENDING)
Glass of water (on stage - one you won’t kick over!)
Tissues
Allergy meds / inhaler
Sturdy music stand
Sheet music, lyrics sheets, or PDFs loaded onto an iPad (as appropriate)
Your favorite mic (I love my Shure Beta 87a - great for soprano vox) and mic stand (straight microphone stands with one-hand height adjustment are my faves) and ANY OTHER GEAR the venue is not providing.
Change of clothing / comfortable shoes
Reading glasses / spare contact lenses
Hard candy
Bottle of ginger and lemon tea (honey optional)
Green apple for getting rid of mucus
Concert Garb and shoes (bring spares)
Tights / slip / underwear
Mirror compact
Makeup
Makeup remover / wipes
Hair products
Emergency feminine products
Anything else that makes you feel secure! (See some more of mine below! Yes, I have been called the Bag Lady before!)
Yoga mat, blanket
Healthy snacks, like carrots
Milk alternative
Pencil (for last-minute notes)
Safety pins (for last-minute clothing mishaps)
Double-sided toupé tape (for ensuring your décolletage is only as revealing as you want it to be!)
Microphone Check Tips
When doing a mic check, wear the shoes you will wear in the performance so the mic is set at the correct height (especially with heels). You won’t be fiddling with the mic height at the start of the concert (embarrassing!).
You’re welcome.
Meals before a performance
Make sure you eat at least 1.5 hours before so you don’t belch during your gig.
Avoid heavy carbs so you maintain energy - a salad with protein is great.
Makeup & Contact Lenses Tip
Put your contacts in before applying makeup! (Anyone? No? Just me?)
2) Remember, it’s not about you!
Take the pressure off yourself.
A performance is never about the performer. It is always about the story being told through music and words.
If you have prepared the character, lyrics, singing techniques and know your breaths and entries, the main thing is to tell the story the composer and lyricist (or you, if you wrote the music!) intended.
Never spend valuable energy worrying about that note you just sang - just finish well and get on with the story. Set the scene. Take the audience on a journey. It’s really about them.
Get support on how to do this via a Solo Vocal Lesson.
3) Use all your deep breathing and meditation techniques.
Before your entrance on stage, blow all your air out, and look down towards your feet. Hold the air out, then allow your belly to recoil to let the air rush back in. Do this several times, as needed.
Careful if you tend to get lightheaded; be near a wall or chair to lean on, and stop if this happens.
Have a silent chuckle to yourself to create retraction and release the constriction in your solar plexus (and, subsequently, larynx) and remind yourself of point 2, above!
4) Knock ‘em ALIVE.
Remember, not everyone is able to do what you do. Your talent shared means others get to have a great experience that make them feel alive.
Go get ‘em!
YOU GOT THIS!
Click for more detail on how Koko Vocals Vocal Coaching Expert Dr Anikó Tóth can guide you to supporting your own singing journey.
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