how to prepare for a performance
We all know the stress that comes the morning of a performance.
Some people spend all night tossing and turning, just thinking about having to stand up on stage in front of their family, friends and strangers.
For others, they stay cool as a cucumber, calm and relaxed.
If you're like me, you stay calm until about 5 minutes before you go up and you start shaking and your palms sweat.
It's life.
This post will explain some stress management exercises, how to keep your voice in tiptop shape and performance outfit suggestions.
The Rules to having a Great Performance:
1. Hydrate
The key to having a healthy voice is to stay hydrated. To achieve optimum vocal production, you should be drinking 8 glasses of water everyday for at least a month before your performance. It takes the body about a month to fully hydrate your body, it is so important that you are giving your voice what it needs.
2. Sleep
The key to having a healthy body is to have a well rested body. You will only perform to the level that your body can handle, and if you aren't well rested and your body isn't rejuvenated enough, then your performance won't meet your expectations. People underestimate how much energy you need to perform, and if you are not properly rested, the audience could become disengaged and bored.You may be thinking "but why add energy to my performance if I'm singing a sad song?" Well, all performances need energy, it's what keeps the air moving and gives emotion which makes a performance captivating!
3. Eat properly
Everyone has heard the myths about citrus and dairy, coke and coffee, etc. Truthfully, if you are naturally phlegmy, I advise you to not eat dairy products the day of a performance. But then again, it depends on the person. I suggest you experiment with this on a day that isn't a performance day... Citrus-y foods and beverages tend to strip the phlegm from your chords due to their acidic properties. Coffee, tea and other foods and beverages with diuretic property's (stuff that makes you have to pee) are also not good to have the day of a performance, because they will dry out your chords, plus you'll have to pee, and if you're already nervous, it won't help your case. If you feel your mouth getting dry DO NOT HAVE GUM. You don't want to be breathing in and choke on it! If you feel the need to have a little something to get your mouth salivating, have a few cubes of apple. They have salivating properties and will not dry out or strip the chords of natural mucus, but will help generate the good mucus instead on the chords!
Also, for those nervous nelly's, eating a banana and hour before a concert then again 15 minutes before performing will help calm the nerves. The shot of potassium you get from the bananas will help calm those nerves and will help you focus.
Stress management:
I believe it's all about the mind set.
My Vocal coach, Cara, always says : "Do you feel those butterflies? Those aren't nerves, it's energy. You're excited to perform! Use those butterflies to add energy to your performance!"
I try to tell myself that it's not a huge deal and that I'm performing just for fun and for my love of music. No one in the audience is there to critique you but they are there to support you on your journey and growth as a performer.
Once again, bananas do help on the chemical side of things, but if you feel like you need a little more stress management, try some tai chi or some yoga. These will help you focus, work on your breathing, channel your body and get a good sweat. The endorphins that you release will activate the feel good element of your brain, bringing confidence to your every move.
Another way is: breathing. This is something you can do before, during or even after your performance. One biiiig deep breath that sits low in the body (where you feel your ribs expand and your diaphragm puff out) then a slow release. Try it a few times, and if you're still jittery before you sing, while you're gathering your thoughts just before signaling the accompanist, take a breath and just try to relax!
If you make a mistake : do not panic. Keep going. No one will be able to tell unless you tell them, that includes swearing, making a face, asking for the accompanist to stop and more. Trust me, I've done it all! And if you're singing in another language and forget the words, make it up! German is super easy to make up ;)
These are some basic guidelines to follow, unless you are instructed otherwise.
Formal events/Gala's:
For formal events and gala's, ladies tend to stick on the longer side of dresses. Depending on the venue, bare arms are sometimes permitted.
For the gentlemen, this will be the time to pull out your tuxedo's and bow ties or 3 piece suit.
Weddings:
Depending on the style of wedding, you should match the theme of the wedding. Ladies, please keep it simple. You don't want to upstage the bride, because it is her day. You're just adding to the atmosphere of the day.
If all else fails, a simple dress that is knee length. If the shoulders are bare, be prepared to wear a cardigan over your dress as some churches (and brides) are very conservative and prefer to have everything covered.
Men, a nice dress shirt, tie and dress pants are usually fine, but if you prefer to wear your jacket (or have been advised by the wedding party) feel free to do so.
Funerals/Ceremonies:
These tend to be the times where you wear black. Ladies, tights and black shoes and a cardigan are the most respected in these times, its just appropriate to be covered. For the Men, a full suit just looks so clean and dapper, it would be ideal in this situation. If it is a funeral, don't forget that you are there to comfort the grieving family and friends, so keep it respectful.
If you don't own black, wear another dark colour, such as navy or grey.
If you don't own black, I advise that you invest in some key pieces that you are able to mix and match with.
Parties:
Parties tend to be a little less formal, so sun dresses or a semi-formal dress and some flats would work just fine for the ladies. Men, this is the time to break out your chinos or stick with dress pants and a nice button up. Usually no ties required.
Recitals and Competitions:
This would be a semi-formal type of occasion, very similar to parties. Keep it nice and sweet. At this point, its up to your discretion and the kind of instruction you've been given by your vocal teacher.
I hope this was able to bring some guidance to those with questions and I hope you liked it!
Till next time,
Tessa
Some people spend all night tossing and turning, just thinking about having to stand up on stage in front of their family, friends and strangers.
For others, they stay cool as a cucumber, calm and relaxed.
If you're like me, you stay calm until about 5 minutes before you go up and you start shaking and your palms sweat.
It's life.
This post will explain some stress management exercises, how to keep your voice in tiptop shape and performance outfit suggestions.
The Rules to having a Great Performance:
1. Hydrate
The key to having a healthy voice is to stay hydrated. To achieve optimum vocal production, you should be drinking 8 glasses of water everyday for at least a month before your performance. It takes the body about a month to fully hydrate your body, it is so important that you are giving your voice what it needs.
2. Sleep
The key to having a healthy body is to have a well rested body. You will only perform to the level that your body can handle, and if you aren't well rested and your body isn't rejuvenated enough, then your performance won't meet your expectations. People underestimate how much energy you need to perform, and if you are not properly rested, the audience could become disengaged and bored.You may be thinking "but why add energy to my performance if I'm singing a sad song?" Well, all performances need energy, it's what keeps the air moving and gives emotion which makes a performance captivating!
3. Eat properly
Everyone has heard the myths about citrus and dairy, coke and coffee, etc. Truthfully, if you are naturally phlegmy, I advise you to not eat dairy products the day of a performance. But then again, it depends on the person. I suggest you experiment with this on a day that isn't a performance day... Citrus-y foods and beverages tend to strip the phlegm from your chords due to their acidic properties. Coffee, tea and other foods and beverages with diuretic property's (stuff that makes you have to pee) are also not good to have the day of a performance, because they will dry out your chords, plus you'll have to pee, and if you're already nervous, it won't help your case. If you feel your mouth getting dry DO NOT HAVE GUM. You don't want to be breathing in and choke on it! If you feel the need to have a little something to get your mouth salivating, have a few cubes of apple. They have salivating properties and will not dry out or strip the chords of natural mucus, but will help generate the good mucus instead on the chords!
Also, for those nervous nelly's, eating a banana and hour before a concert then again 15 minutes before performing will help calm the nerves. The shot of potassium you get from the bananas will help calm those nerves and will help you focus.
Stress management:
I believe it's all about the mind set.
My Vocal coach, Cara, always says : "Do you feel those butterflies? Those aren't nerves, it's energy. You're excited to perform! Use those butterflies to add energy to your performance!"
I try to tell myself that it's not a huge deal and that I'm performing just for fun and for my love of music. No one in the audience is there to critique you but they are there to support you on your journey and growth as a performer.
Once again, bananas do help on the chemical side of things, but if you feel like you need a little more stress management, try some tai chi or some yoga. These will help you focus, work on your breathing, channel your body and get a good sweat. The endorphins that you release will activate the feel good element of your brain, bringing confidence to your every move.
Another way is: breathing. This is something you can do before, during or even after your performance. One biiiig deep breath that sits low in the body (where you feel your ribs expand and your diaphragm puff out) then a slow release. Try it a few times, and if you're still jittery before you sing, while you're gathering your thoughts just before signaling the accompanist, take a breath and just try to relax!
If you make a mistake : do not panic. Keep going. No one will be able to tell unless you tell them, that includes swearing, making a face, asking for the accompanist to stop and more. Trust me, I've done it all! And if you're singing in another language and forget the words, make it up! German is super easy to make up ;)
Outfits:
For this category it will go by the type of performance being performed.These are some basic guidelines to follow, unless you are instructed otherwise.
Formal events/Gala's:
For formal events and gala's, ladies tend to stick on the longer side of dresses. Depending on the venue, bare arms are sometimes permitted.
For the gentlemen, this will be the time to pull out your tuxedo's and bow ties or 3 piece suit.
Weddings:
Depending on the style of wedding, you should match the theme of the wedding. Ladies, please keep it simple. You don't want to upstage the bride, because it is her day. You're just adding to the atmosphere of the day.
If all else fails, a simple dress that is knee length. If the shoulders are bare, be prepared to wear a cardigan over your dress as some churches (and brides) are very conservative and prefer to have everything covered.
Men, a nice dress shirt, tie and dress pants are usually fine, but if you prefer to wear your jacket (or have been advised by the wedding party) feel free to do so.
Funerals/Ceremonies:
These tend to be the times where you wear black. Ladies, tights and black shoes and a cardigan are the most respected in these times, its just appropriate to be covered. For the Men, a full suit just looks so clean and dapper, it would be ideal in this situation. If it is a funeral, don't forget that you are there to comfort the grieving family and friends, so keep it respectful.
If you don't own black, wear another dark colour, such as navy or grey.
If you don't own black, I advise that you invest in some key pieces that you are able to mix and match with.
Parties:
Parties tend to be a little less formal, so sun dresses or a semi-formal dress and some flats would work just fine for the ladies. Men, this is the time to break out your chinos or stick with dress pants and a nice button up. Usually no ties required.
Recitals and Competitions:
This would be a semi-formal type of occasion, very similar to parties. Keep it nice and sweet. At this point, its up to your discretion and the kind of instruction you've been given by your vocal teacher.
I hope this was able to bring some guidance to those with questions and I hope you liked it!
Till next time,
Tessa
Comments
Post a Comment