One type of anxiety that is a huge problem for singers and artists is performance anxiety. Finding ways of dealing with anxiety and turning nerves and adrenaline into positive forces in your performance are just as important as great technique and knowing what you’re afraid of is half the battle. It’s important to identify the source of fear, in order to deal with it successfully.
Some common fears you may deal with as a performer are: your voice cracking during a performance, not being able to reach certain notes, feeling or looking stupid in front of friends, forgetting the lyrics of a song, wondering if you will fail or succeed, or even rejection - just to name a few. When you name or pinpoint your fear you can take the necessary steps to beat it. After you find the source, move forward and find a solution to eliminate it and not just the symptom.
When you have an adrenaline rush in the body, it results in a racing heart. You can duplicate that feeling by running in place until you’re out of breath and then sing your song. Being out of breath while you practice helps you get used to singing phrases where you desperately want to just exhale and not sing. The feeling you get when you’re out of breath is very similar to the way you feel when performance anxiety takes over. Your breaths will feel like they are falling into your body. When this happens just realize you can sing even when the heart is pounding relentlessly. It’s not easy, but it is possible.
It might help to know that you’re not alone and that thousands of singers deal with anxiety before performing as well. The symptoms include butterflies in your stomach, shaky knees, dry mouth (sometimes called cottonmouth), a sudden urge to cry or run away, trembling hands, a racing heart rate, nausea, runny nose, cold hands but sweaty underarms, and the urge to pee no matter how many times you visit the bathroom.
Most singers assume they should be calm and collective before a performance, but for most people it’s just not the case and believing they should be only increases the anxiety.Expecting to be nervous and jittery, on the other hand, can enable you to sing through your anxiety. Don’t be a afraid to use the fight-or-flight nerves and excitement to your advantage. By reframing your thoughts about your performance, you can change from fight-or-flight adrenaline to a rush of excitement to seize an opportunity.
For more great ideas on building singing confidence and improving your singing performance , be sure to check out this helpful learn how to sing website.
Tags: performance anxiety, singing confidence, singing live, singing performance