Stage Presence & Tips For Dealing With Stage Fright
It’s important to look professional when you are on stage performing.
It’s great to have an energetic and appealing presence when up in front of the
crowd. The crowd can feed off of positive energy as well. There are
many ways to involve the crowd at your shows. If you’re playing a popular
cover song try to get the crowd to sing along with you. Moving around on
stage also helps rather than staying still and looking nervous. Watch
concert DVD’s of your favorite artists and mimic how they get crowd involvement.
While you are most likely playing a smaller venue, it can help to get tips from
watching the pros perform.
Stage Fright is a common occurrence for many musicians and
performers. Stage fright typically refers to nervousness before a live
performance. The symptoms are typically nervousness, sweating, sweaty
palms, or panic type feelings. You may feel as if you might pass out
or vomit as well. These feelings typically result from the worry or
anticipation before a gig or show. It’s not always easy to perform in front of
people. There are many things that can go wrong on stage, but it’s best to
relax and make sure you are well rehearsed before each gig. The more
comfortable you are with the material the better off you will be. If you
feel nervous before a show, avoid coffee, caffeine, or alcohol. Take deep
breathes before the show if you start to get nervous. Once you are a few
songs into a set your nerves should subside. After a while you should feel
like you are in the zone once things are moving along. The zone is what
musicians refer to when they’re on stage and the music sort of takes over the
feel and vibe of the show. It’s similar to when sports stars have a great
game and they lose themselves in the moment. They block everything else
out and enjoy the game.
Maintain Your Composure On Stage - Every show is not going to be
perfect, and one of your band mates may make a mistake from time to time.
It’s important to maintain composure on stage. Fighting or yelling at each
other on stage looks completely unprofessional. If you have a problem with
another musician, address it after the show. Smile and move on, especially
if mistakes occurs. Many times you as a musician are more critical than
the crowd. The fans in the audience may not even realize that a mistake
happened at all, especially if it’s an original song.
