Performing in front of people is a scary business. Especially if it is a solo singing performance, the nervousness level can be pretty high. The coaches wanted to share some tips for all of you to make this fun and successful!

Plan your practice time in advance!

Preparing and practicing for the performance can be done little by little by setting aside regular practice time. Last minute over practice might even lead to damage to your voice. Consistency is the key 🗝!

Memorize lyrics.

You can look at the lyrics sheet on the day if you get nervous and worry that the mind will go blank.😉

However, memorizing the lyrics really helps you to not get distracted by “reading the lyrics” and to express yourself more freely.

Microphone technique mic. 🎤

Maintaining a good distance and angle of the microphone from your face can vastly improve your performance, and help you sing with more ease. About 1-3 inches of distance helps the voice to be well captured through the sound system. When you are belting with loud voices, you would want to keep a little more distance to avoid sound feedback. Hold the mic on its middle shaft, with a nice but flexible grip. Do a short mic test before the performance starts :)

Start with a little bit of ice break.

Have a little chat with the audience to shake off the fear. How about starting with an introduction of yourself, why you chose the song, or even how you feel to be on the stage and requesting some cheerful support from the audience. If you are performing an upbeat song, you can invite the audience to clap along to make it more enjoyable.

Adjust the key, the song for more manageable range.

It is not always the best choice to sing extremely high or low songs that do not suit your vocal range. You can first sing the song in various keys to see how it feels and sounds different, and adjust it so that you can present the best qualities of your voice.

Wake your voice before the performance.

Maybe there won’t be time for you to do a full scale warm up right before your performance. Drink enough water a few hours before your performance to stay hydrated, as well as do the warm ups to awaken the voice.

Focus on the song and enjoy it!

There is no doubt that the song you chose means something to you, and is a great song. You would have listened to it multiple times and worked on both the emotion and technique of the song. Now it’s your time to make it as your version, with your own style and expression. The best way to do it is to forget about the nitty gritty details of how to sing well, but to just have a full moment with the song. When you are fully immersed in the song, then the nervousness starts to disappear and more of your potential will flow out. The audience also feels more engaged with your song.