Last time we looked at why getting stage fright is pretty natural. If you’d like to read that blog, head over here, otherwise, read on!
What can you do about stage fright?
You can fight and conquer stage fright on three distinct fronts.
Practical approaches to dealing with stage fright
If you are onstage with godawful monitoring or playing to tiny or hostile crowds the problem is not really you. Sort these issues out on a consistent basis – whether that means bringing your own engineer or changing your venue/audiences. Performing has to be a positive experience and one which you look forward to. If it consistently isn’t, then you are conditioning yourself to hate it in a very powerful way, because the adrenaline released during a performance makes your subconscious mind regard it as a ‘significant’ event.
Psychological questions to ask yourself if you’re dealing with stage fright
If you suffer a great deal onstage, then it is likely that you have hidden attitudes to yourself and your work that are hampering you. You must deal with these first, or nothing else will stick. I’m using the example of a singer here – because that’s closest to my experience – but do apply these suggestions to your own craft.
Are you a perfectionist?
Have you come from a studio environment where you craft a vocal for months to a standard where it will stand repeated critical listening? That is NOT what is required for live performance. I used to think that this was a cop out, but I now understand that the psychological experience of the audience makes other things much more important. If your audience wanted a perfect rendition from you they’d listen to the record. I don’t mean you shouldn’t rehearse and make the performance as perfect technically as you can, but you need to understand that something else that’s very powerful is going on here.
When you form part of an audience, your focus and your silence cause you to enter a sort of light trance. In other words, you enter ‘dreamtime’ too. You do it when watching a film or reading or concentrating on some work as well. For the audience, what becomes paramount is their experience of the performer as a person. The emotional connection that comes from being in their presence overrides a lot of other detail for them. It is a common mistake to regard the audience as passive. They are actually working quite hard. The experience of live ‘magic’ is something that you create between you, not something which, as a performer you can create alone. The things which audiences bring to a performance are their focus and their excitement. Both of these heighten their sense of the significance of the event for them. The thing which you as a performer, need to bring, is technical competence and absolute focus to help them along. What they want from you, is a sincere insight into why you love your material, right down to the very note you are singing right that second. They are not musicians (generally) and they want to experience music through your eyes, so to speak. This is why you can have a voice with a tone like a vacuum cleaner and still give them a mesmerising and charismatic performance.
It is this that makes people want to listen to singers of all levels of ability and tone. This is the thing you must hold onto if you want to be confident and open enough to give them your own authentic voice. You must be convinced that whatever your shortcomings, what they are there to hear is your unique take on that material. A ‘friend’ analogy can help. Say your friend is interested in science and is explaining a few rudiments to you. Part of your pleasure in the interaction is the fact that you listening to the facts via your friend’s enthusiasm. That enthusiasm and the pleasure of sharing with your friend are what make it interesting for you. You don’t sit there grousing because they aren’t the leading scientist on that theory in the world. You don’t need them to be the best to enjoy it. Well, your audience want your enthusiasm too and authentic connection with you too. Yes, you. Even if you aren’t Maria Callas or Joni Mitchell, Christina Aguilera or Bruno Mars.
The other thing you should know is that the state the audience are in makes it virtually impossible for them to listen objectively and critically. Even after many years as a musician I have failed to hear duff notes in a performance by someone else and I know other good musicians who do the same. The likelihood is that the audience have not spotted your flaws, so carry on regardless.
Do you feel like less of a singer if you make mistakes?
What is your tolerance level? This is often a problem for singers who have come from a recording background. In recording, there is pretty much zero tolerance and for good reason. However, performances on record don’t happen ‘in the field’ or in ‘real time’. That inability in your audience to be as critical is what helps you here. Be realistic and aim to make a performance 80% perfect, not more. If you are falling below 60% then you have a right to be upset with yourself but don’t expect 100% every time. Your audience don’t need you to be perfect to be blown away. This is also crucial to remember if you have a cold or are under some other form of stress. Better that you have turned up and are really ‘present’ for them than that you cancel (unless it will hurt your throat of course). Be honest with them and they will love you for it. If you are a solo singer and have lots of fans out there remember, no one really wants a generic show. They want to know they were there on the night you had a cold or only just made it to the theatre. That’s what makes that performance unique to them alone. You are not a machine. That’s what makes you special.
If being critical about technique is a particular problem for you and your internal voices nag you about it in a performance, then try giving them something else to do. Set another sort of goal and write it down before you go onstage e.g. Be more informal when I talk to my audience between numbers, or be funnier, or display more passion whilst I sing, or make my diction better. Then you can rate your performance according to this goal and not technical perfection. It really helps to keep you fresh too.
Do you imagine critical comments or fear actual danger from your audience if you make a mistake, whilst you are in the grip of nerves?
This problem can often strike, seemingly out of nowhere in your late twenties and early thirties. The subconscious mind seems to harbour a number of time bombs from your childhood which only go off then. Suddenly, you may find you have life issues or stage issues which you never did before. Firstly, regard the voices, characters or comments as your friends, or at the very least useful information. They are signposts to exactly what the problem is. Chances are, it has nothing to do with performing at all, but, rather like when you fall asleep and dream, the experience of being onstage brings all sorts of other buried things up.
You may find it useful to write down exactly what is happening for you. What do your voices say? What do you fear will happen? What makes you shake? Or feel sick? What is going on for you internally? You will end up with a series of comments or even characters who haunt your audience, heckling you or even threatening you physically – as in the case of my ‘assassin’. It is crucial for you to understand that these characters who speak these lines are inside you yourself. Therefore they do not belong in your audience, but onstage with you, where you can dialogue with them or even fight them physically if necessary. If you have any actor or clowning friends, then ask them to help you to do some improvisation/empty chair work with your demons. Bring them up onstage with your friends for support and act their part and dialogue with them. If you need to fight physically with them, I highly recommend doing some stage fighting courses and then duelling with them or having a brawl. My assassin disappeared immediately, once I did this and I haven’t seen him since. Clowning or fooling courses can also be good places to get support if you tell the group what you are experiencing and ask them to help you work with it.
Part 3 to follow soon!
If you’re dreading an upcoming public event, such as a board presentation, keynote speech, wedding speech or even an upcoming performance, get in touch. I can coach you through the process, of reclaiming your natural stage presence. Use the contact page or email me at