I'm an aspiring gospel singer and I don't mean to brag but I'm pretty good! The only thing I have a problem with is when it's time for me to sing in front of other people, I get very nervous and it's hard for me to control my voice because I'm nervous and I feel like I'm not giving my best performance because my voice sounds a bit shaky due to my nervousness. I can control it at times but I want to feel comfortable singing in front of people ALWAYS! Please give me advise on how to overcome STAGE FRIGHT:confused:

Practice practice practice. Have some friends and/or neighbors over and sing them a few songs

... just a thought :)

I don't know if this will help but I will try.

When I was young I was an incredibly shy kid. I was fearful standing up in front of a crowd. Made me sick to my stomach. By the time I was 15 I was sick and tired of being fearful. Signed up for an improv class. It nearly killed me to get up in front of a group of people but I plowed through because I was determined. I knew I could be funny because I use to make my father really "guffaw" laugh. Everything I did had a funny twist to it. By the end of the classes, people would actually fight to be my improve partner. As a result of this ego boost I became very self confident and later in business, whenever a presentation needed to be made, I was the one chosen because I was the most comfortable getting up in front of people. The point to this story is that I have a mental exercise that I used to do for myself.

This is kind of what I would go through in my mind. You have to sit and think about how it is to be in the audience. When you are an audience member and someone is about to speak or perform, you are anticipating enjoying it. You are not critical. It doesn't even enter your mind that the performance might not be what you expect. You want whoever is stepping up there to succeed because then it will be an experience you enjoy and leaves you feeling good for the rest of the day. When you are standing on stage, or in front of group, always keep that in mind. They are anticpating hearing your wonderful voice. You know you have a wonderful voice. And, you know those people only want you to do well for yourself.

Are most of the people you sing in front of family and church members you know? If so, the other thing I would do is say to myself, I know all these people and they know and like me. I have nothing to be afraid of because they want to see me succeed.

As I said, I don't know if this will help. It did help me.

Another thing you can do is what Rick is suggesting. Start with a small group of people you are the most comfortable with, say 6 people. Then keep adding to that group other people you are comfortable with. Keep practicing in front of family and friends and keep adding more people that you know. Eventually, you should get over your fear.

Finally, if either of these ideas don't appeal to you, take a public speaking course. Find out where one is offered in your area. If you don't know where to go to search, ask someone you know who might have an idea. Take the course. The point of it is to help people overcome their fear of speaking in a public forum. Everyone there will be in the same boat as you. It is a very effective way to get over stage fright.

It is a matter of just doing it, getting use to it and doing it.

You go every week to the nursing home and sing for them, you sing at every event you can. And you get used to it after a while.

Also proper voice training, professional training so you can hold your tone in a hurricane.

I am an actor here in NYC and I have the same problem when I sing, but not when I act or do a monologue. The reasons are a that 1. because I am a much more accomplished actor than I am singer and 2. When I do monologues or scenes, I am not me. I am the character I am playing. So I began treating the singing as a monologue: Who am I, what is my environment, what are my relationships and what are my obstacles and my tactics to overcome them. I think about this just before I sing or do a monologue. E. R. O. T. Your best ally is your confidence in your singing. Find the love and don't perform... SHARE.

I play sports, but really its all the same. When I get into a big game, I can never seem to come through. I think your problem might be that you tense up when your moment comes. I think you simply need to tell yourself that your good and that you know you can do it. Also if you think about it too much, you will mess up. I know this from experience. Believe me you'll do fine as long as your confident and don't think about it too much.

I love singing too, and I know exactly how it feels to stand up in front of a huge crowd and having the shaky voice even when your only trying to talk. What I do is practice in front of my friends and family right before a show. Then your somewhat used to singing in front of a crowd. Also, this is just one of those things that you have to do many times so that you can get used to it. Maybe find something to do that relaxes you right before singing. Give your body time to cool down and be ready. Its just a matter of your schedule and how you do things.

WIKIPEDIA IS SO HELPFUL!

Stage Fright
Stage fright or performance anxiety is the anxiety, fear, or persistent phobia which may be aroused in an individual by the requirement to perform in front of an audience, whether actually or potentially (for example, when performing before a camera). In the context of public speaking, this may precede or accompany participation in any activity involving public self-presentation. In some cases stage fright may be a part of a larger pattern of social phobia or social anxiety disorder, but many people experience stage fright without any wider problems. Quite often, stage fright arises in a mere anticipation of a performance, often a long time ahead. It has numerous manifestations: fluttering or pounding heart, tremor in the hands and legs, sweaty hands, facial nerve tics, dry mouth, and erectile dysfunction.