[Telsa14]

I love to sing it is one of my biggest hobbies ever people tell me that I am a great singer all the time. But once I get on stage I freez up the words just don't come to me. How do I over come stadge fright?

[KingsX]

What is going through your mind when you are on stage? Are you really nervous? Or is it something that seems out of your control?

[Telsa14]

I freeze up and I go blank I forget the words and stuff.

[KingsX]

But is it from nervousness? I perform regularly and I get nervous almost every time. Actually the more people that are there the better. But I forget words all the time too, usually because I'm preoccupied with my guitar or what the rest of the band is doing and lose my place. Is that what is happening to you? It sounds like its just straight nervousness?

[danielnoahsmommy]

You need to practice some deep breathing exercises before going on stage

[Telsa14]

OK I will try that

[KingsX]

But does it go beyond breathing? Are you afraid of people judging you? Do you feel that you might fail, or that you aren't good enough? What is behind the issue?

[Telsa14]

Well I don't want to get booed of the stage or have something bad like that happen to me. So I think it is a mixture of nervousness and fear

[KingsX]

Are you confident in your abilities? Have you sang for other people, and gotten praise for your abilities, like sing for friends or family? If you are confident in your abilities, you shouldn't have anything to fear. I've had bad shows, but have yet to be actually booed off stage. Generally most people won't boo.

[Telsa14]

Well that's good to know.

[KingsX]

But it doesn't end there. I think part of the issue is if you start to dwell on whether you might forget the words, it sort of compounds and the fear and nervousness actually feed on itself. You have to try to breathe as daniel said, but in doing so relax. Keep thinking to yourself that it'll be fine. And especially if you can accept that you probably will make mistakes, the fear will start to disappear. It'll probably always be there, but try to move past it. What ever you do, don't resort to drugs or alcohol to remove the fear. This can lead to addictions, which plague the music industry as we all know.

[Telsa14]

Well thanks and no I will never do drugs ar anything like that I haven't and I won't

[KingsX]

Well I hoped I helped at least a little. I remember when I first started performing, I was a wreck. But the thought of freezing on stage in front of people was actually scarier and more embarrassing than performing poorly, so just like ripping off a bandaid, I just went with it. And it got easier and easier from there. And like I said I still get nervous, but not to the same degree. Just keep in mind that you are out there for you, and how much fun it is and you should be fine.

[Clough]

Hi, Telsa14!

You've already received some excellent advice on this thread! What I'm wondering is, the type of music that you sing, whether you have accompaniment when you sing, how much and how you've prepared the music and the type of audiences it is for which you sing, please?

Thanks!

[Tatanka]

I sang professionally for years. The comment above about deep breathing is what I always use "just before" I sing - one to three minutes before. Don't take in too much air; breathe in slowly, till your abdomen is pleasantly full, then out - S L O W L Y - in again, S L O W L Y, then out.

One trick that helped me in the beginning was to picture something at the back of the room or auditorium - clocks are good - better someTHING rather than an individual face. It can be part of the structure, a door, window, picture on the wall; decoration; anything - - but above the heads of the people. Sing TO THAT ! Hope it helps.