I have been performing for coming up to thirteen years now. My stage fright was so bad at the beginning I wouldn't even soundcheck if I hadn't drank a glass of wine to loosen me up. Then played a couple day time sober shows and that was a good bit of exposure therapy in not doing that any more and I stopped needing it.
Got into a routine of pre-show ritual which starts a few hours before I need to leave the house. Lots of time spent getting prepared physically (beautifying and stretches), packing my bag, practicing before (but not too much on the day). The best way to eliminate stage fright is to feel prepared, in my experience. I vocal warm up before I leave the house and sing along to songs I like. Try and get pumped up and excited about it.
I basically don't get stage fright any more apart from usually in the first minute of performing when my body goes what the *fuck* and my throat dries up. Then I take a few really deep breaths and drink a load of water and do an extended instrumental intro and we're good.
Also I find on stage the best way to focus and tune out stage fright is:
1. Find one person to look at. Don't avoid eye contact as the unknown is much worse.
2. May sound obvious but really listen to the music. Just focus in super hard and don't think about anything else, like kinda meditative!
Related Recs
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I sing and read poetry live. During the first three months of 2024 i did it once a month. And it was intense.
I still feel SO insecure!!! And I’ve been singing and performing live for a while, like a couple of years.
Smaller crowds are THE WORST but they forget EVERYTHING.
My advise is: you will remember your own mistakes while performing FOREVER, BUT the audience WONT!
Keep doing it and keep showing up for yourself!!! 🫶🫶🫶🫶
Apr 27, 2024
my friends hosted a little outdoor concert/open mic/fundraiser thing yesterday and overcome with love (that overshadowed my stage fright), i decided to sing a song in front of people for the first time ever. at open mics, i would usually read something i wrote or maybe play some flute with a band, but i’ve never even entertained the thought of singing. i’ve done karaoke many times, but i’ve always sang with my friends cuz i was too scared to do it alone. but even though i was singing alone last night, i wasn’t truly alone because i had one friend playing drums, another playing keys, another playing bass, and another on guitar. i also had a small crowd of friends, some close not, but all of them cheering me on and watching intently, with one them excitedly taking a video of me singing while i was wearing her oversized denim jacket and red heart-shaped sunglasses to help with the nerves (and the cold). i had my eyes glued to my phone the whole time out of nerves, and i didn’t sing too loud, but i sang nonetheless! and i felt so supported the whole time.
i think it’s important to do scary things in order to grow, and i think it is equally important to do those things in environments where you feel held, by friends and strangers alike!
i leave you with some advice i found on pinterest that i think is incredibly fitting and related to this sentiment :,)
Oct 6, 2024
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and that can be on a stage or in your own room, but just hearing the words vs reading them is always huge for me - if the words don't come out of your mouth honestly, then it doesn't matter how they look on the page
the phrasing, the breath, etc - sometimes they can carry the weight of a word beyond it's dictionary definition
so write what feels right, perform it, experiment, make tweaks - just always follow your gut and stay true
sorry that's all kinda vague, but you're gonna figure it out and it's gonna feel amazing - good luck!!
Oct 1, 2024
Top Recs from @caskeyc
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1. Don't set an alarm and wake up naturally. Snooze for however long you want to, it's okay
2. Have breakfast. For me it's toast. Have it with butter/jam/honey and a lot of water and coffee and juice.
3. Listen to an album in full and do some puzzles until it ends. I like to stick a record on and do the nyt games (connections, then wordle, then the mini, then I'm ready for a crossword)
4. Shower and use all your best stuff. Smell great. Make your hair feel soft.
5. Wear an outfit you don't get to wear that often. I tend to wear the same thing over and over at work so I wear something a bit more fun and less practical.
6. Go outside. I live near a road with secondhand shops that are great browsing but quite tempting on a budget. To beat the temptation just look in the windows and then walk round the streets or to a green space if it's a nice day. Walk as fast or as slow as you like. Try and spot cats that might let you stroke them. See how each place you go smells different. Walk down streets that you've not been down before just because.
7. Come home and decide how much energy you have. If you have energy do an activity (I would write, play an instrument, do some art, read, play a game) if you don't then watch something from your watchlist. Saturdays feel like a good day to watch something new.
8. Cook yourself a meal. Start before you're hungry and spend ages on it. Use every pot. Listen to music. Sing whilst you wash the dishes.
9. Play! Video games, board games, internet games, card games, phone games, rearrange your plushies, embrace your inner child. Play with ideas, experiment with felt tip pens, write a limerick. Get silly with it.
10. Talk to your friends. Invite them over, call somebody up, text that person back you didn't have time to. I like to spend a good day off by myself then have a great time talking to people after I've recharged.
11. Have so much fun getting to do whatever you want you fall asleep at whatever time. Monday - Friday is about appeasing your body clock, Saturdays are for filthy pleasures like falling asleep at 3am because you were too busy flirting or reading or watching videos.
Apr 16, 2024
Re: my last rec I'm kinda realizing reading this might have changed my life actually
Apr 16, 2024