In traditional voice lessons, the teacher and student spend a great deal of time working on vocal technique, learning a song or perhaps even tackling a new language and its correct pronunciation. Very rarely, however, is there enough time in a lesson to discuss or put into practice strategies for developing confidence as a performer. For decades, dedicated students have heard generalized statements meant to indicate that merely practicing could enhance a singer’s confidence onstage. Indeed, practicing helps to build confidence, but is that the only ingredient necessary to ward off those persistent butterflies in the stomach, sweaty palms or in some cases, feelings of physical sickness that go along with performing in front of a live audience?
In my experience, confidence is an art form in and of itself which has to be practiced, eventually learned, tested and relearned again and again. Confidence does not come from merely having a song memorized or having heard from a teacher (or Grandma) that I sound great. Confidence…true confidence comes from an inner state of peace about where I am in my artistic journey and the attitude I have about that journey. In essence, I can have a great voice and know my song, but if I walk out on stage and feel negatively about myself or my voice, I will not exude the confidence I need to feel successful as a performer. If I don’t feel successful, the law of attraction tells me that I will not be successful — no matter how well I know the song or how great my high notes are in the practice room.
While some people possess the natural ability to come alive on stage and sing without the slightest shake of the knees, many people have to work to become confident performers. This work involves, not only performing over and over again in hopes that it “will get easier”, but it also requires a good bit of self-assessment and self-awareness on the part of the person performing — or “practicing” performing.
Self-assessment can come in the form of listening to yourself on a recording, watching yourself in a video or singing in a masterclass. But to go a little further, self-assessment of how you think and feel while performing should be done before the performance, during the performance and after the performance. Are you overly critical of yourself? Do you find yourself going through thoughts about not being good enough?
Much about how we feel and the energy we receive and release in a performance has to do with what is going through our minds. If we are highly self-critical, we will be more apt to pick apart our performance while performing and never fully be able to live in the moment on stage. One of my prize students always jokes that she is her own worst enemy (referring to herself as ‘Simon Cowell’) in the practice room, in the lesson and on stage because she is always so critical of herself. There is a fine line between being critical in a positive way in order to improve or being “chronically” critical of yourself no matter how much you may have improved or how well you may have sung. Many times, performers lack confidence because we are perfectionists and perhaps a bit unrealistic about our abilities or where we should be in our careers. We needlessly compare our voices with others, and we are disappointed when we don’t achieve immediate success.
In the book, Power Performance for Singers by Shirlee Emmons and Alma Thomas, these topics and more are specifically discussed and laid out in great detail. They suggest that singers/performing artists keep a journal of how they feel about performing and in doing so, tackle some pretty scary beasts in our minds about the subject. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron also helps artists go through the journey of sorting through their fears and “unblocking” their creative energy.
Self-awareness comes in a more raw form than self-assessment, but perhaps it is even more important. Self-assessment deals with how you view yourself and how you think and feel while performing. But self-awareness deals with how you view yourself in comparison to others, or more precisely, where you actually do stand. It is one thing to be confident, but it is truly another to be confident because you are good at what you do. This doesn’t mean those of us who haven’t arrived yet should throw in the towel because we’re not as good as so-and-so. But, it does mean that we need to be realistic and have an idea about where we are and how far we need to go (or how much we need to practice) to become as good or better. Believe it or not, more people do not possess self-awareness than people who do. Why do you think millions of people audition on national t.v. for American Idol every year?
Even though all of us are on a very different and very individual journey, it is important to know who we are and what we have to offer–whether it is to be the next big star, a solid choral singer or a recreational singer who loves to sing regardless of an outcome of fame or fortune.
