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Pt. 1 How to Support Your Kids Without Becoming a Stage Mom (or Dad)

September 25, 2009 By voiceclubcoach 1 Comment

SINGER CHILD1-iStock_000003783000XSmallLast time I gave you the Top 10 Signs You Might Be a Stage Mom (or dad).  If you saw yourself at all in any of them, don’t worry.  Unless you’re bedazzling their microphone as you read this, there is still hope.

The Urban Dictionary defines stage moms as “Pushy, obnoxious, crazy mothers who force their kids to act, model, or enter beauty contests, usually turning them into emotionally scared adults who hate their parents.”  And while I can’t imagine any parent goes down that road with any great intention, you and both know there are plenty who have arrived there, or at least are visiting one of the rest stops along the way right now.

Hey, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with supporting, even promoting your kids.  In fact I think there are way more parents who ignore or discourage their kids talent or dreams then there are true stage parents.  But the supportive type tend to fall into two distinct categories;

1.    Over zealous stage parents you want to run away from, or,
2.    Parents who are afraid of becoming over zealous stage parents you want to run away from.

The truth is that neither really offers the best support for your kid.  Like all great things in life, there must be a balance; except in yoga where I’m convinced it’s always safest to keep limbs near the floor at all times.  Speaking from experience, here. So how do you find balance in supporting your kids creative side?

In the next few posts we’ll hash it all out in practical ways you can start using right away, including how to praise your kids accomplishments in the way that helps them most, how to lead them to and through opportunities and just how involved you should really get.

Got a comment or a story?  Love to hear it.  Click the comments button and share away!

Filed Under: Just for Kids, Promote Better Tagged With: , ,

Top 10 Signs You Might Be a Stage Mom (or Dad)

September 23, 2009 By voiceclubcoach 1 Comment

With a whole new season of talent based reality shows ahead, parents of talented kids everywhere are looking at how to support their kids dreams of doing more with their talent.  But SOME of them will inevitably take it too far.  Are you one of

Source: evilbeetgossip.film.com

them?  You might be, if…..

  1. You purse/wallet includes your kid’s business card
  2. You’ve bookmarked the casting process to every talent show on television
  3. You introduce yourself as manager, voice and acting coach, photographer and choreographer.
  4. You’ve never met a family vacation that didn’t include a performing opportunity.
  5. You have your kids resume committed to memory and find it the perfect icebreaker at parties.
  6. Your christmas cards include your kids website address.
  7. When your kid finishes singing you take a little bow inside.
  8. You only joined Facebook to join your kids fan page, which you also started.
  9. For Christmas your kid got a karaoke machine with their name neatly bedazzled on the microphone.
  10. You’re online right now looking for ways to promote your kid.

Got one to add to the list?  Click on ‘Comments’ above.

Next time we’ll take a look at how to support your kids withOUT becoming a stage mom (or dad).

Filed Under: Just for Kids, Perform Better, Promote Better Tagged With: , , , ,

I Only Make Noise for Money

September 22, 2009 By voiceclubcoach Leave a Comment

I was teasing some Facebook friends about whether I should do a commercial for a Sephora skin care line I was offered the other day.  It was kind of a joke, because I haven’t been able to speak for several weeks.  Now they want to know if I only talk for money now.  So, here’s the skinny.

This vocal condition I have is so bizarre.  Even my voice instructor associates are baffled at it and it took one of the country’s leading doctors to diagnose it.  I can’t say I completely understand it myself, but to answer the questions …. and friendly jeers, I’m going to attempt to explain it a little better.

I’ve had four surgeries this year. During the last one in late June, the breathing tube that was placed down my throat scraped my windpipe just below my voice box.  So, technically my voice is fine.  The problem is that my body’s reaction to the scrape and the two little accompanying tumors has been to increasingly cease up the deep muscles in my neck causing great pain which is made much worse by making sound (I’m guessing because of the air irritating that damaged area).  So out of a pain reflex of sorts, my voice has started dwindling away.  After the surgery I started noticing it hurting a bit after I talked.  By July I could only whisper and by late August I couldn’t speak at all without incredible pain afterwords.  By September the pain was excruciating.
Because of that, I’ve not been able to do voice over work and have had to take a hiatus from teaching to get the pain under control while I wait to begin a special kind of therapy to retrain my throat to chillax.  But I did chose to take on a job today for a couple of reasons;  a past client recommended me,  I do hope to work again someday so I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to build a relationship with a new client, and I was honestly really curious to see if I could do it.

So how is it possible to do a voice over if I can’t speak?  Well, this is the way it was explained to me:  because I am a trained professional vocalist, vocal instructor and voice talent, my vocal cords are physically fine and because I have trained them to work correctly for these purposes, that training kicks in when I do what I’m trained for and actually lessens the stress in my throat.  For instance, by the time I could only whisper with my speaking voice, I could still sing through all registers and four octaves, and voice commercials with little problem.  But as the stress in my throat has continued to tighten,  the pain with even doing those things make it very difficult.

I haven’t sung or voiced anything for several weeks until today.  Dr. Nasseri said no singing or voicing until I get therapy, so I haven’t.  But honestly, the sheer curiosity was getting to me.  So I did it.  I voiced one commercial.  How did it go?  Well, the client is happy.  But omg – that is NOT my voice.  I did a very gentle vocal warm up and could tell 3/4 of my range is now completely gone, replaced by the pain in my throat.  It’s frail.  It’s like it’s freaking out.  It takes a massive amount of effort to keep the tone together at all, the ends of sentences completely disappear.  It took me four times longer to record than it should have.

Dr. Nasseri was right; no more of that.  But I can’t imagine how i survive six months of therapy with no work and expect to have any work after that!  Good thing I’m a voice instructor, because once I’m cleared to vocally train again, this is going to be a long process.

So, my facebook friends, I will no longer be making noise for money for awhile.  I’m still waiting for someone to return my calls to schedule therapy…. and taking it out on my dry erase board instead.

Filed Under: Personal Blog Tagged With: , , , , ,

Turn Passing Listeners into Loyal Fans

September 21, 2009 By voiceclubcoach 2 Comments

halle_berry_ellen_degeneresWhy is it that some artists have an exploding fan base and others struggle to get anyone to sign up on their mailing lists?  Is it just that they had more friends to begin with?  Some of them did.  But once you go beyond family and friends, there is one thing you can do that will either severely limit or greatly expand how many audience members you turn into serious fans.   Want to know what it is?  Good.  The key is how well you make your audience a part of your world.

Here’s an example.  In the hyper competitive world of tv talk shows, Ellen Degeneres has skyrocketed above the competition.  What is she doing differently?  She is not just entertaining, she is involving her audience in her own world.  O.k.  To be fair, other talk shows use the whole ‘interaction’ model too.  They solicit questions and responses or let a lucky audience member read from the teleprompter.  And while there are interactive parts of her show too, Ellen does something unique that immediately establishes who she is (let’s the audience know what they’re getting) and  involves every member of her audience (and welcomes them into her world).

How does she do it?  She starts every show with a freestyle dance.  And once she’s got everyone getting down, laughing and feeling good, she can talk about just about anything and have them all on her team.  That’s loyalty gold.  And it’s something you can do too.

Many artists think of audience involvement as the part in the show where you get people to do the wave or clap on cue.  That’s not what I’m talking about here.  Anyone can do the ‘trained monkey show’ as I always think of it.  But in a world filled with prerecorded, lip synced performances, what people want more than ever is authenticity.  They want to know who you really are and why they should buy into you.

So maybe you’re not a zany comedian who has a crazy dance for any song known to man.  It’s not about copying what someone else does, it’s about applying the concept to who you really are.   Are you a nerd down deep?  A skater?  A dancer?  A gamer?  If you had to describe yourself in ten words, what would they be?

Now answer this; what are the top ten things that make you crazy happy?   Now how can you channel the most universally popular thing on your list into an interactive part of your show so people get a sense of who you are and are welcomed along for the ride?

I know.  I know.  Some of you are thinking, “But what if what I like doesn’t appeal to some of my audience?”   It won’t.  You can’t be all things to all people.  And that’s really a beautiful thing because if you water down who you are to appeal to the masses, your audience will never really connect with you deeply enough to become true fans.  On the other end, if you’ll take the risk to be distinctly you, you will connect immediately with those who dig what you dig and they will tell others who share similar personalities or interests and on and on it goes.    You’ll find it easier to get and keep fans because all you have to do is be you and they’ve already signed on for that.  And soon YOU’LL be the one with the exploding fan base.

What ‘one thing’ sets you a part?  How are you welcoming your audience into your world and how is it working?  Leave a comments and let everyone know.

Filed Under: Promote Better Tagged With: , , ,

Top 10 Ways to Care for Your Singing Voice

September 19, 2009 By voiceclubcoach 3 Comments

We’ve all seen them.  The new artists that start out so promising.  You hear the buzz.  You wait for them to tour in your area.  You go to see the show and then reality sets in; they don’t sound at all like you expected them to.  In fact, sometimes they’re just… really, really bad.  (I’m not naming any names, Kelly Clarkson.)

The demands of touring can wreak havoc on a singer, especially on their first major tour when they don’t yet know just how much their bad habits are going to work against their voice.   But the problems you hear in those live performances are just an exaggeration of the basic problems all singers face.  Here are the top 10 ways to avoid them:

10.  Get Some Rest Already

Physical fatigue has a really bad effect on the voice.  That’s what you’re hearing a lot of from singers on the road.  Sure you have to work with the situation you’re in but understanding just how important adequate rest is to performing your best might just make you turn in a bit earlier.  Nighty night.

9.  Watch Those Burritos

Spicy, greasy, milky or heavy foods (farewell Mr. Cheesecake; I knew you well) are big no-no’s when you’ve got a performance coming up.  Depending how sensitive your body is to what you eat you might want to avoid these foods several days before a performance.  The best advice;  eat a healthy, well balanced diet all the time.  For those rolling your eyes right now; back off the junk food before you sing.  It helps.  It really does.

8.  Make H20 Your Favorite Element

Your vocal cords are teeny tiny, slippery little suckers.  They vibrate so fast during speech (or singing) that it wasn’t even until the last year or so before they developed a camera that could slow down enough to see it.  But without adequate hydration, they can’t perform those incredible rolling waves of vibration nearly as well.  Keep them slippery.  Drink 8-10 glasses of water a day.  Not in the habit of drinking that much?  Don’t bet on that bottle of spring water during the show to cut it.  It can take a week or longer to rehydrate your body.  We’ll wait while you go get a glass.

7.  Get in Shape

Even if you don’t have to serve as your own backup dancer, the better shape you’re in, the more energy you have (and give) in your performance.  And and that little edge could mean turning those people who would rather play on their iPhones than really listen to you into loyal fans instead.

6. Don’t Rock ’till You See the Doc

When was the last time you saw an Ear, Nose and Throat doc.  Really?  It’s time.  Singers of all levels should make this an annual event to head off dangerous damage you might not see coming down the pike like acid reflux or signs that your technique might be slipping and physically compromising your voice.

5. Let’s Clear the Air

Smoke=bad.  It’s not even o.k. if you just inhale, Mr. Clinton.  If you tend to sing in smokey venues, start booking more outdoor ones or places that have a no smoking rule for the room where performances take place (some casino’s do this).  If you plan on singing for awhile you’ll be adding years to your voice.

4. Don’t Play with Pain

If you have pain while singing or after a show, somethings amiss in singersville.  See this article to find out if this means you.  Pain is not a part of being a singer, regardless of what style you sing.  Danger, Will Robinson.  Danger.

3. Save it for the Show

I’m not a big fan of the ‘I don’t sing the day of a performance’ mantra.  Sure, if you’re a mega star bombarded by hundreds of crazed screaming fans, maybe you want to keep it on the down low, but the basic principle is this:  Don’t be screaming or talking excessively when you have a demanding show coming up.  It’s damaging at worst, and taking from what you can do on stage at best.

2. Step Up Your Style

Working with a good vocal styling coach can help you develop a bag of styling tricks that are useful way beyond impressing that guy/girl that finally made it to hear you sing.  They allow you options at different difficulties to choose from so if you find yourself having an off night you can still thrill your audience while protecting your voice.  And you do want to thrill them, don’t you?

1. Teacher Knows Best

A qualified vocal technique instructor who understands how the anatomy of your voice works and can assess how your lifestyle and tendencies affect your vocal potential.  Regular vocal lessons should not only provide continuing growth in your skill level, they should also teach you how to best care for your voice in your specific situation and they provide a trusted resource to ask questions as they arise.  Find a good instructor (I recommend Speech Level Singing) and get started!

Got another tip to add?  Think I’m full of it?  Leave a comment at the top of this post.

Filed Under: Sing Better Tagged With: , , ,

Got Good Technique? Find Out.

September 18, 2009 By voiceclubcoach Leave a Comment

Female-opera-singerGood technique is different that natural talent or incredible vocal licks.  Those things are the accessories of the voice, but solid vocal technique is the shape underneath it all.  And we all know you only do so much to cover up a bad shape!   Just like being in great physical shape makes you a hot lookin’ powerhouse, good vocal technique allows you to unlock your voice’s full potential in a healthy, balance way, and avoiding damage.

So, ever wonder just how good your vocal technique is?   Take this true or false quiz:

  1. I can sing up and down my range softly without breaks or weak spots.
  2. I can sing up and down my range at full intensity without flips or breaks.
  3. I can transition between very soft to full intensity without weakness or flipping.
  4. I don’t feel ‘pinched’ or ‘pulled’ at the top of my range
  5. I have no pain during or after singing
  6. I have no hoarseness after singing

If you answered yes to all five of these, congratulations!  You’re on the right track to having a healthy, balanced voice.  If not, no worries.  Just like we’re all at different places with our physical shape (my place is on the sofa), so it is with our voice.  The most important thing is knowing that you’re looking for help in all the right places.

As a vocal instructor I have subscribed to about every method of teaching out there in my adult life.   My mom was a degreed classical vocal instructor.  I learned to rock belt at 16 for my live and studio work.  And both of them brought their own set of problems.  With one I couldn’t sing with an edge.  With the other, I lost a good part of my range and I couldn’t transition between soft and intense without a lot of cover up styling.  So what I’m about to tell you is what I’ve discovered from my serious struggles with my voice and an intense search for an answer.

A couple of years ago I found a technique training method that literally changed everything I can do as a vocalist.  It removed myseth obstacles and more than doubled my range.  When I first heard about it, I was a serious skeptic.  Once I became a student and saw the concrete science behind it unlock my problems one by one, I signed on.  I had to.  Not only did it work for me, it worked consistently for every one of my students, without exception.  The methods official name is Speech Level Singing and it’s creator is Seth Riggs.  There are many other instructors who borrow from the method, some to degrees that kind of render it useless in my opinion,  but I like that the organization keeps the teaching pure by requiring it’s instructors to constantly be students as well as teachers.  (btw; you won’t find me listed on the site.  I’ve been on medical sabbatical for some time.)

The idea behind this method has actually been around since the 1800′s and though many classically trained singers scoff at the method, the truth is that a great many Metropoliton Opera stars, Broadway professionals and hundreds of very well known major label artists and groups study with SLS instructors because it enables them to do what they do better, longer and without damage.  I’ll take being scoffed at any day considering what I’ve gained vocally.

I think what makes speech level singing so different from everything else that’s out there is that it considers how your voice anatomically works.  It was developed with acclaimed voice specialists to understand what causes vocal problems and how to avoid and reverse them.  And out of the process of understanding the voice itself came a technique method that retrains your brain to let your voice do literally what it was born to do, and it truly is amazing to see the results. (not ready for private lessons?  Here’s a study at home program originally developed for the American Idol vocalists.  Guys go here. Girls, this one’s for you.)

So, yes, I’m a fan.  And do I think you should work with someone who is studied in the technique?  Yes I do.  That said, many of you have voice teachers you like.  My intention isn’t to drive you away from them, just to help you become more informed.

So, to sum it up:  Technique is everything – without it, your bling can’t do a thing!   How’s yours doing?

Love to hear your questions or comments about vocal technique.  Click ‘leave a comment’ at the top of this post and leave text, audio or webcam video.

Filed Under: Sing Better, Voice Tips Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Stop! You're Killing Your Voice.

September 16, 2009 By voiceclubcoach 24 Comments

Screaming singerHow to Know if You’ve Gone Too Far

If there’s one question I hear all the time, it’s ‘how do I know if I’ve done something damaging to my voice?’  which always makes me think of something someone once told me about child rearing. “It only takes one time to touch a hot stove before they know better.”  Unfortunately I wasn’t that bright in my younger years as a singer.  So let’s take that analogy a bit further.  These are the tell tale signs that you’re taking your voice down a dangerous road. (*I am not a doctor and am not attempting to give medical advice.  If you have medical concerns about your voice please see a highly recommended ear, nose and throat physician.)

Pain

Pain is our body’s way of saying, ‘hey, knock that off!’  It is NOT a signal that you just had an intense performance.  It means you are requiring things of your voice that will damage it.  If you feel pain during or after singing, get the help of a qualified technique instructor to help put your voice back into a healthy balance.  A good one can help you do that without sacrificing your signature sound.  Yes, rock singers.  I’m talking to you.

Hoarseness

Ever scream at a huge sporting event and find your throat is sore the next day?  Probably no shocker.  Yet we seem surprised when the same thing happens after singing.  Hoarseness is another red flag that tells us your voice is not in balance and is being utilized incorrectly.   Hoarseness can also be a symptom of vocal cord polyps, granulomas (a growth caused by acid reflux and accompanied by ear and throat pain) and other medical conditions.  Even it this happens only occasionally, it’s time to be assessed by a good technique instructor.  If it’s happening consistently, see a a good ENT.

Loss of Voice

This is another way your voice protects itself from damage, it says ‘I’ve had enough, thank you.’  We’ve all had times when we’ve had an adrenaline packed performance and required more of our voices than we should, but if you are losing your voice at any time after you sing, you are heading down a road that could lead to nodes, cysts and surgery (oh my).

Missing Notes

If you find that all of a sudden you have specific notes in your range that are really weak or maybe missing altogether, it’s time to see a good ENT.  This is a classic sign that you’ve damaged your voice.  Nodes or cysts are like blisters on the vocal cords.  Wherever they develop the cords have trouble coming together .  If this is happening to you, you’re in need of medical intervention.  Once the problem is diagnosed and fixed, it will most likely return unless you find a qualified technique instructor to help retrain the bad habits you’ve formed that got you there.

If you’ve noticed the reoccurring theme has been ‘technique’.  There are many incredibly talented people who have horrendous technique.  Do they sound good?  Yes.  Will their voice last through everything they’d like to do with that talent?  Not without good technique.    So what is good technique and how do I find someone who teaches it?   We’ll talk about that next time.

Have you had a vocal problem you’d like more information on?  Tell us your stories about your experience with taking your voice a little to far.  Click ‘leave a comment’ at the top of this post.

Filed Under: Sing Better, Vocal Problems Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Kanye Disses Taylor Swift – Is It OK for Stars to Behave Badly?

September 14, 2009 By voiceclubcoach 2 Comments

Considering the source, it’s probably not too much of a shocker that Kanye West was caught behaving badly again.  In a move that had people in the mezzanine shouting things like ‘this will be the end of his career’, he basically dissed an award winner in order to turn the spotlight to his own opinion of who should’ve won.

I’ve heard of poor losers before, but when did it become o.k. for people to leverage their popularity to spout their opinions as more valuable than those of the public (besides election time).  There’s a sense of entitlement that comes with popularity, even at much lower levels.  You’ve probably seen it in musicians you know or know of.  So this incident is a great reminder of what it looks like up close.  We all have opinions, whether based in truth or pure conviction, but no matter how great you believe you are, it’s never o.k. to treat another person without grace.

In a prime example of what that looks like, Beyonce, upon winning the biggest award of the night for her video, welcomed Taylor Swift back up to the stage to finish her acceptance speech.  That’s a gracious person.  And we can all learn a lot about how to, and not to handle ourselves in public by these two examples.

Evidently, Swifts mom had a few ‘motherly’ words for West backstage.  Go mom.  And he did apologize on his website while still spouting his opinion as the ultimate headline.  But the real story is that who you are as a person will always come across on stage.  It’s a good reminder for us all to check our character at the stage door.

Do you think Kanye’s career will suffer from this?  Or will his bad boy loving audience just be emboldened?  Why do some artists act like such jerks?   Click ‘leave a comment’ and give your input.

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How to NOT to Find a Vocal Instructor -by Fred

September 13, 2009 By voiceclubcoach Leave a Comment

(aka. “Fred cuts the mustard”)

This is so funny. Unfortunately half the humor is that we’ve all heard things like this before.  If you’re about as serious as Fred about singing, you might find a voice teacher anywhere.  But if you care even a little bit more, you’re gonna need to try a different approach.  So for the benefit of Fred (and you), here are a few quick tips about how NOT to find a vocal instructor.

Don’t just look for any ‘voice teacher’. Literally anyone can call themselves a voice teacher.  That said, there are some individuals with degrees and certification who don’t offer a whole lot more.  So what’s a singer to do?  Take the time to look into not only where they got their information what what they’ve done with it.  See if it’s where you want to go.  That’s a great first step.

Don’t confuse styling with technique instruction. Just between you and me, I was teaching voice way before I had any business doing it. (more on that in a future post)  One reason is that for a long time I didn’t truly understand the difference between these two therefore I couldn’t adequately teach either.  So what is the difference?  Think of your voice as a car.  Your technique is the engine and all the necessary parts.  If they don’t work well and in balance with each other you ain’t gettin’ far.  Styling is the cushy leather seats and the sweet pain job.  Styling sets you apart in a sea of other voices.  But without solid technique, you can dress it up all you like but you won’t be able to drive it very far.  Technique training is essential.  Styling training is secondary.  Both are important if you’re developing yourself as an artist.   Knowing that will help you in looking for the right instructor for where you’re at.

Get a Qualified Referral. Hey, if I won a voice lesson in a radio contest, I’d take it too.  Well, maybe not if it were Heidi Montags teacher.   When you look for a referral, consider the source.  Not just how well they sing, but if you’ve actually seen them improve.  What kinds of things have they learned.  Are they the things you want help with?   Are they excited about what they’re learning or do they not really understand why their doing what they’re doing.  You want to know that your instructor can offer something of value to you and is able answer your questions in a way that you can apply and grab a hold of.

In future posts, I’ll be talking about even more ways to make sure you’ve got a qualified teacher.  Have you had a bad voice teacher experience?  Leave it here by clicking ‘leave a comment’ at the top of this post.

Filed Under: Voice Tips Tagged With: , ,

5 Steps to Becoming a Pro By Your Next Performance

September 12, 2009 By voiceclubcoach Leave a Comment

purpleworshipersWhether you’re an independent artist, fronting a band, singing in a musical or soloing on Sunday, you can instantly amp up your next performance by following this tips.

5.  Know Your Stuff.

It seems like a no brainer but there are so many singers that do little more than scan over the songs they’re preparing so as not to ‘prepare the spontaneity out of their performance.’  The fact is that the more rehearsed you are, the better your song or show will be.  You did take the time to pick out songs, right?  So you’re already preparing your performance.  Now go the rest of the way.  Make sure you know your words.  Make sure you have prepared optional styling licks for songs you’re having trouble with or those harder to sing during illness or fatigue.  Before you focus on who’s bringing the bottled water, make sure your job is done.

4.  Prepare for Calamity.

Ok, that may be a big dramatic, but the point is; stuff happens.  The mic’s not on.  The MC introduced you as someone else.  Your voice cracks just as your heading into your signature trill.  Since the chances of you having a perfect performance every time is… well, let’s say small, plan now for how you’ll recover from these things so they don’t catch you off guard.  If nothing else, take a minute and decide if something goes wrong you’ll find a focus point and smile for (x) seconds.  If it’s not back on track by then, you’ll talk about (x), etc.  The next time something goes wrong, you’ll look like a real pro.

3.  Be Physically Ready to Sing.

Preachin’ to the choir here, but if I had a dollar for every time I thought I didn’t need to warm up on the way to a gig in the early days.  Wait, am I so old that I now have ‘early days’?  Anyway,  regardless of how very talented you are, you will not be at your best unless you are hydrated and warmed up.  Do some simple lip or tongue trills on the way to the gig.  Do a gentle ‘mmmm’ up and down and get those pipes going.  And that bottle of water someone is bringing for you, that’s not going to hydrate you.  That’s just to keep your mouth moist.  To keep everything working at peak performance you need to be hydrated all the time.  If you’re not good at drinking enough water, plan to start getting good a solid week before your show.

2.  Act Like a Pro.

The sound guy sabotages you.  A heckler won’t leave you alone.   The guitarist from the band before is still unplugging his gear half way into your first song.   There are plenty of reasonably frustrating things that happen when you’re onstage,  and some of them can be outright nasty.  But respond to them negatively on stage and the only one who will be hurt is you.  Keep your composure,  your class and all of those new fans.

1.   Look Your Audience in the Eye.

The number one mistake performers make is to focus on anything but their audience. Once your song starts, it’s no longer about you. It’s about them. Let them know you appreciate their attention by looking at them, scanning the crowd and smiling as appropriate. It’s a little thing that makes a huge impact.

They’re simple things that so many singers either never do or let go by the wayside when they feel they’ve established a solid fanbase.  But these five things can liteally make you look like a pro by your very next show.

Got your own tips for performing like a pro or stories of a performance gone wrong?  Click ‘leave a comment’ at the top of this post and let us all know.

Filed Under: Perform Better Tagged With: , , , ,
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