Musical Performance Anxiety and How to Overcome It! Accomplish that Goal (Part 3 of 5) Approach the Physicial Hurdle

Performance Anxiety and How to Overcome it! Accomplish that Goal.  (Part 3 of 5)

Mind Over Matter Before You Approach the Physicial Hurdle 

Listen to the accompaniment or look at your music and imagine yourself singing it perfectly in your mind and think through the piece. When you practice and rehearse music in your imagination without actually singing, you establish neural pathways (brain functions) required to firmly embed something in your mind. This helps with wear and tear on your vocal folds if you are intense rehearsals. You can choose to do it perfectly in your imagination. It gives you a sense of ease and relaxation.   

Think through it again.  Actually imagine performing your piece.  Use the power of imagination to solve technical, vocal, and artistic problems. The right side of your brain controls the images and the left side of the brain utilizes the instruction. Try to let the images take over. Visualization just like the calm of yoga can take you a lot further. 

Now, actually sing it.  Did it make a difference?  It should.  Why?

It is a scientific fact that your nervous system cannot tell the difference between real and imagined events.  If you feel anxious about a section of your song and you imagine the sound you want to hear while the accompaniment is playing a few times and then sing it, the tension drops and the sound is more free and relaxed.  "A pathway opens to discover talents you already posess." says Matthew Stansfield.

Students of "The Think Method" learn that the ability to grow lies withing themselves and their own imagination if they take the time to use it creatively," states David Aks.  What a wonderful thought that we have the power to control our success if we use our brains and route ourselves in solid, founded technique!  With guidance from a voice teacher, you can overcome these troubles.

This is not a substitute for physical practice because you must build muscles and muscle memory to build solid technique.  If you have solid technique and you still have trouble, try visualization because it is mental.  We may be standing in our own way by thinking too much (especially about our nerves!).

Comments from http://www.classicalsinger.com/magazine/article.php?id=2287

How can you "think" your way out of musical performance anxiety?  Take it one step further and Improvise a song!