Adele and William Shatner on Musical Performance Anxiety

Musical Performance Anxiety- even Adele has it!

In her interview with 60 Minutes, Adele admits to having sometimes crippling stage fright and performance anxiety before singing. She has intense messaging in much of her music and is bearing her soul to thousands each time she sings.  Adele admits her nerves have gotten worse as she’s becoming more successful.   “There's a bit more pressure and people are expecting a lot more from me.  I'm not going to succeed-- people aren't going to enjoy it.   Nervous that I'll ruin their love for my songs by doing them live. I feel sick. I get a bit panicky. I have thrown up.”  http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-57376067/the-year-of-adele/?pageNum=5&tag=contentMain;contentBody

Stage fright is real and can be crippling.  It also can work for your benefit if you learn to control it to a certain degree.  The nerves fuel adrenaline that gives you energy and the desire to achieve.  Imagining yourself in the song and reliving the emotion of the song can channel that energy to the positive.  It is seen on Adele’s face each time that she performs “Rolling in the Deep” that she relives the pain of her breakup.  By doing so, she controls her fears and channels her energy into the emotion of the song.  Now she says  “It is as if I have a clean slate now.  But I know if I were to go on a big tour right now, it would go again. The exhaustion of it all."

In the words of Jonathan Dickins, Adele’s agent, “She was obviously nervous - talk about going into the deep end. That's a testament to Adele, that her first singing performance public in over five months was the biggest music awards show in the world. You know, that alone -- you've gotta be a pretty remarkable character to take that on in the first place, and she actually did.”

One thing we tend to forget is that we should really think about the audience after the performance.  Take in the applause and response of the audience and then you know how you did.  Do you need to re-evaluate or did you do a good job?  Jonathan Dickins after Adele's performance says,  “It was fantastic - it was great to see her like that. That to me was the most nerve-racking thing of the night. I wanted her to feel relaxed about that. So to see the reception and see how happy she looked afterward, that was like an extra win”.

The overall rejuvenation one gets after performing should overcome our musical performance anxiety.  The knowledge that we shared our music and a piece of ourselves should trump any fear that we may have.  Knowing our limits and listening to our bodies and our souls is the best thing we can do. 

William Shatner also discusses musical performance anxiety- fear of failure. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lrdmdXOz0wk#

 

How can you deal with your musical performance anxiety?  http://healthyandconfidentsingingvoice.blogspot.com/2012/01/musical-performance-anxiety-and-how-to.html

Adele’s Debut at the Grammy’s – Success and Great Sound 6 weeks after her Vocal Operation. Where does it go from here?

Adele’s debut at the Grammy’s was a success.  She performed beautifully after her vocal surgery (hemorrhaged polyp was removed).  http://huff.to/wZBEQH 

After following the advice of doctor’s and having the polyp removed, she strictly abided by not speaking for weeks.  Not speaking or singing is very hard to do, but essential to vocal repair for a singer.  She will be carefully followed by her voice teacher to ensure her healthy singing voice.  http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/awards/grammys/story/2012-02-09/adele-throat-surgery/53033638/1  

What a lesson to learn as a singer:  the singing voice is precious so take good care of it.  Not following the advice of medical professionals can cause more damage.  Adele is fortunate to have paid attention to her body’s signals and gotten treatment right away.  Should Adele continue in this vain, she will probably have a long and successful career.  She is already aware that an intensive touring schedule is not in the cards for her  anytime soon.  The stress and strain of that schedule would be too much on her still recovering voice. 

Everyone’s voice can withstand different levels of singing activity.  To maximize that activity, secure and healthy technique is essential.  So is a healthy lifestyle including adequate sleep, hydration, good diet and moderate exercise.   http://www.healthyandconfidentsingingvoice.blogspot.com/2011/05/healthy-voice-and-healthy-you.html 

Pay attention to your body and what it is saying.  Even when you are down and out with a cold virus, the best thing you can do is to sleep and not speak.  Whispering causes more wear and tear on the vocal folds than speaking alone, so stay quiet and find a notepad or apps on your phone.  Unless there is absolutely no way out of it, if it hurts or feels weird when you sing, DON’T DO IT.   Give it a rest and if it persists, get a professional opinion (voice professional or medical professional).  Better safe than sorry as they say!

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

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

Approach the Hurdle- Perform

Are you still avoiding practicing or not putting yourself in any performance situation? Start small and sing for your teacher without criticism.  Sing for your mom or your dad or daughter.  Sing next for another student in your voice studio.   Sing a in a masterclass for your voice studio.  Take baby steps.  Find someone you trust to help you and walk you through the different ways one can work through performance anxiety and your singing.

A few words from those who have been there and overcome:

 To find my niches, I had to overcome my inner critic. Because of the way I was reared, I had low self-esteem and always thought of myself as not good enough. I was afraid of making mistakes. Slowly I learned that playing without mistakes is not the goal. The goal is to be in joy. As Stephanie Judy said in her book, "Your own music is the child of your heart, and you are entitled to love it, not because it's good, but because it's a part of you."  http://PerformConfidently.com

In conclusion, complete preparation of the repertoire is the first step.  The better a person ‘knows their stuff’, the less nerves will play a role.  The perfectionism of being a musician and the detailed study we endure are what enable us to create beautiful music.  Do not allow it to get inside your head and stop your creative inner being!  Take a moment and think about why you sing.  The music is a part of you.  With the help of your voice teacher, connections to your body and mind (through yoga, meditation, visualization or other means) help you achieve your goals to sing and share the music of your soul.

How have you survived your journey with performance anxiety? Let me know how this was helpful or email me if you have any questions.

Musical Performance Anxiety and How to Overcome it! Accomplish that Goal. (Part 4 of 5)

Musical Performance Anxiety and How to Overcome it! Accomplish that Goal.  (Part 4 of 5)

Improvisation

Take a moment and think outside the box.  If there are no wrong notes, how can you be nervous about what you are singing?  Improvising a melody or complete song with words is something most of us did when we were kids.  There is no right or wrong, therefore it is freeing for the voice.  The voice feels less stressed and you are free to be more creative.  You can enjoy the process of singing more and turn off the voices of right and wrong inside your head (Ann Baltz). 

How do you get there?  A step towards improvisation is using Attitude or Feeling cards to pick a few feelings you would express in a song.  For example: fear, love, anger.  Sing a song from your repertoire expressing those feelings at certain points in the music.  Note how it changes the character of the piece and what happens inside of you. It is freeing.  You are thinking more about the emotion than your technique. 

Next, improvise songs using non-sense words.  “Turn off the critical voice and just be in the moment”.  E.Denham   

It is a challenge to improvise at first, but give it a try.  There can be no failure and you can become inspired.  Think of it this way- life is an improvisation.  Try to step out of your box and reach new heights as musicians and human beings. 

 http://www.classicalsinger.com/magazine/article.php?id=2285

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!

Musical Performance Anxiety and How to Overcome it! Accomplish that Goal. (Part 2 of 5) The Mental Game

Musical Performance Anxiety and How to Overcome it!  Accomplish that Goal.  (Part 2 of 5)

The Mental Game

Okay, so you are secure that you know this piece backwards and forwards.  You know what it means and are communicating as you sing. 

Are you still constantly hearing the negative voices in your head?  What are they saying?  Are you striving for it to be completely perfect and not allowing yourself to continue even if there is only a minor flaw? 

Although we as musicians strive for perfectionism, there is a point where you need to let yourself just sing and let nature take its course.  Try to shut off the voices in your head:  the recurring negative thoughts that you have in your head as you sing.  You know, all the things that a teacher told you about a specific spot, your brother asking you to stop singing, it’s enough already. 

Try a few yoga poses to calm you brain and body.  Downward Dog and a few Sun Salutations will help you connect to your breath.  Next do a few Warrior 1 and Warrior 2 poses to bring you empowerment and strength.  End with Tree to center you and lengthen the spine.

 http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-682/Yoga-Poses-for-Beginners-Howto-Tips-Benefits-Images-Videos.html

www.yoga.about.com/od/yogaposes/a/beginnersposes.html

http://www.healthyandconfidentsingingvoice.blogspot.com/2011/07/singing-and-exercise-yoga-connection.html

Sing it again. Verbalize what the voices are saying if you cannot tune them out.   Try a little more yoga and allow yourself the freedom to just sing it!  Tap into the power of your body and mind and enjoy your music.

How did the yoga help you?  Are you more of a thinker and want to use the power of your thoughts to help you overcome musical performance anxiety?  Tune in for the next blog about "The Think Method" by R. Taylor, May 2011 www.classicalsinger.com.  Can imagining yourself singing flawlessly enhance your performance?

Musical Performance Anxiety and How to Overcome It! Accomplish that Goal (Part 1 of 5)

Musical Performance Anxiety and How to Overcome it! Accomplish that Goal.  (Part 1 of 5)

The Foundation

You or your student is very nervous about the upcoming performance.  Memory lapses are happening, technique is suffering, music and the enjoyment of it stops.  How do you deal with this? 

Firstly, what is the problem?  Identify it in terms of what happens to you physically, emotionally, and mentally.  Take the time to recognize when performance anxiety really hits you, what happens to your body, what is your brain saying to you?  Then talk it through with your voice teacher.

Physical:  Do you get butterflies or actually feel like you are going to faint? Take a deep breath and relax. Work backwards a little bit first.  When does it happen? Only at the actual performance or even when you are just thinking about a lesson?  Are you nervous about not knowing all of the notes and words?

First, learn the piece thoroughly.  Know the notes, rhythms, words, meaning of the text.  Just learn it without the concept of performing it.  If you get worked up for the first couple of days, walk away and come back.  Identify what frustrated you and get help from your teacher.  The second week if you get worked up, force yourself to ‘get back on the horse’ and keep going.  Your teacher can help you with this.  Have patience with yourself.

Once you know the nuts and bolts of the piece, put yourself into the character of the song.  Paint the picture of the scene you are describing in your head or imagine you are truly telling your love of your commitment.  Connect to the meaning of the piece and put yourself in the scene you create.  Try to forget that anyone else is out there listening.  You are that person. The more you connect with the text, the more your body and your mind may just remember what to do and you create beautiful music. 

If it is not working, explore yoga poses and breathing.  Visit my July blog on yoga.
http://www.healthyandconfidentsingingvoice.blogspot.com/2011/07/singing-and-exercise-yoga-connection.html

What are your ideas on performance anxiety and would you like to work on tnis?