Overcoming Singing Stage-fright

Being anxious about singing can feel so painful and real!

I want to start off by telling you a story about myself.  

I have been singing on stage since I could walk so I never get nervous, right? Wrong!

When I was in the 7th grade, I was finally asked to sing at a school chapel service.  

I was so excited to finally sing in front of my friends!  

I got up on the stage to sing and saw hundreds of my peers staring back at me.   

I froze! I became petrified!  I started to sweat profusely and 

little, anxious me began to hyperventilate.  

I was shaking like a car that couldn't start, certain my knees were going to buckle.  

My throat closed up and I couldn't breath.  

I squeaked my way to the end but I couldn't wait for that song to be over.  

Here was my BIG moment and I blew it!  It was awful!  

I could have just stopped there.  

I'm sure some of the people that witnessed that tragedy 

would have recommended that I quit.  

Now, there are many times I have been nervous on stage since 7th grade, but I've learned a few things over the years to help me calm those nerves.    

1)  Practice as much as possible. Memorize your songs and know them inside and out. Sometimes, performance anxiety happens because you have not practiced the song enough, and you are still not 100% sure of our lyrics or the song.  Practice in front of family and friends, the mirror, or even in front of empty chairs.  This allows you to build up confidence in your singing ability so that it becomes less daunting to  perform in front of others.  Singing alone or with just your voice teacher is one thing, singing in front of an audience is a whole new ball game.  You can even video record yourself.  Look for areas that need improvement.  Keep doing this until you get it right!

2)  Change your mindset!  Do not worry what people may think about you!   What you believe about yourself is far more important.  Do not let someone's opinion of you mess you up inside!  I remember as a child, I just loved to sing - plain and simple.  I didn't really care what people thought of my singing voice.  You only start caring when you let someone else get into your head.  Knock it off!  Sing because you LOVE to sing! 

3)  Relax!  Hum gently to steady your voice.  Eat a banana to lower any nauseous feelings.  Chew gum to ease tension in your jaw.  Stretching is another great way to ease tension in the body.  Breathe - Shake your shoulders, jaw and cheeks.  Relax your shoulders.  They should always stay down when you breathe.  Take in a slow, deep breath.  Slowly let the breath out with a "shhh" sound.  Repeat!  Practice this daily and you will have better muscle control!

4)  Avoid caffeine the day of a performance.  You may think that it will make you perform with more energy, but it will actually make you feel more nervous and jittery.

5)  Arrive Early. I always ask my voice students to arrive early to any performance.  You feel much more in control if the room is filling up after you arrive instead of showing up to a full house. Showing up early will also ease your nerves and will make you feel less rushed and more at peace.

6)  Make the audience your friend.  We are most relaxed when in front of our friends and family, so apply this theory to the audience.  Interact with them.  Talk to people in the room before your perform.  You will realize that they are human, JUST LIKE YOU!  You will find that this takes a lot of pressure off, and makes it easier for you to leave an impression on them too.  You are performing because you want to share your singing and your song with them.  Once you are able to keep this sharing attitude in mind, you will find that the anxiety and the stress leaves, and you will feel more relaxed and able to do your best!

6) Visualize success.  Before you even step on stage, picture yourself knocking it out of the park!  Focus on how singing makes you feel good, how much you enjoy singing, how much you LOVE singing!  

Now take these tips and GO SING with confidence!

Can anyone learn to sing???

I hear this question all time time.  

Do you have to be born with talent or can anyone learn to sing?  

Yes, I believe that anyone can learn to sing!

I can't argue, some people are just naturally talented, but that's more and exception that rule.  

Think about athletes.  

Some people are simply more physically gifted than others and seem destined to be top of their game.  

Some voices have more capability than others.  

But does that mean, if you're not born with it, your voice is useless??? That would be like telling someone that is not a top athlete to just forget it...pig out, eat what you watch, never exercise...and give up!

Even if you are not a gifted athlete, you have the ability to stay in shape and be healthy.  You have to believe you can and work at it.  

Give off your butt and WORK!  

Everyone has the ability to sing...and not just sing, but sing beautifully.  Just like any other instrument, singing needs to be studied and practiced for years, in order to master.  If you are willing to work hard and practice, anyone can become a great singer.  

The problem is that we live in a "NOW" culture.  

You may have tried it out for a few days and you weren't satisfied.  Just like working out at the gym, IT TAKES TIME to see results! You don't walk away from your first workout with a six-pack!  Vocal exercises should be done DAILY!  Learning to sing takes discipline.  

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On another note, I've had students that have sang for years.  They are the people that sing in church and in a band and they're performing in a musical next month...yet they can't sing well.  They have developed bad habits over the years.  I have encounter people that have damaged their voice so much that they couldn't sing for more than 30 minutes without becoming hoarse.  Just because they have "natural" talent, doesn't mean they are singing properly and they can actually be destroying their voice.  

Working with a vocal instructor can really help!  Voice instructors can point out bad habits  and give you tips that will keep your voice in shape for longer.  Wanting to improve is the perfect attitude for success at any skill. Singing lessons can help you to understand your own voice, and help you to figure out how to do the things that you want to do in a healthy way, without harming your voice. A teacher’s job is to guide you to your full potential. Singing lessons can help anyone, no matter what their skill level. 

Athletes with natural ability will still spend hours slaving away at the gym, even once they reach a professional standard. They are pushing themselves further, learning new skills and keeping their bodies in top condition.

Why should singers be any less committed?

Ask yourself...are you serious about this?  

Take courage and keep working hard on your voice!  

I believe you can do this!

Hello there, my name is...

Throughout my years teaching voice, I have received a lot of general questions about singing and about myself.  This is my 10th year teaching voice!  I decided to start a blog to answer some questions I've received over the years and to also celebrate 10 years!

In case you have no clue who I am, let me introduce myself.  

My name is Kerri Hardwick.  

I'm a Wife, Mother, Singer, Worship Leader, and Teacher. 

I hope you enjoy reading!

How did you become a vocal coach?

This could become a very long answer, but let's shorten it up.  I grew up in a VERY musical family.  My parents and oldest brother were part of The Old Time Gospel Singers.  At the age of 2, I was put up on stage for the first time.  At 4 years old, I began singing regularly with the group.  

I've loved singing as long as I can remember.  In high school and college, I studied vocal performance.  The summer after I graduated college, I was asked to sub at The Virginia Beach Music Academy.  The current voice teacher was going out on maternity leave for 6 weeks...but she never returned.  I was already in love with teaching others how to sing and grateful for the opportunity.

What is your background/training?
I have a BA in Music from Virginia Wesleyan College.  I have studied voice with many amazing instructors, including Billye Brown Youmans and Kathi-Lee Wilson.  I sang with the Wesleyan Singers during my college years.  I have also have the opportunity to sing with The Doorway Singers, a professional group providing entertainment in many genres of music.  I have taught and directed at Theatrix and Hurrah Players.  I also spent 5 years teaching music and chorus at Christ the King School. Currently, I am the Worship Leader at The Lampstand in Newport News, VA and I teach private voice lessons.

Where do you teach?
I decided to start teaching from home about 4 years ago.  It really has been the best decision.  Last year, we (when I say "we," I mean my husband) converted our garage into a beautiful voice studio complete with a small recording booth.

Who do you teach?
I have a wide variety of students.  My youngest is 7 and I have taught people in their 70s.  You are never too old to learn.  Some of my students sing in their church or school chorus.  Some are in a band.  Some have ambitions of singing professionally one day.  And some just take lessons as a hobby, because they love to sing!

What do you teach?
I teach my students how to sing the right way.  I was classically trained in college and later,  I studied Musical Theater - but I love Gospel.  The truth is, it doesn't matter what genre you sing.  You need to learn how to sing it WELL!  So we start with the basics - breathing, posture, placement, etc.  My students begin their lessons with a few warmups and then we move to vocal technique.  They also are usually working on a few songs that will challenge them and strengthen whatever technique we are learning.  All lessons can be recorded.  My students bring a CD or flash drive to their lessons.  This serves as a practice tool throughout the week.

A final Word
I just want to take a moment to "THANK YOU" to my amazing students and supporters!  I love and believe in you!  Keep Singing!

What questions do you have?  

I'd love to answer your vocal questions!