Stage Fright

How To Overcome It

Updated, September 2021

How To Get Rid of Stage Fright and Fear of Public Singing

How to overcome stage fright is a big concern for many performers, they have to deal with stage fright and are afraid to sing whenever they go on. The fear of public speaking is right up there with the fear of death.  So please understand; you are NOT alone.  People often have performance anxiety and are terrified to get up and perform in front of others.

What is stage fright?

Stage fright is the entire collection of stories you tell yourself in your brain, whether it be 1 or 1,000 – that culminate into ONE final thought; “What I’m about to do is dangerous.”

Those stories in your brain can be many variations of things like this:

  • I am not confident with my voice
  • What if I blow chunks and people make fun of me?
  • What if I forget the lyrics?
  • What if I can’t hit that high note section in that song?
  • What if my voice cracks or I sound terrible?
  • What if they hate me and want to boo me off the stage?
  • What if I make a fool of myself?
  • What if nobody shows up?

I could list many more reasons for stage fright but it is extremely 
important to understand that phobias are IN OUR MINDS. Some people
 are afraid of heights, others are afraid of drowning and so on. Though
 there may be good reason to be afraid of jumping out of an airplane, 
performing in front of people is not dangerous.

How does stage fright manifest itself?

What actually “happens” to you when you experience stage fright is different for everyone. With your fear of performing, you may experience things like this:

  • Sweaty palms
  • Dry mouth
  • Unable to speak
  • Increased heart rate
  • Tingling sensation in various parts of your body
  • Stomach ache
  • The shakes
  • Brain race – your brain is processing too much information
  • Feelings of nausea and wanting to throw up
  • Overwhelming desire to sleep

Your brain is EXTREMELY powerful and the more worked up your brain gets, the more it will affect you physically.

How To Get Over Stage Fright

1

Preparation

The first thing we can do to overcome stage fright is start with something easy. And to be prepared to the point where you are so “ready” you don’t have to “think about it” with an easy song. OVER prepare for what you are actually doing, so when it comes time, it will be UNDER your capabilities. For example; if your goal is to sing Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” in front of the American Idol judges, start by practicing nursery rhymes or party songs. Sing those with all the range that you have and stretch yourself so sing them BEYOND the range necessary to sing “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Then move on to mid level material. After a while, you WILL get to a point where you are over prepared and will be able to sing with confidence.
2

Repetition

Repeat your song over and over, embedding it so deep in your mind that it becomes
 second nature. Repeat your song while multi-tasking other things, like
 shopping or doing math.
3

Exposure

Increasing your exposure is vital to overcoming stage fright. Ask friends and family if you can sing for them, even if it drives them crazy. Let them know that practicing in front of them will help you.

Then take it to the next level, go to a 
Karaoke Bar or Open Mic Night, or sing a solo at your church, a 
campfire or street promenade. Performing as much as possible in a
 relatively safe environment where it doesn’t matter that much is an 
excellent way to build confidence.

I want you to remember something very important. The audience, your
 friends and family etc., are not standing there with their arms 
crossed waiting for you to make a mistake so they can humiliate you.
They are in your corner. They are on your team. They are rooting for
 you. They want you to get over your anxiety.

 I want you to look at your audience as your friends who WANT to see
 you succeed. In fact the reason they are there at all is because they 
are excited to see you succeed. This is an excellent place to start.
 It may seem almost too simple, but it is the truth. This mental 
exercise will help you begin overcoming stage fright so you will no 
longer be afraid to sing. Your fear of performing will start to diminish.

4

Fun

Be light hearted and don’t take it too seriously. Be loose. Don’t care 
too much. remember: EVERYONE makes mistakes. Even the most seasoned
 performers.

The “fun part” of performing will kick in automatically once you start to master your technique and your brain is no longer nervous about whether you can or cannot technically sing. You will just do it… and then you’ll have fun because you’ve learned to conquer stage fright!

Then take it to the next level, go to a 
Karaoke Bar or Open Mic Night, or sing a solo at your church, a 
campfire or street promenade. Performing as much as possible in a
 relatively safe environment where it doesn’t matter that much is an 
excellent way to build confidence.

I want you to remember something very important. The audience, your
 friends and family etc., are not standing there with their arms 
crossed waiting for you to make a mistake so they can humiliate you.
They are in your corner. They are on your team. They are rooting for
 you. They want you to get over your anxiety.

 I want you to look at your audience as your friends who WANT to see
 you succeed. In fact the reason they are there at all is because they 
are excited to see you succeed. This is an excellent place to start.
 It may seem almost too simple, but it is the truth. This mental 
exercise will help you begin overcoming stage fright so you will no 
longer be afraid to sing. Your fear of performing will start to diminish.

Tips on how to deal with stage fright.

  • Sing to your pets first, if people are too scary
  • Sing for your family and friends
  • Ask your friends and family for feedback
  • Remember the audience is on your side
  • Make sure the first 2 or 3 songs of your set are easy songs
  • Save your more difficult material for later
  • Stay hydrated with filtered room temperature water
  • Eat healthily
  • Eat something at least 1 hour before showtime
  • Exercise
  • Expect the unexpected
  • Turn the fear of performing into the thrill of performing

These stage fright tips really work! Give them a try.

Watch this KTVA video on how to deal with stage fright:

At Ken Tamplin Vocal Academy you WILL learn how to overcome stage fright!

The #1 solution to overcoming stage fright is to BE GREAT at what you do, you need to master your craft. Here at Ken Tamplin Vocal Academy, we provide a safe and encouraging environment in which you will become a monster vocalist.

We take YOUR singing very seriously and we will teach you how to master your craft. It is one of those things that takes time to conquer, but if you stick at it properly and diligently, you WILL get there!

When you enroll in KTVA, you will have taken your first step in overcoming stage fright. You will be enrolled in the most powerful and effective professional vocal school in the world, Ken Tamplin and your community of fellow KTVA vocalists will see to it that you win!

For more KTVA information on how to overcome stage fright, please check out the KTVA forum, and if you are already enrolled, you will have access to the KTVA webinar video on “How To Overcome Stage Fright.”

“I myself have over 30+ years of experience singing in front of people and I will show you how to do it with confidence AND have fun with it. Which is why you want to sing in the first place…to have fun!”