How To Start Singing In Public
Being a bedroom singer is fun and all, but no musician is fully satisfied unless they have that direct contact with their audience through live performances. If you have ever tried them, you know how magical live performances are and it is something required of you if you want to be known as a professional musician.
I personally was very shy at first and the idea really scared the crap out of me. But I learned to embrace the excitement and from there experimented in a lot of ways to create some breakthroughs for myself which I will share with you in the following.
If you have any gig opportunities and have been asked to sing in front of others, please don’t turn it down! This might be the perfect chance that the universe has offered to you. Don’t stress it because I am going to give you some tips on how you can take baby steps to get over fear and be comfortable being your best true self in front of public eyes.
Start small. Rent rehearsal rooms with friends. Go explore your potential with a microphone, loud amps and a safe space where you can be as loud as you want. I think it is essential to let yourself screw up in a safe space many times if you want to be more prepared to face crowds. What I did early in my musical journey was get together with my friends, renting out rehearsal rooms, showing up for each other, watching each other’s performance and giving feedback. This is the best way to start getting used to having eyes on you in a safe space.
Say yes more! As soon as people find out that you are a singer, they’re going to ask you to sing for them in parties, events, even at work! Take these small opportunities to give yourself the experience count and confidence to be a bolder artist. Believing in your art means that you believe your voice needs to be heard, no matter where or how many people are in the audience. Everytime, you are going to give your 100% when performing. So practice saying yes to opportunites because they are in your advantage. You will have to get used to putting yourself out there, even when you feel not ready and uncomfortable!
Join a vocal contest. I strongly believe that there is no competition in the world of arts. But if you don’t take these wins and losses too seriously, you can use the atmosphere and the pressure of vocal contests for your own personal growth and advancement. You will need to work and practice extra hard, while paying attention to all aspects pf your performance. I found my biggest breakthrough in confidence was putting myself in challenging vocal contests. Remember to not take things personally in vocal contests and look at them as a practice of self confidence and stage presence.
Check your local community centers or music institutions to find vocal contests…or simply just Google it!
Join a band. No matter how beginner you are, you are allowed to join bands. It may feel stressful to audition for bands and hear rejection. But a true artist doesn’t let “No” get in their way. Keep searching for the right people! There are so many other musicians looking for singers and other musicians for their project. Keep showing up and believe that each experience or rejection is getting you closer to who you want to be. It’s also very helpful to go on stage being backed up by your bands aka friends, than going up there alone for the first time.
Attend open mics. Do a local search on the internet or ask local bars for any open mic dates. You can go up, test your nerves and evaluate your performance. Open mics are perfect for newbie singers because you are allowed to have a band or not, you are allowed to play backing tracks, you are allowed to mess up and forget your lyrics. Basically open mics are mini concerts with low expectations. So take advantage of these opportunities and build your self esteem. Remember, we are not looking to be praised or followed by the masses at this stage. We are just looking to do bold and brave acts in the direction of our goals.
Busking. This is a great way to get exposure without any expectations. Everything about busking screams “freedom”! You are allowed to be wherever you want and sing whatever you want. There is also a great sense of joy and magic to be able to make people’s days better with your busking. Since this method gets the MOST number of eyes on you, if you feel intimidated by strangers at this point, you can have your friends accompany your or you can just choose to sit further from the main sidewalk to protect your boundaries. Regardless, this is a very exciting way to be adventurous, have fun and meet lots of new people out in the open air!
Keep checking with yourself and see what you need to work on as an artist. Then set up mini challenges like what I suggested above to push your comfort zone further and further with baby steps. Let me know what you think and which ones you are having challenges with. I have a quick Youtube video on this same topic and suggestions, feel free to share and subscribe for more artist bravery inspiration!
