Transcript
Hi. I’m Anya Singleton. These are tips for singing on stage.
The most important thing to think about when you’re on stage has to do with, what’s your audience? What size is the audience? What kind of a venue are you in? If I’m in a small music club and I want to sing, and I have, let’s say, maybe 50 people sitting out in the audience, I want to reach everybody in the audience but I also want to think about the fact that the venue is smaller. That gives me a little more opportunity to project, but to make it more intimate, keep it controlled within myself. Chances are I won’t have a lot of room to move, so you want to think about every movement you make, what are you going to use it for?
If you are in a big space and you want to think about the fact that you have to get all the way to the back of the house, then what you want to think about is, how do I project without blowing my voice? You can easily do this by using breath control and posture. Basically, you think about the fact that you pick a point. Chances are there’ll be lights off in the distance; you pick a point, make sure you stay focused on that point, and then really direct your energy. This is what works for me; I really direct my energy there. If I’m in an intimate venue, then I can make eye contact with the people that are there because I can actually see their faces. If I’m in a really big venue, you can’t. How do you make them connect to you so they feel like they’re the only person in the room? I feel like a lot of that has to do with being able to project and understand what the material you’re singing about is.
If I was singing a song that was a very intimate ballad, and I was in a small space, then what I would do is I think I would still pick a point, because those are usually to one person, intimate ballads, and I would really address a lot of it there. If I was in a bigger house, I might be able to move and take in a couple of different points. The important thing is to keep your focus clear so people know that you’re talking to someone, and to also make sure that you’re projecting by really keeping the breath supported, controlled, the posture good.
Also, feel free to move. If you’re not in a tiny space and you have all this room, use it. Within reason, use it. I’m going to talk to you here and I’m going to feel free to walk over here. Make yourself comfortable. You want to always think about the fact that you’re almost in your own living room. That’s what I do. I think “I’m in my living room,” so I’m comfortable no matter what size the venue is. I think if you can do that, then when you sing, it’ll be a natural extension of just being in your living room. You’re not nervous, you’re connected, and people in the audience will be able to understand what you’re singing about. Because if you feel comfortable and believe in what you’re singing about, then they’ll believe in what you’re singing about. That’s the most important part about being on stage and singing; you want to be able to connect to the people in your audience.
