Developing Stage Presence
For those of us pursuing the artist path, stage presence is an essential skill we need to develop. When you’re getting your feet wet as a performer you may feel a bit nervous, but rest assured that as you cut your teeth you’ll feel confidence begins to take root. Here’s a few tips to help you get started.
Practice your banter ahead of time. As you sit down to rehearse the actual music you’ll be playing, make attempts at what you might say in advance of playing a song. Will you tell a personal anecdote? Will you merely give the title? Will you use this time to teach the audience a bit of the chorus so that they can sing the song with you? Rehearsing banter will make the audience think you are great at speaking off the cuff even when its been rehearsed a bit.
When rehearsing banter there are a few amateur tropes to avoid. First and foremost, do not introduce a song by saying “this was inspired by…” Its a banal introduction and your songs deserve a better hook. Negative self talk is another device to eliminate from your banter toolkit. Never diminish your talents on stage, it makes your audience uncomfortable and denies them the chance to determine whether or not they like you for themselves. Lastly, do your best to make your banter between songs short. Lengthy segments of banter distract us from what we’re here for: the music.
In addition to banter, you should practice movement. If you’re a guitar wielding artist, you should practice stepping into and out of the space. Stepping into the space to start a song signals to the audience that it is time to pay attention. You might need to step out of the space in order to tune which signals to the audience that it is time to take a break. If you do not have an instrument, then practice in front of a mirror. Take note of how your hands and arms and legs move as you sing through your set. Be critical here and determine if you need to refine your movements to better suit the song. Movement coaches can be helpful here. Lastly, and most importantly, use a mirror to practice your facial expressions. Live performance is all about communication. You do not want to have dead eyes.
Exiting the stage is just as important as entering it. How is it that you choose to leave? Will you take a long held bow? Will you stand still and turn your head to look at the audience? Will you simply run off stage? The options are endless but making a conscious choice here will help you end your performance on a more precise note.
Performance is an art that is separate from songwriting. But, it is essential if you want to grow your profile as an artist. I highly recommend working on your presence as well as your vocal and musical performances.
