The last couple of years of COVID-19, social distancing, career pivots, and cancellations has been hard on live performers. Even career artists are feeling pretty rusty as they step back onto the stage. It’s a good time to remind ourselves of our strategies for showing up at our best as performers. Here are ten tips based on my experience and that of several other Pagan Song bloggers who are active in the pagan music scene.
This side-lined touring musician has been worried about whether or not I will be able to get my flow back. I have forgotten entire songs, my rhythm is off, and the timing on my jokes is gone. As I begin to play out once again (safely, of course), I realize that I need to mindfully rebuild my professional performance from the ground up so that I can be at my best as I share my music at festivals and in living rooms across the US. Fortunately, I have a bag of tricks … er tips … to get myself back on track. Whether you are a seasoned performer or planning to meet your first audience, here are some of my favorite pointers for making that next performance shine.
1. Rehearse!
There is no feeling quite like the impending crash and burn mid-song because you are ill-prepared. The stomach flips, the hands fumble, and whether you recover or not, you think about that moment for the rest of the night; and that generally leads to more mistakes. This happens to all of us at some point, but it happens far less when prepared. Make a rehearsal schedule and stick to it. Rehearse softly. Rehearse with everything you’ve got. Sing it like you mean it. Rehearse with emotion. Think you know the songs? Run them again. Nothing compares to the confidence you will build from a well-rehearsed performance.
2. Water/Healthy Food/Lifestyle
Performing requires energy, so eat healthy food, drink water, and live a healthy lifestyle, and you will have the energy you need to BRING IT to your audience. “Healthy” looks different for all of us. For me, it means watching my sugar and shaking off this sedentary haze that I’ve been in.
While this is a long-term commitment, there are a couple of things that I do the day of a show. I drink plenty of water, and I don’t eat a couple hours before a show … well, because it makes me burp … on the mic … and feel sluggish.
3. Remember Your “Why”
Why do you share your art and heart with others? If you haven’t thought about it, you really should. I remind myself that I want to make folks FEEL something, and INSPIRE them to tap into their own creativity. This “why” guides my writing, my studio production, and my live performances. I asked Jenna Greene, Emmy-nominated musician/singer/songwriter and harpist, about her motivation in preparation for a show.
“To prepare for a show, I turn inward while I’m tuning my harp and ask the Divine to sing through my voice; to soothe, heal, and uplift my audience. My music revolves around the concepts of being your authentic self, following dreams, and living a magical life. So, I’m always hoping those messages will come through.”
– Jenna Greene
www.patreon.com/jennagreene https://greeneladymusic.com
4. Sleep/Rest
Oh, this is so very important. Yes, I have powered through, exhausted from driving or not sleeping, and delivered awesome shows. But it was always in spite of the fact that I was rest-deprived … not because of it. Somehow, the audience pulls me through. And yet, the performance might have been so much better.
My friend Celia Farran tours like crazy! She dishes out silky-sultry vocals just as easily as she turns on comedic charm. Here’s the number one thing she does to prepare for a show.
“Sleep!”
“I guard my sleep like a Tigress. It is my single most important self-care practice. Performing well-rested is a joy. Performing strung out is a drag. The quality of any given show is determined by how I slept the night before.”
-Celia Farran
https://www.patreon.com/CeliaFarran https://celiaonline.bandcamp.com
Great shows don’t happen overnight, and these first four tips reflect important long-term lifestyle and attitude changes. But what can you do in the hours leading up to your show?
5. Make a Set List
If you haven’t already done so, write that set list the night before and rehearse it one more time. I don’t always follow my set list, but it helps so much to have a plan. With one less thing to worry about, you will appear more polished and confident.
6. Arrive Early
Arrive early. This gives you time to check out the stage and audience seating, allowing for the inevitable snafu during set up. No matter how prepared you think you are, stuff happens. Grant yourself more than enough time to set up your gear.
7. Create Sacred Space
Whether they are pro venues or campfire areas, my stages are sacred space. I make time to physically and spiritually sweep the area. I clear old foo that might be hanging around, and fill that space with my intent. If you sing, you might have a song that will both serve as sound check and as a declaration of sacred space. Sometimes I sing “Hail the Sun” (https://mamagina.bandcamp.com/track/hail-the-sun-2), a cosmic love song from my latest CD “She Walks the Stars”. I can check audio levels, while I link the cosmic orbit in the song to the sacred circle that I am casting.
8. Deal With Nervous Energy
You arrived early, set up … and you probably have a few moments to spare. You might have some pre-show energy that needs grounding. You are the only person who can figure out what is going to work for you, but here are a few suggestions: go to the restroom (yeah, you heard Mom); slowly drink some water; take a short walk around the venue; greet a couple early arriving fans, but keep the conversation light.
9. Focus in the Moment
As you step up to perform, focus in the moment. Let go of past performances and future obligations – anything that distracts from NOW. Be present.
Louis Garou, who shares his Dark Americana at festivals and firesides, told me that FOCUS is most important as he prepares for a concert.
“It has taken me a lifetime to learn. I sit and think about the event and people attending and the stories I want to share with them. Crowds are different, as you know. I have learned not to rush set up. Rushing to begin shows up in the performance. I am giving my energy in the form of my songs to the audience. They and I deserve my best. That is my focus. I have no Jedi mind tricks or meditative hoodoo to share. Concentration on making them hear the words and to feel the beat, as I hear and feel it. That is all I can hope for.”
-Louis Garou
https://www.facebook.com/Louis-Garou-MusicianSongwriter-152128848814382
10. Be Fearless!
Even if you are not … be fearless! You have prepared yourself and your performance, and you will do your absolute best. No one in this moment can do this better than you. Give 100% of yourself and your gift to your audience.
I would love to hear how you prepare for a great performance.
Mama Gina
mamaginamusic.com
patreon.com/mamagina
For more information about Mama Gina, including her collected articles here on Pagan Song, her bio, and links to Gina’s sites on the web, check out Gina’s page on Pagan Song.
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