Tips On Performing In Front of An Audience?

Sloom

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Hey guys! I'm really excited to say I auditioned with my ukulele for my school talent show-- singing "Fireflies" by Owl City-- and I made it in! I'm performing in two days and I'm really excited.

Now, I'm wondering if anyone has any tips for performing live? How can I have good stage prescence while playing my uke? I'm playing standing up behind a mic on a stand, so I can't move around too much but I still want to look energetic.
 
Hi Sloom, given the logistics you've described, I would suggest that if you have your song down so well that you could do it in your sleep, just step up to that mic, let things breathe, slow it down just a hair, and deliver a heartfelt, sincere rendition... and I'm betting that the energy and stage presence you're looking for will come through to the audience right along with that sincerity; really think of the words as you sing them, tell a story to your listeners, and the rest will take care of itself. "Fireflies" is a very neat song!
 
.......let things breathe, slow it down just a hair,.......

Good advice, there is a tendency for some performers who get a little nervous, to speed things up and get faster as things progress.

Something to keep in mind is that the audience wants you to do well. They are most comfortable when they see you are comfortable. A little mistake or two is not a big deal either.
 
Aww Fireflies is so cute! Congrats on making the cut!

Don't hide behind the stand. If you can memorize it do that, or maybe tape a cheat sheet to top of ukulele? Putting an object esp a large stand between you and the audience will distance them from you. (I am so guilty of this!) Good luck!
 
.... I'm wondering if anyone has any tips for performing live? How can I have good stage prescence while playing my uke? I'm playing standing up behind a mic on a stand, so I can't move around too much but I still want to look energetic.

I used to really, really hate public performing but now I’m generally not fussed at all. Practice your piece until you can do it virtually perfectly and without any real thought, have some music or cheat sheet available to you just in case you get a ‘mind block’ and then forget the audience whilst you play. I play as if I were practicing alone at home and I do not entertain the idea that what the audience thinks of my playing matters - you might think it does, but it’s a most unhelpful distraction which you can negate. If you play a wrong note or make a slip then don’t be concerned about it. That note or slip is in the past, and the past is un-changeable, so concentrate your thoughts on getting the next and future notes right.

Good luck, and keep your thoughts both level headed and positive.
 
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Good luck to you!

I always tape a Post It note of the chords such as "chorus C F G7 verse Am F C" on my uke.

If you are having trouble with eye contact, pick out two people in the audience on each side of you towards the back. At the end of each verse, look at one, then after the next verse at the other one, and smile. You don't even have to look them in the eye - look at their hat or collar. Your eye gaze will include all the people in front and to the side of them as well.

Avoid milk, citrus juice, coffee, tea, or pop just before you perform - room temperature water is best. Milk coats the throat, and the rest can give you an acid stomach if you are performance apprehensive.

Do eat something, even if it is crackers, before you perform as an empty stomach may result in excess saliva in your mouth.

This is a fun thing, and the audience wants it to be a fun thing, too. They are all rooting for you to do well. As said before, play though your flubs and don't underestimate how awesome you are for doing this.
 
Hahahahaha!! Love the meditation video, EDW!
Hope you guys don't mind me interjecting an additional thought here: I remember, many years ago, a guy that I respected greatly said something that has really stuck with me ever since-- I had expressed concern that the song I was going to perform wouldn't "sound just like the record" because I was going to do it "solo" (whereas the original "hit" version had a full appointment of guitars, bass, drums, keyboards and strings). He told me, "Hey, forget all that. You're not trying to duplicate the record; you're just doing a VERSION of the song." More recently, I got to see Canadian rocker Bryan Adams perform live. He did the entire show with nothing but an acoustic guitar and his voice. It was incredible-- all these songs that had "full band" treatment when they first got radio air play, and he just took the "core" of each song, didn't try to overplay, and they all came out GREAT with just a guitar and a voice!! I learned a valuable lesson there!
 
"actadh" hit on a point I wanted to make........mistakes........you will probably have a few. Play right through them , do not stop, do not hesitate, do not apologize.......keep moving forward. Sing, sing your heart out, the chords can go to hell in a hand basket but if you keep singing all will work out. This has served me well many times.

My first live performance I could play and sing that song in my sleep I practiced so much. Less than half way through the song I missed a chord change and my mind went completely blank. I kept singing and I kept playing...... any old chords my fingers would allow. I was playing out of key no doubt but I kept the rhythm and sung like my life depended on it. I made to the end without skipping a beat. A lady afterwards said she reallyl iked the sound of my ukuele:p Go figure
 
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If you do make a mistake, always smile right afterwards. The audience likely didn't hear it anyway, but by smiling, you will make sure that you don't "telegraph" your mistake. Practice smiling after every mistake you make when you are at home, and soon it will become second-nature. I find that it also helps me care less about the mistake, and lets me forget it much more quickly, so that I can continue on without the mistake distracting me (which usually results in yet another one). Smiling is infectious. Even if someone in the audience did notice your mistake, your smile will disarm them and they will enjoy your performance even more. Good luck, and don't forget to breathe!
Jan
 
Biggest thing is always: SMILE and act like you own the place. You're someone else on that stage. You know a secret. You get to be whoever you like. Best thing is always to "be" someone with some swag and confidence. Fake it 'til you become it.

Some pre-show stuff to make yourself more comfy:

Check out the stage if you can and stand in your performance spot for a moment to get a feel for the space
Locate the nearest restroom so you can take a pee 5 or 10 minutes before you go on ("what if I have to pee?" is always my main pre-show concern)
Hold your uke so that it warms up
Do some motorboat lip/siren voice warmups
Do some push ups if you're really amping out

Kill it, yo.
 
Aww Fireflies is so cute! Congrats on making the cut!

Don't hide behind the stand. If you can memorize it do that, or maybe tape a cheat sheet to top of ukulele? Putting an object esp a large stand between you and the audience will distance them from you. (I am so guilty of this!) Good luck!

oh whoops! by stand I mean a mic stand for the mic. Don't worry, I know these chords by heart <3
 
"actadh" hit on a point I wanted to make........mistakes........you will probably have a few. Play right through them , do not stop, do not hesitate, do not apologize.......keep moving forward. Sing, sing your heart out, the chords can go to hell in a hand basket but if you keep singing all will work out. This has served me well many times.

My first live performance I could play and sing that song in my sleep I practiced so much. Less than half way through the song I missed a chord change and my mind went completely blank. I kept singing and I kept playing...... any old chords my fingers would allow. I was playing out of key no doubt but I kept the rhythm and sung like my life depended on it. I made to the end without skipping a beat. A lady afterwards said she reallyl iked the sound of my ukuele:p Go figure
I sang at an open mic one time and I was so scared. Afterwards I went to the restroom, because I had been that scared, and some fellow washing up said that he really enjoyed my song and especially that wavering that I did with my voice while I sang. He wanted to know where I learned it.
 
Lots of great advice here; love the story of your nerve-induced "warble", Rllink !!!!
Good luck today, Sloom! Please let us know how it goes!
 
Great advice in this thread. Yup, ukulele is supposed to be a fun/happy instrument. If you flub a chord or forget a lyric, just smile and keep moving. The audience 100% wants you to succeed. Realize, they're on your side. You've got this! I perform regularly and it took me time before I was able to just go up there and let 'er rip. But you know, I still get nervous after 100's of original music gigs, if the audience, venue or circumstances of the performance feels weird. So, don't be too hard on yourself. Someone once told me, if you are full of 100% confidence, then there might be a little bit of ego going on. A few butterflies keep us humble. Hehe.
 
Amen to that, Waylon! When all is said and done, we do it 'cause it's FUN! Practicing until you can do the tunes in your sleep goes a fair way toward establishing the confidence to just go out there and enjoy what you're doing, and to accept those butterflies, not as a sign of fear or apprehension, but as an indication that you're excited about what you're about to do!
 
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