Performing on stage is something that many musicians want to achieve, and maybe you already have, however it can be quite daunting.
Standing on stage, with an audience in front of you that expect to be entertained can put a lot of unwanted pressure on yourself, so let’s reverse that.
Rather than singing for them, sing to them, with them entertaining yourself, as much as you entertain them!
Confused? Let’s break it down into three categories, 1) divide your audience into sections, 2) engage with each section, and 3) focus on projecting the emotion of the song.
These categories will not only take the pressure of performing off you, but also help you connect with your audience on a deeper level.
1 - Divide Your Audience into Sections (imaginatively)
The amount of sections will depend on the size of the audience and the layout of them. For example, are they all in front of you? Are they around you? Are they on multiple levels?
For this scenario, let’s assume you’re playing a venue with a couple hundred people in attendance on one level, all stationed in front of you.
In this case, you may want to divide your audience into 4 sections, front right (those closest to the stage on your right), front left (those closest to the stage on your left), back right (those on your right that are stationed further back from the stage), and back left (those on your left that are stationed further back from the stage).
These divisions will be within your mind only. You will not physical have anyone move to match your sections, but rather used as a guideline to ensure you give attention to each section (which subsequently gives attention to each person).
2 - Engage with Each Section Multiple Times Throughout Your Performance
Now that your audience is divided into imaginative sections, your goal throughout your performance is to engage with each section, multiple times.
I know what you’re thinking, while performing, how can you actively engage with hundreds of people?
You do not need to do any of it verbally. Communication is predominantly non-verbal and can take the form of providing eye contact, winking, pointing the mic to sections of the audience to sing, and dancing in the direction of people.
This works great, especially for audience members that are close to the stage (front right section and front left section).
It may be a little harder for you to engage with those sitting further away through non-verbal measures however, but those sitting at the back should just be as important to you and so, you still need to connect with them.
One way to do this is by saying, "I want to see everyone at the back wave your hands, or sing as loud as you can, or shine a light," etc.
You can also say, when I point in your direction, I want to see you jump up and down. Moreover, you can take it even further, by saying, "the left side of the audience is singing louder, show them right side that you can sing even louder."
While these are just examples, they are useful ways to engage with sections of your audience and impact everyone in the room.
3 - Focus on projecting the emotion of the song onto each audience member, rather than on hitting each note
You now know how to divide your audience into imaginative sections and engage with them, but the next and arguably most crucial step is to project the emotion of the song onto your audience.
When you’re on stage, you may be stressed or anxious about hitting each note, but let’s face it, live performances are not for that. If people wanted to hear crystal clear, top quality music, without background noises and other distractions, they would listen to your music on streaming platforms.
Performing live is to provide a different feel, a different vibe, a different form of entertainment, a different form of expression.
One way to do that, is to project the emotion of the song that your audience cannot get when streaming your song online.
How do you do that though? The simple answer is in every way possible, such as through the outfit you wear, your presence on stage, the way you walk, the way you sing, your body language, the way you interact with the audience, the signals you portray to your audience (both verbally and non-verbally).
This was a lot of information in a condensed blog, and so if it is a little confusing or hard to interpret, the one thing I would like you to take away from it, is to sing to your audience, not for them.
In doing so, the stress and anxiety of performing live will slip away and your audience will feel more connected and involved.