Describe how you want to experience your next performance. Imagine walking on stage: How do you want to feel physically? What kinds of thoughts do you want to be having? What emotions do you want to experience?
I would feel confident and calm heartbeat not tense or nervous. My thoughts for my next performance would be confident, tall, empowering and truthful to myself as a person. The emotions should be emotional but mainly happiness and confident.
How would you like to come across to your audience? What image do you want to convey through your stage entrances, exits, and bows?
I want to appear sure of myself; confident, yet innocent. Entrances and end of the performance should seem purposeful, and as if I know where I am going. Bows should look I am satisfied with my performance, even if I’m not satisfied at all. I mostly think about the feeling of the song and reading the words of the song in the sheet music before I go on, breath support, and take in the moment at each song.
Have you recently videotaped a performance and later watched it with a mentor to discuss your stage presence? If not, when might you be able to do this?
My Senior Recital and my Honor Recital. Michelle and I discuss about my presence and how she loved that my mix sound and acting was really presented well while performing my songs.
How do you experience performance anxiety? Describe your specific symptoms:
Physical: shaky legs and hands.
Thought patterns (self-talk): Confidence in my knowledge of the material. I will eventually rehearse all my music in parts so i can remember all my word and feeling through the song.
Feelings: I get nervous about making mistakes in front of my friends and family, and then I begin to feel nervous about my anxiety itself that i freeze and start forgetting word.
Of the interventions described for handling anxiety in this chapter, which do you plan to work on?
The most helpful for me are preparation, relaxation, learning to let go, and just breath. Time and time again, students are told that preparation is main important thing, and while I’m completely aware of this. I still end up pushing myself to be better by rehearsing with my pianist in our spare time to recap what we did during lesson time what i need to fix or get better at. One of my biggest thing is forgetting my words on stage and having the mentality of how people are going to judge me, in other words getting nervous. I know if i relax and not think about them but think about free of sound/one voice i would be successful and free in sound during my performances. Letting go of my mistakes is something I really think about all the time because, I’m not always sure if i did good or bad .
During a performance, I constantly find myself focusing on my own opinion of myself instead of enjoying my connection with the character, the music through the piano and the piece itself (sheet music). I want to be able to be in the moment of the piece and feel confident to take any opinion of other people. I’m always practicing breathing techniques with Michelle and letting the ring of the sound go freely, but for some reason, the minute I stand up to perform, I suddenly froze and forget what I’m doing. Forgetting to use my breath support to my one mix sound and acting choices.Being a good actor, breath is the one important to give emotional thought during a performance or taking back a moment and give it new thought. I need to relax and not worry about everybody and just concentrate on giving a magnificent performance.
Have you ever experienced discomfort during or after practice? What have you done as a result of feeling this discomfort?
Yes, typically if I’m pushing my voice to go higher than its normal range. Recently, I’ve have not been performing, I’ve been rehearsing for audition cuts of future performances I’ll get offer to do so. My voice has been getting a little tired and a little bit hoarseness and I think it’s because have not been performing a lot like before. What I would love to do it do more singing instead of not. I talk to my boss in Puerto Rico and i mentioned to him put me to sing in almost every performances so I can be able to use more my singing voice instead of losing it.
How often do you take breaks during practice sessions? How long are these breaks? What do you do during these breaks?
I sometimes take a breather, it’s like drinking water and keep on going, during my practice sessions. However, I use it for an advantage to take a bet to breath after every at least 3 songs so your voice doesn’t get tired and giving out.
To help ensure a lifetime of healthy music making, what else (beyond taking breaks) can you do to help safeguard your performance health?
I have a sensitivity to allergies and weather change. My throat has these tiny white bumps around throat and when allergies or weather change come in they activate and I start to cough or take medication to make my voice relieve. But after Vocal Pedagogy class, I’m trying out new medications and techniques to manage it. I’m also watching what I eat, and paying attention to the ways my diet affects my voice. I can hydrate more often, drink organic teas like ginger tea with lemon, honey and peppermint oil; and steam with eucalyptus when my voice is feeling rough. Honesty though, knowing when to stop pushing my voice to new limits is the most ideal thing I can do for my voice so it doesn’t feel forces.
