My singers are getting nervous. We are a week away from a gospel concert, and they are beginning to panic about whether the music will be ready to perform. I must admit that I am a bit on edge, also, but I have to trust my singers and myself if we are going to be successful.
I have directed choirs of all ages and all sizes in my years as a choral conductor, and I have learned a few things about performing over the years. While nothing that I have learned is earth shaking or brand new, it helps once in a while to remind myself and to tell others what I have learned.
1) You have to trust yourself and what you know. We have been working on the music for this gospel concert for seven weeks now. Do we still have work to do? Of course. Are the songs perfect? Heavens, no. However, if the group is going to perform well, then the singers have to trust themselves and what they know. If I have done my job as their director, then I have given them the tips and strategies to make the music its very best. They know what to do. All they have to do is remember what they have learned and put that knowledge to work.
2) Relax. Standing in front of an audience performing can be rather frightening for some people, even if it's with a big group of people. I tell my singers to try and forget about their audience. This choir is their choir. They are a part of this great group of people who have practiced together diligently for the past several weeks. I tell them to forget about this being a performance. Instead, think of the performance as the final capstone rehearsal. It is the last chance they have to share this great music with their fellow compatriots. They definitely want this last time of singing together to be their best, to be something that they can remember.
3) Enjoy the music. Blending your voices with others to create beautiful music is what being a choral singer is all about. Forget about how nervous you are or how your hair looks. Enjoy the music. Sing as you have never sung before. Listen to the words as you sing them. Let the music carry you off to a higher plane. Sing it from the depths of your soul.
4) Enjoy yourself. Think about how much you love to sing. Think about that audience out there that wants to be entertained. They didn't come to see and hear a bunch of singers who aren't having fun. They came to watch and listen to a group who is enjoying itself so much that the fun they are having while performing will literally lift their hearts and spirits as they listen. If the singers don't enjoy themselves at the performance, the audience won't enjoy themselves, either. Most people would rather come and listen to a fun, enjoyable performance that is not quite perfect than to listen to a perfect performance that isn't any fun.
5) Know that no matter what happens, life will go on. So what if one of the songs doesn't go well? You can use it as a learning experience on what to do better next time. So what if the concert isn't the best that you have done? Every concert can't be the best. The trouble with a live performance is that it can't be completely controlled. You can work hard as you prepare for it and think that everything is going to be great only to have something unexpected happen. No matter how hard you try, things happen that we can't control. All you can do is go and give your best performance and hope that it will pay off in the end.
I tell my singers to remember how much they love to sing, to think about how much fun it is to have all of their voices blend together to create a beautiful moment in time. Moments pass, and more moments are to be made. Just keep on singing.
