Performing on stage more effectively will allow you to engage audiences in ways you never thought possible. It’s the stuff standing ovations are made of.  In my consulting business I am often hired to coach performers and keynote speakers on this subject and there isn’t enough room here to cover all of it.  Sorry.  BUT-here are five simple yet effective secrets that are the most common weaknesses among performers of all genres.  And just think: you get them for free!

1.  Acknowledge the power of stillness and USE IT. Do not move unless you have a purpose.  There is nothing more amateur than prancing around the stage trying to fill the space.  It tires you out and it’s boring to watch.  Concise, specific movements can tell the story/song/message just as well as dialogue or lyrics.  Bono does this beautifully.  So does James Earl Jones.  The magic of live performance is taking the audience on a journey of excitement and discovery with as little movement as possible.  This welcomes them to fill in the rest of the stage with their imagination.  Or your monster set.

2.  Learn to use and take care of your voice.  It’s not what you say it’s how you say it. Enunciation and proper breathing from your diaphragm will save your vocal chords and give you a boost of priceless energy.  If your shoulders move up and down when you breathe on stage, you’re not breathing correctly.   Bruce Eckstut in Los Angeles is a Juilliard trained voice coach that worked wonders for my voice as well as Jason Alexander, Helen Hunt and many more.  Look him up.  Don’t hire some hack who’s never done anything.  Best voice advice I ever got for doing TONS of gigs in a row?  I use this before every show.  No citrus.  No eucalyptus.  No alcohol.  No ice. No gargling salt water.  That one kills me.  Salt on your vocal chords?  C’mon.

3.  Learn how to rehearse. Putting in ten hours of rehearsal at once may sound impressive but it’s counterproductive.  3-4 hours of concentrated rehearsal on specific things is the most effective.  If you’re on tour then rehearse a different section of the show during sound check at each location.  It keeps it from getting monotonous and gives you a way to gradually implement things.  Practice makes perfect.  And whenever possible rehearse in front of mirrors.

4.  Tape your shows. Video doesn’t lie.  We all have these fantasies about how cool we look on stage but if you look like a bobble headed booger wolf in heat and the audience isn’t with you chances are the video will tell it loud and clear.

5.  Leave them wanting more. The people who buy tickets to our gigs – our audiences – are our employers.  You need to acknowledge them as appropriate during the performance without making them sick of you.  Do your thing, do it well, and get off the stage.  Longer onstage does not translate to stronger on stage. I shake hands with every person leaving the theater after the show and thank them for coming.

-Kahlil Ashanti, GigSmacked.com

Was this useful?  Share it, Tweet It, Smack it up, flip it, rub it down.  Thanks for supporting GigSmacked.com!