Body Language and Stage Fright

Singing is extremely psychological. Yes, it’s also physical and there are biomechanics involved with the vocal cords, diaphragm, and ears. But when it comes to deciphering pitch, tempo, and making tones, it’s all in our heads. We don’t have a keyboard, positions, or fingerings. Most of us don’t understand how we do it, we just … sing. We hear the introduction, our brain organizes the sounds into a tonal framework, we “hear” the pitch in our head and somehow we express that tone. Sometimes this process works better than others. When it doesn’t work, the block is almost always mental, emotional, and hormonal. From my experience, the biggest stumbling blocks occur from simply being unsure of one’s ability and being nervous.

Whether your speaking or singing, It’s hard to hide a nervous voice

With this in mind, I encourage you to watch the following TED talk by Harvard Professor Amy Cuddy. She’s not talking about singing or performing, but about the importance of body language and its effect on ourselves. It’s 21 minutes long and totally worth it. The talk has several applications for singers, actors, worship leaders, public speakers, and anyone who may face a job interview, audition, or any situation where they feel shy.

My big takeaways from the talk are:

1. Not only do our thoughts determine our body language, but our body language can influence our thoughts
2. Our thoughts and “self-talk” influence our presentation of ourselves
3. How we present ourselves determine how others perceive us

So, the next time you’re scheduled to sing, perform, lead worship, audition, or anytime you’re unsure of yourself, pay attention to your body beforehand. Cuddy demonstrates “power poses” you can do that will change not only your mindset, but your hormone levels as well.