How To Sing Past The Fear

Brett Manning

March 23, 2011

Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned performer it’s not at all uncommon to have issues with confidence, anxiety, or even periodic battles with fears or doubts about your ability that you need to overcome.

It’s important to identify what it is you fear about your singing ability and

note any factors that have contributed to the fear. It might be a fear that you can’t smoothly transition into high notes or you’re afraid you’ll forget the lyrics. Maybe you sing fine in a lesson or when practicing by yourself, but you’ve noticed a little bit of anxiety creeps in when you know someone is listening.

Living In A No Sing Zone

Your experience as a young child in school, at summer camp, or in church may have been unpleasant on some level. Your family may not have revered singing as an art form or even as a source of enjoyment and pleasure. Instead you were patronized with a pat on the head or told to take it elsewhere because singing was viewed as a hobby or as source of noise and was therefore discouraged.

Culture Clashes

There are many cultural and environmental factors that can subtly and not so subtly impact your perception of yourself as a singer. These factors feed the fear that you’re doing something that’s either not important or simply not worth your time and effort. But, the best way to combat fear is through your love and passion for singing. That love and passion is strengthened by learning to sing using the methods developed by Brett Manning that are shared in his Singing Success and Mastering Mix programs, as well as other products.

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From Self-Conscious To Confident

Fear creates tension and feeds feelings of being self-conscious. That mindset invites missteps, mistakes, disappointment, and will ultimately lead to a lack of commitment if proper technique that generates positive results is not engaged. Brett Manning, his programs, as well as his certified vocal coaches, are dedicated to groundbreaking effective techniques that when properly engaged will quickly generate lasting results. That will work wonders in conquering any fears or doubts you may face.

Leigh Nash

“Brett is a genius,” said BMA vocal coach Leigh Nash. “Just watching him teach is incredible because he knows so much. There’s a wealth of information you get in just one hour. Since working with Brett, I have more power in my voice and more confidence in my abilities. It’s like I have his set of extra super powers in my pocket.”

Leigh is a Grammy-nominated, veteran performer of 20 years, having served as lead singer for Sixpence None The Richer. She’s also Brett’s newest certified coach in Nashville. You can learn more about Leigh Nash or book a vocal coaching session with her by visiting this link: https://www.brettmanningstudios.com/coaches/leigh-nash

The techniques for addressing issues with breathing, posture, and tension will help you make great strides in growing your confidence as you lean into your love for singing and begin to soar.

Clip It In The Bud

There are several video clips on SingingSuccess.TV that will help address issues with tension and relaxation. “Relieving Tension” with Shelby Rollins and “Let Air Work For You” featuring Jesse Nemitz are must see viewing for helping you become more comfortable and confident. Jesse provides a simple but very effective demonstration of air pressure that will help you understand the process and avoid squeezing neck muscles and the throat for breath support. Giuseppe Lopizzo’s video on “Tongue Tension” and Chris Keller’s “Posture” and “Staying Connected” clips are also valuable resources for fighting nerves and building confidence.

Claim Your Space

It’s critical to create a training space that provides positive reinforcement for your commitment to singing and celebrates your pursuit of its success. When putting together your training space you want to make it colorful and have a free and open, playful feeling. You want to keep creative touches at hand such as reminders of your favorite singers, composers, and artists. You want a voice recorder available for capturing your lessons for further study and to chart your progress, as well as make notes of issues or comments for the SingingSuccess.TV forums. Include any items that serve as positive energizers. You might even include a memento that represents the fear that you have conquered in the pursuit of your singing career. Also add touches that represent personal heroes and supportive mentors.

Sacred + Powerful

The training space should have a sense of being something sacred and personally powerful. It can be reserved for a variety of creative activities that support your singing, such as writing a song, learning a new song, or learning to play an instrument. The goal is to grow your passion and love for singing. The more you search out and engage these playful connections, the freer you will be to create and commit to developing your craft. You will also become more focused on positive aspects of your gift. You’ll begin to see the music business as providing a place for you to play to your fullest potential.

Practice Pieces

Select a group of songs that you can indulge periodically that represent power, success, fun, and freedom for you personally in fighting your fear. One of the songs might be something you loved to sing that was either considered taboo or even an irritant by those that discouraged or even opposed your pursuit of singing. This can serve to celebrate the rebel, pioneer, or crusader in you.

Preparation + Focus

Don’t be surprised if some fear threatens an attack before you perform. In fact, it’s perfectly normal to have butterflies and some jitters before a live show or a studio gig. It’s a sign that you’re excited and that you care deeply about sharing your voice. The better prepared you are through extensive, focused rehearsal time; the less likely there will be any feelings of insecurity for residual fear or anxiety to latch onto. By warming up with techniques provided through Brett’s programs and through The Pro-Singer’s Warm Up by Jamie Wigginton, you know your voice is ready to deliver to the very best of your ability. Also, the greater your focus on the meaning of each song and the story it tells, the less likely you are to worry about what the audience thinks.

Fearless Forums

Use the forums here at SingingSuccess.TV to explore training space designs and to share success stories on combating fear and anxiety. Talk about changes you’ve noticed in your confidence or commitment levels. Choose at least one product from SingingSuccess.TV as part of your arsenal for combating fear by celebrating the gift of singing and the pursuit of your dreams. Book a session with one of Brett Manning’s certified vocal coaches in the studio, over the phone, or via skype. For more information, call (615) 866-1099. By creating a positive space for training where you engage the many resources of SingingSuccess.TV, you will become more positive, confident, and focused. And best of all, you will become more fearlessly triumphant in the pursuit of your singing success.