If you’ve got a performance coming up, you’re probably looking for a way to know if you’re really ready. You’re probably wondering if there’s a singing test you can take to know for sure it’s time to get out onstage.
Whether it’s a concert for your community, a recital for your teacher’s studio, an audition for your local musical, or a performance for your church, I’ve got a helpful way to know you’re performance-ready.
Here are some questions to ask yourself when prepping for a concert. These will double as a “singing test” to let you know if you’re ready to perform.
Is Your Song Memorized?
Sometimes we love our songs and sing them over and over again so much they seem to memorize themselves! However, such casual memorization might fail you if you get nervous in the moment. I always suggest my students spend intentional time memorizing their music to make sure they feel confident when performance day comes. There are lots of fun ways to test yourself on memory. My favorite way to memorize music is to write it out line by line in different colors, first in small chunks, and then the entire song.
This way, you can look back and clearly see if you’ve got any mistakes you still need to fix. Another good memory strategy is to speak your song lyrics. Often, speaking the words will be faster than singing them, requiring your brain to recall them that much more quickly.
When you slow down to sing the song, it will be even easier. If you have trouble finding time to set aside to intentionally memorize your lyrics, you might find it helpful to carry around flashcards with your song lyrics in order to test yourself. I had a friend in college who would keep flash cards for the songs she was working on in her purse so she could always pull them out for a couple quick minutes of study between classes.
Do You Know Who Your Character Is?
At its heart, singing is storytelling, and if you didn’t write your own lyrics from your own personal experience, the character you’re portraying is probably not you.
Even if it’s not musical theater, you’ve got to put yourself in the shoes of the person whose words you’re singing.
Let’s use an easy example. You probably know “Part of Your World” from The Little Mermaid. First, ask yourself who you are. In this case, Ariel is a young underwater princess who’s had a very sheltered upbringing. We know she’s curious and rebellious, and this informs the way you’ll sing her song.
Once you know who you are, ask yourself who you’re speaking to. Here, Ariel is singing to Flounder, her closest friend and confidant. I think she would speak these words very differently if she were standing up to her father!
The most important question to ask about your character is why they’re singing in the first place. What do they want? On the surface, Ariel says she wants to experience the human world, but let’s try digging deeper! Because she’s been so closely sheltered as the king’s youngest daughter, she longs most for freedom, and that’s what the human world looks like to her!
Asking these big questions is what will take your performance to the next level and make it so much more engaging for your audience. If you’re singing a pop song or an art song, answering these questions require a lot more creativity, but that’s just more room to make it your own.
Are You Prepared to Deal With Your Nerves in the Moment
I think everyone would agree performing in front of an audience is much different than practicing in your living room. It gets easier every time you do it, but there are ways to prepare for stage fright before it even happens.
Once your song is memorized and you know your character, try gathering your friends or family for a small living room concert to practice getting a little nervous in a controlled environment. (Although, some people think performing for your friends is more difficult than for strangers!) You might notice your knees feel a little weak or your breathing is shallow, and you can practice dealing with that and still giving a beautiful performance!
You can also simulate nervous feelings by doing jumping jacks or running up and down stairs just before singing. This way, you’ll know what it feels like to sing your song with an elevated heart rate or a little short of breath. Having breathing exercises prepared to calm yourself down and get centered right before you perform can also be a good strategy! It’s best to practice these exercises when you actually are relaxed at home so you can bring yourself back to those relaxed moments once you’re backstage waiting to go on.
Do You Know Why You’re Singing?
Above all, remember why you’re singing. Performing is a service to the audience. We offer them stories and characters that we hope they can relate to. Every audience (and even audition committee!) is wishing for your success, not waiting to judge you.
Remember that even professionals get nervous, and not everyone always feels like they’ve passed any kind of singing test before going out onstage. Remember you’re sharing a beautiful gift and all the hard work you put in. Most importantly, enjoy the process!
Congratulations!
If you feel like you’ve got all these boxes checked, you’ve passed the singing test, and you’re ready to perform! But don’t worry if you feel like you’ve still got some work to do. There are plenty of strategies to get you ready, and plenty of singing teachers who can’t wait to help!
Haley Fryer