Singing with confidence? Shift your focus

What do others think of me? What if I sing out of tune? With performance-focused hobbies like singing, we tend to put all our focus on how well we’re doing, says guest blogger and VocalFeedback coach Nandy Mannaert. But fixating on perfection leads to tension. And it holds back your progress and your enjoyment of singing, says Nandy.

Perfection isn’t the standard

As a vocal coach, I meet plenty of singers who look for reassurance by working even harder, practising even more. But that often has the opposite effect. Instead, in this blog I’m giving you an exercise to help you shift your focus, which reduces performance pressure. Because if you can remove or reduce that pressure, you’ll sing better.

Shift your focus

Of course you want to put on a good performance. But instead of one big (and often unrealistic) goal, like: I want to sing perfectly, set yourself three specific goals per performance. Do this at least a few days before you perform, so you consciously shift and anchor your focus before you go on.

Let’s do it!

OK, let’s do it. Let’s get practical.

Before you start: Grab a pen and paper. And think of your next performance. This could also be a singing lesson you’re nervous about, or anything else where you sing in front of other people. Write down on your sheet:

Performance goal
Experience goal
Learning goal

Step 1: Write down your performance goal. A performance goal is about the result. Something you want to show and let your audience hear in this performance. It’s a concrete outcome that is visible, tangible and/or audible for your audience. Examples:

I want to make conscious eye contact with the audience regularly and connect with them.
I want to sing my songs more in tune by really focusing on breath support.

Step 2: Write down your experience goal. An experience goal is about the feeling you have during your performance or audition. This is about your own internal experience. Examples:

I want to feel the joy of singing, regardless of how perfect it sounds.
I want to feel free when I sing, and I’m going to share the enjoyment of making music with my bandmates.

Step 3: a learning goal focuses on the process. It’s about improving your technique or your mindset. The focus is on personal growth and development, and giving yourself room to practise something during your performance. Examples:

During my performance, I’m going to practise varying between singing loud(er) and soft(er).
When I have a negative thought, I’m going to practise a ‘counter-thought’: “I am good enough.”

And now? Now you’ve got a physical “poster” that shows what you’re going to focus on during your performance. By spreading your attention across these three goals, you avoid tensing up around one abstract and unrealistic goal. This reduces performance anxiety, helps you relax, and lets you truly enjoy singing. You’ll also find it easier to switch gears mentally if a negative thought pops up, or if you catch yourself thinking you have to sing perfectly!

What are your new, realistic goals for your next performance? Leave a comment.