Tag Archives: stage pressence

5 Tips for Improving Stage Presence – Part 5 Take Your Time

Welcome to our new series for developing your stage presence in 5 easy steps. Even if you are shy or uncomfortable in front of large audiences you can improve your stage presence with a little bit of practice and a few easy tips.

This series was inspired by an experience I had in high school. One year there was a performance of outstanding young musicians in our school. Everyone was taken with a singer named Judy – her performance was spectacular! A couple of days later I was excited to hear the recording but was left a little underwhelmed – it wasn’t as good as I remembered it.

I began to understand that it was not the actual singing that captivated the audience but the way she presented herself. It was exciting and breathtaking as she engaged herself incredibly well with the audience and commanded attention.

So today we start with the first tip in the countdown, number 5: Take Your Time.

When you are in a performance it’s true that all the eyes are on you. In many cases performers will feel a sense of urgency – that they should rush to their instrument and begin playing as soon as possible. This is not in your best interest.

Your time perspective is different from the audience’s. They are there to enjoy themselves and they want to be comfortable. If you walk out onto the stage and give yourself a few moments to relax and prepare yourself, the audience will do the same. They will end their conversations, get comfortable in their seats, and after a few moments they will be ready for the show.

While you don’t want to make the audience wait too long, after a few moments of silence there is a drama and anticipating that builds within the audience. If you harness this effectively they will be completely captivated by the time you play your first note.

Be on the lookout for the rest of this series in the coming weeks. Thanks again for joining me Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729

How to Improve Your Stage Presence – Part 4 Make Eye Contact

Welcome back to our five part series on improving your stage presence. Last time we talked about Taking Your Time for the benefit of both your audience and yourself.

Today’s topic is about making eye contact. This can be provide a huge benefit for connecting with your audience. When it comes to live performance it’s absolutely crucial that you make eye contact with your audience at some point. Just imagine what these videos I produce would be like if I never made eye contact with the camera. These videos are designed to be like a live performance or classroom setting. I make eye contact with my audience to engage the viewer.

When you’re standing in front of a large group of people it would be impossible to make eye contact with everyone but you will want to look at as many audience members as you can – try not to focus on only one person. Have you ever had the experience of being at a performance and having the sensation that the performer is looking directly at you? It gives you a sensation of awe and intimacy that wouldn’t be created otherwise. One of the best ways to connect with your audience is simply to look at them!

Thanks again for joining me Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com

5 Tips for Improving Stage Presence – Part 3 Don’t Show Your Mistakes

Welcome back to our ongoing series of how to improve your stage presence. We’ve covered: #5 Take Your Time and #4 Make Eye Contact so far. This week we will be discussing why you should never show your mistakes.

This is such a common problem. While you’re practicing you probably reprimand yourself in some way for making a mistake and display it maybe both verbally and physically. This is something you never want to do during a performance.

The truth is the vast majority of the audience will never know you made a mistake. They are most likely not intimately familiar with your music and they will not know if a wrong note is played or you messed up on a certain passage. The moment you make any sort of acknowledgment of a mistake, they will automatically know what has transpired.

If an audience is clued in to a mistake they will not think less of you, instead it becomes an uncomfortable experience. There is nothing worse than going to a concert and seeing that a performer is unhappy with their performance. The audience is there to enjoy themselves and by letting them know you aren’t happy with something it will ruin their pleasure of the event.

The best thing to do is to go out there and do your best. You can’t let yourself get down over a mistake, you have to press on and think positively. Your performance will be that much better if you simply enjoy yourself and not worry about what you did wrong. Even if you make a mistake that was noticeable, playing with a good amount of energy and enthusiasm through the rest of the performance will cover it up. By the end of the performance nobody will remember the mistake.

Thanks again for joining me Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729