You may have read my blog on Doris Day, the beautiful blonde, who got all the talents in the world. Okay, many. And of course, talent is just a beginning. You have to DO something with it. I think Doris Day has a gift we can reflect upon even more…

We can sing, sing, sing. At home, behind the piano, to iReal Pro versions, in the shower, during the dishes.

But the real thing, really, is performing your song in front of a live audience, isn’t it?

Now do I hear you gasping for your breath? Picturing all the things that can go wrong? Yaaay. Been there too.

Let’s start by making a list of aaaaaaall the things that freak us out:

Start your sentence with: I’m afraid that….
1. I will forget my lines
2. I will sing out of tune
3. I will miss the cues
4. I will time reeeeeally bad
5. I will make a fool out of myself
6. I don’t know how to end the tune
7. I will sound horrible
8. I will sound like an amateur
9. the audience won’t like me
10. I don’t know what to say to the audience

You know a few more? ?

Now, how can we handle ourselves?

It all starts by practicing, practicing, practicing. Those things you can do at home, do ‘m at home. Study your lines till you can dream ‘m. Record yourself to make sure you’re in tune. Check the structure of the songs. Practice your timing.
These things we can do to prepare. Now… about performing. How to connect to your audience.

Well, in comes Doris Day.
One of Doris’ trademarks is her talent for intimacy. She would make you feel as if she sang her song especially for you. And you know what? She actually did have one particular person in mind.

This is one of the greatest lessons I think Doris Day can teach us. Always sing with intention. Have one someone in mind and sing your song especially for him or her. Your audience will feel the direction of the energy and the level of intensity. The atmosphere will change. It can be downright magical!

We sometimes get distracted by the numbers in the audience (or is it just me – I’ve had small and large audiences, the smallest number was 1 – wait: 2, if I count the dog), but if you practice this at home or in your studio – singing your song to one special person – you are most likely to succeed doing the same thing on stage.

I’m really curious where this may lead you, have fun trying this out. And remember, que sera, sera.

With love,

Ilse Huizinga