5 Secret Tips to a Great Vocal Performance and a Standing Ovation
This post helps you get started, but that’s only the beginning. What would it feel like to sing your heart out with a transformed voice performing to thousands of people by the end of the year? Come join the tens of thousands of singers who have already transformed their voices with my Singers Gift Warmups. Set your voice free in just 20 minutes a day with these revolutionary techniques found only here! Click here to find out how.
When you think of your favorite concerts, there was magic in the air. The music, the lights, the emotion, the crowd rising to their feet with applause—the musicians and the singer performing at their peak.
There is so much going on behind-the-scenes and in preparation. Performing is an art. It is so more than meets the eye. In today’s Blog I am going to give you 5 secrets to a great performance that might even get your audience on their feet for you!
My first standing ovation was at Town Hall in New York City in front of 3000 strangers (and a few friends.) Not only was that a stellar moment, it was totally unexpected. That night was just the same as any other performance to me.
That night, something in me shifted—or came full circle. I had never stepped into that kind of performance before—it was huge. There was something extra that night that took it over the top… read on below to find out what it was…
What did I do differently at that performance that I failed to do prior? A lot.
1. Work on your voice—train.
Secret: Train your voice.
The truth is, the right vocal technique really works. If you want to really find out what your voice is capable of—train. As John Mayer says over and over again —TRAIN.
In order to truly perform at your peak, you need a voice that is primed and ready to deliver. I worked on my voice for many years. I trained in vocal technique 5 days a week. You work hard in training so that on your worst day, you sound great. That is the goal.
To get started on a technique that will deliver real results get a copy of my Singers Gift Vocal Warmups. They are designed to open and free your voice, expand your range and help you deliver those big notes.
I also workshopped my vocals, rehearsed alot. Worked on perfecting my timing, my phrasing, studied the blues and jazz. I learned vocal comping and how to record great vocal demos. I joined a band and a gospel choir. I performed hundreds of shows.
I also worked hard to become a better musician and songwriter. I went to music school and studied jazz. I wrote over 200 songs and worked on my craft and instruments. I think having really good ears pushed me to work so hard. It’s a blessing and a curse. I was just never satisfied. I wanted to be better. I wanted to move an audience to their feet one day.
2. Sing with your voice, not someone else's
Secret: Cultivate your own sound.
Every voice is a unique signature. The task is to cultivate it. First, you learn by copying others—it gives you a structure or model to follow. Then it’s time to leave your idols behind and cultivate your own sound. The key lies in embracing your natural strengths (while still strengthening where you are weak). Getting comfortable with your own voice.
It is important to embrace your own voice—to cultivate your own sound, not someone else’s.
Here how:
- First—train your voice so you strengthen your instrument. A weak or under-developed voice will never reach it’s potential.
- Strengthen your weak spots. Just like an athlete strengthens their body and movements, singers are athletes of the small muscles of the voice. Strengthening your weak spots will make you a stronger singer.
- Embrace your natural instincts. Instead of trying to sound like other singers, go more in the direction your voice wants to (while still challenging yourself). Embracing your natural instincts does not mean settling for a lower note when you can’t reach the higher note. It means working your butt off to reach the higher note but maybe bringing the key down a half step so you can nail it. But also to highlight the vocal qualities you have. If you like to hold notes out—feature that. If you like to riff, feature that.
3. A powerful vocal arrangement
Secret: Vocal arranging
A vocal arrangement is the layout of the vocal line, melodically, rhythmically and emotionally. The peaks and valleys. Crescendo and decrescendo. Where you put holds, riffs, soft tones, where you build and where you pull back.
For that performance, I worked out a killer vocal arrangement. I built the dynamic arc of the vocal to deliver the peaks and valleys of the song. I had a big note at just the right time when the music dropped out. I put the high notes in all the right places at the right times in the song, I used a few riffs to accentuate the lyrics and built a big crescendo at the end of the song as the melody climbed higher and higher — this is the arc of a vocal arrangement to take the audience on a journey to deliver the full impact of the emotion to the audience.
What hits us in our solar plexus is the technical prowess of the singer—and the emotional delivery that makes the impact. You can have a great technical voice, but can you reach the audience with your emotion? Singers who deliver a highly charged emotional vocal will win over those who sing technically perfect. But when you’ve got both? You’ve got a Standing O.
It’s the job of the vocal arrangement to help you make a real impact, to deliver that stunning vocal to your audience.
4. Get out of your own way
-
- I want to arrive in my body by the end of the first verse. I didn’t know this at the time, but I was doing what a lot of athletes do in preparation.I was giving my body and mind a direction. I said this particular thing because I had performed enough to know that I would have adrenalin pumping through my body at the start (it’s part of what gives you the energy to perform), but that I wanted to get ahold of it by the end of the first verse. This gave my mind and body a very specific direction to follow. And it worked!
- I asked for help. Help me get out of my own way tonight so I can give something to these people.That night I knew I needed help. I had performed so many times, but each time I always felt a lot of nerves and it was hard to control my breathing and my voice felt shaky. I was desperate. I had tried every trick in the book. In the past I had even tried pretending the show didn’t mean that much, and ended up giving a terrible performance. The truth is, you need adrenaline to perform.So that night, I asked for help. Right before I hit the stage, I mumbled to myself “self, Spirit—whoever is listening, please help me get out of my own way tonight so I can give something big to these people”… When I opened my eyes at the end of the performance, to my surprise—the entire room of 3000 people were on their feet applauding me. I had gotten my first “Standing O”. That night I learned the true alchemy behind moving an audience to their feet. I was never the same performer again!
5. Feel what you want your audience to feel
Secret: Whatever you want your audience to feel, feel that.
Often times in performance we are distracted by external stimuli. The crowd, the musicians, the lights, the cameras. But really what we need to focus on is the emotion we are giving the audience. I learned a little trick that night. That night I really stepped into the song. I focused on my performance not the audience. I had rehearsed so much that I wasn’t distracted by remembering the words or the arrangement—that was all on autopilot. So I could really focus on diving deeper into the emotional landscape of the song.
I learned that if you want to bring your audience to their feet, you have to go there. If you want them to feel deeply, you have to go there yourself. There is an alchemy to performance. Surrender to the music, it’s there for you.
You can do it too. Follow the steps!
Start here:
Share this post
Categories
Hi, I’m Cari Cole.
You’ve got talent, but you want to become great at it. You’re in the right place! My mission is to help you refine your unique artist vision to bring to the world.
INSTANT ACCESS
STEP UP TO THE SPOTLIGHT
6-Week Kickstart Artist Development Program
Win Awards, Gain
Notoriety, and Industry
Recognition.
About Cari Cole
Cari Cole is the CEO / Founder of caricole.com and CCVM: Label Without Walls. She is a Holistic Vocal Coach, Artist Development Expert, A&R Director, and Songwriter based in New York City helping artists for the past 38 years. She is a mentor for Women in Music and The Association of Independent Music Publishers.
Her latest venture, CCVM a label services company, provides artists with a seamless path from creation to completion. After 30+ years of observing the overwhelm and challenges that artists face, Cari pulled together the best top creative professionals and designed a new approach to supporting our artists.
Disclaimer:
The information provided on Cari Cole's website is informational only and should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. Those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on Cari Cole's website. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately.