The Art of Stage Presence
Stage presence is when you’re up on stage, rocking out, having fun, interacting with your bandmates and the crowd and overall having a great time! Although we may feel silly rocking out on stage, rest assured that you will look cool! There are some things that we can do BEFORE going on stage that will help us out once we ARE on stage!
Practicing stage presence can seem odd, but is very helpful when you get on stage! When you get on stage, you might get nervous and be scared to move. Practicing will help with that, because you will be more comfortable with something if it is rehearsed.
Music can move you in many different ways. Listen to the song, without playing an instrument/singing and see what the music does to your body. Being able to feel the song with your body, will help to understand how to move to it. There will be certain parts of the song that will be slower, so there you can slow down your movements. Then, when the song picks up again, you can move faster and explode in a way! There will be parts of the song where it does something musically, that you can mimic with your body or instrument. For example, when there’s a part that plays shots, you can move your head with them, or the neck of your guitar.
Another really helpful thing to do, especially if you’re nervous on stage, is rely on your bandmates! Interaction is a big part of stage presence. Going over to another person in the band and rocking with them is a great way to get some great stage presence and plus it’s fun to rock out with your friends! Smiling and laughing with your bandmates, while playing songs will get the crowd more engaged. If they see you rocking out and having fun, they’ll want to rock out and have fun! The more energy you have on stage, the more energy the crowd will have!
Once you get up onstage, it can be quite scary! You may get nervous and stiffen up, but always remember that no one is going to judge you and you are all there to have fun and play music. Try your best to let go of the fear, let loose and go crazy! You’re only up on stage for a short amount of time, so make it count! If you really get into the music, you’ll feel more comfortable moving. Remember all of the things that you practiced and rehearsed! Another important thing to remember is that the crowd is there to support you! Don’t be afraid to get them involved in the show!
Taking into account all of the information in this article, and adding your own personality into it, you’ll be ready to rock any stage! Always remember to be yourself and have fun!