Expert: Wanda Reinholdt - 12/7/2007

Question
hi, what are some warmups that i can do before performing to make my nervousness and tenseness go away? i mean physically i guess.

also, i have an audition on sunday for The Fantasticks. I'm a 17 year old first soprano and i'm interested in Luisa. the three songs that i have in mind are 'Out of my Dreams' from Oklahoma, 'Will He Like Me?' from She Loves Me or 'How Lovely to be a Woman' from Bye Bye Birdie.
Thanks!

Answer
Hi Martina...Thanks for writing and congrats on the audition!

I have some thoughts that might help you...

What is nervousness really?  I invite you to think about it for a moment before you read on.  Where does it come from?  I hope you have concluded that it is fear as that is what it is.  Nervousness is fear based.  And because it is fear based, it is a choice that we make.  Having fear is a choice.

So my suggestion to deal with the nervousness is to not be afraid of it but to embrace it and make the choice to use the fear rather than to be run from it.  

The first thing for you to do is to move your attention away from the fear itself and concentrate on using the energy and adrenalin to prepare well.  When you are waiting for an audition or doing the audition, concentrate on your breathing.  Usually it is the breathing that becomes shallow when we are nervous. By concentrating on breathing deeply down to our abdomen out through the nose and in through the mouth, we can calm ourselves and actually become more relaxed and ready.

This will automatically decrease the tension you feel as well.  Deep cleansing breaths are the best way to relax and to move to place of feeling ready.

Also do some stretches for each part of your body before an audition.  Stretching also relaxes and calms.  

As for the songs you have chosen, which song do you do the best on or which one will show what you can do the best?  Choose and then do to the best of your ability.  And enjoy!

Does this help?

Wanda