For our Songwriter U “Guest Blog” series, singer-songwriter Jadea Kelly expounds on how she conquered stage fright as a performer. She also talks about the importance of being vulnerable as a songwriter. You can also check out her new tune “Can’t Outrun” below. “This song was written about people who run from one unhealthy relationship to another, without actually learning to be alone and facing their own demons,” Kelly says of the track.
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Having worked as a songwriter and touring musician for nearly 10 years, vulnerability and stage fright are common phrases in my vocabulary. They are also interconnected emotions and often necessary when living a life in the arts. Great songs come from a vulnerable, transparent heart, and great performances come from adrenaline and excitement. Whether it’s Katy Perry, Dave Grohl or your local open-mic host, mastering the art of honest songwriting and a compelling performance is rewarding. It’s uncomfortable, but also the job of the artist to stew in an emotion and write from it. That’s where “Purple Rain” and “I Can’t Make you Love Me” came from! And where would we be without those songs?
Stage Fright
My own personal struggle with stage fright and anxiety started from a young age. Whether it was reading aloud in front of my school classroom, volunteering as an altar server at Sunday mass or performing at my high school talent shows, my nerves and anxiety were ramped up like an Energizer bunny. As time went on, the visible shaking calmed, and my voice lost its nervous quiver, but I still wrestle with stage fright every night before the curtain opens. If you’re a musician who experiences the same mental roller coaster, rest assured that it happens to every single performer you know and love. Although everyone has their own way of pushing the nerves away, I have a concrete set of rules that work for me. They are tapped to the back of my guitar, and I read them every night before going on stage.
Pretend you don’t care. Tricking your brain to give two shits works every single time. If you “don’t care” what happens on that stage, whether it be the curtains burning or you forgetting an entire verse, you can remove the imaginary pressure and relax. Because in actuality, anxiety or stage fright comes from overanalyzing the future and not living in the present. When making music, the present moment is where the magic happens.
Prepare your set, rehearse like crazy and warm up your voice. If you feel unprepared, then you probably are. Put the time in, and you’ll feel ready to crush every single heart in the venue. If you’re a singer, warm up the pipes so that the first note gliding from your mouth is a golden phoenix of sound. You have one chance to impress the people you so tirelessly promoted to get there, so make sure they see the best of what you can do.
Breathe. Easy to forget, but so very simple to do. Try going for a run around the concert venue to regulate your breathing. Neil Young does this, or so I have heard.
Move your body and open your eyes. As my lovely mum often says, our eyes are a window to the soul … so open them and connect with your audience. Make eye contact, move your body and move the people in the room.
Lay off the booze. Alcohol is a beautiful creation and easy to access when you’re on the road. Thing is, anxiety can lessen by 100 percent when you’re consistently sober. You’re also more alert, awake and less likely to sink into your head if you’re not drinking.
Have fun. Enjoy the moment and live in the moment. Feed off the people on stage and stop thinking. Sleep, meditate and exercise. Three very difficult things to attain while on the road, but try.
Vulnerability
One of my favorite American songwriters, Lucinda Williams, once wrote that “great songs come from honesty and vulnerability. Be uncensored in your writing.” I agree, and many of my songwriter friends feel the same. What’s the point of talking around the truth? Try writing exactly how you feel because chances are your listeners feel the same and can relate.
On my most recent album Love & Lust there exists a handful of brutally honest songs concerning infidelity and heartbreak. It was painful to write and release, but also some of my best songs to date. In particular the song “Mariah,” which is an open letter to the actual mistress, was completely honest and direct. You have no idea how many people come up to me crying after concerts, who experienced the same thing. Your audience members and fans don’t always have the words or musical ability to express their pain, but you do. It’s your job to express these feelings, which is an incredibly impactful, healing job to have.
