This topic of stage presence actually qualifies as part of the “Polishing Your Performance” series, but is important enough to be a little 2-part series on its own.
Stage presence is one of those concepts that is difficult to describe or measure. Kind of like the wind. You can’t see or touch the wind (unless you’re in LA or Beijing, maybe), but you can certainly see what effect it has on the stuff it blows on. In fact, we tend to describe wind more by what it does than by what it is. (For example, “That wind done plumb blowed over my whole chicken coop!”) Or, as a more scientific example, the Fujita Scale measures tornado winds after the fact, by the damage left behind.
That’s kind of what stage presence is like. It’s this nearly intangible thing that can only be measured by how much effect someone has on an audience. You could have two different qualified performers sing the exact same song, in the exact same way, to the exact same audience, in the exact same bar, in two parallel universes; in one case, the audience is completely alert and responsive, and in the other, they don’t even look up from their margaritas. The difference? Stage presence.
Now, for some people, stage presence is sort of a gift, like perfect pitch. You know the type–they can walk into a room and stand there, and instantly they are the center of attention. But for those of us who don’t have that kind of magnetism, there is still hope. Just like people without perfect pitch can train their ears with practice, people without the superpower of irresistablity can improve their stage presence with some practice. It starts with a little self-awareness, and we’ll share some tips about that momentarily.
First of all–at its root, stage presence has a lot to do with making a connection with your audience, and then keeping them engaged once you have their attention. It’s not a one-time deal; it’s an ongoing process of reading your audience throughout the performance, knowing when you have their attention, perceiving when you’re losing them, and knowing how to draw them back in–all while singing great songs. Shouldn’t be too hard, huh? 
Here are some tips to start the ball rolling:
- Study performers you like, performers with good stage presence. Watch them on video, and analyze their every move. Watch how they interact with their audience. Try to note what you like about what they do, down to the details–those little things you might miss consciously, but that send you a favorable message nonetheless. If you like something about them, chances are someone else will, too. You don’t want to copy, but you can learn a lot about how to adapt your own live performance.
- Practice in front of a mirror. (Oh, don’t roll your eyes like that. Most of you probably do this, anyhow–you just don’t want to admit it.) Put on a soundtrack and sing, or lip-sync, and watch your own performance. in the mirror. Observe what you like when you perform, what you don’t like, and what you might change.
- Watch yourself on video. (Wince.) This can be excruciating, especially the first time. The camera doesn’t lie, and it will show you your blind spots–without a lot of tact, I might add. But it’s definitely worth it. I have yet to observe myself on video where my own stage performance didn’t drastically improve afterward.
In the next post, I’ll share some do’s and don’ts about live performance that should help improve stage presence.
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