How can you get yourself ready for a show as a singer or entertainer so that you can ensure you will have a good performance? Get yourself mentally and physically ready so that you will focus with confidence on a delivering a great performance. Rehearse your songs and their lyrics so that you have them memorized.

If you feel like you need a cheat sheet on stage then do that, it’s important to know your material. Singing is like giving a speech from memory, know what you want to sing and keep that song playing in your mind. You’ll also need to drink plenty of water so that your vocal cords are hydrated, you don’t want to get dry mouth while singing and keeping your throat moist will help with your confidence.

Learn to listen to yourself singing through recording yourself, decide what you need to to do to build your performance skills. If you have a recording of a band or orchestra in the background, try to practice so that you sound naturally comfortable with the background music. Pinpoint parts in the music that don’t sound right or natural, and keep practicing until you get it right.

All great singers have something that makes them stand out, such as hand movements or stage presence or their ability to draw the crowd into their song. You’ll have to find something that creates an allure to your voice. If you have a certain appearance that you’re going for make sure it works for the crowd even when the lights are up.

Before going on stage, try to refrain from overusing your voice and don’t shout at all! Vocal cords are sensitive to overuse and abuse, and you certainly don’t want to add to the problem before an important performance. You can be a very good singer and maybe get away with a lot, but your voice is still sensitive to overuse.

Don’t dare eat any spicy food or soda pop, as the last thing you need is a noisy burp or a backup of food in your throat! Please don’t drink any form of alcohol, as it is bad for the vocal cords by dehydrating it. Instead, have some tea mixed with honey and lemon so that you soothe your vocal cords.

There are so many fine singers that constantly criticize and scrutinize themselves. Even if they receive very positive reviews after a performance, some gifted and popular singers still over analyze and dissect every performance. Some singers are very strict with guarding the quality of their voice so that they avoid problems associated with harming their vocal cords.

If you want to get some positive results from your singing then start in a small setting where the audience is captive. You could sing at a karaoke bar or offer to sing at a friend’s party where you get real feedback from people who might not know you but respect your craft, or you can also sing in church, which will help people to know that you have a good voice. If you read some of the biographies of singers they usually started out singing in a non-judgmental setting such as school plays, churches or Community Theater.