There’s an upcoming talent show at my school, and I want to sing All You Need Is Love with my guitar. The problem is that I have MAJOR stage fright, and I have no self-confidence what-so-ever. Please help!!!!
Hello Natalie!
To be honest I can totally fell your situation. I was in the same one a lot of times. I was stuttering losing my nerves, feeling awkward on the stage, my voice vas cracking, people were giving me this strange looks like "what is wrong with you?" …But not anymore! Today I come on the stage totally confident, with a charismatic smile, and I feel confident like a rock on the stage.
How comes? Many would say practice. And they are partly right. But let me tell you a secret. It is actually quit deep psychological stuff…the thing is you are frighten is because you associate a lot of pain too playing on the stage, like: what will other people say about you, because you have no experience you voice will sound weird and you will lose it on the guitar… but see what I just did. You are picturing yourself messing up and you feel the fear even if didn’t play yet! Wow! How is that possible? Are you still with me.
The thing is you brain doesn’t know what is real and what is imaginary. All it wants is for you to be safe and because it senses pain with your playing on the stage it elimination "fear" hormones.
Ok this was now some background so that you understand this.
How do you now solve it?
Trick your brain! Yes! Trick your brain that you playing on the stage is the most fantastic experience ever!
Ok, how do you do that?! Simple.
1. Remember a time when you felt really happy and joyful, really confident and a lot of people loved you. Find those moments and close your eyes. Now imagine those memories as clear as you can, bright, big, colorful, alive, …also put some really fantastic euphoric music to gain this moment even more. And Really Feel all these beautiful moments. This is important. And every time you feel like you’re on the peak state of this feeling make a fist with your left hand. Make this fist like 10 times, but just at the peak of these powerful feelings…with the fist you saved all those emotions into this simple gesture. This is more powerful than you could image.
So the second step now.
2. Put on the same euphoric music you had and now imagine as clearly as you can stepping on the stage with your guitar. And be inside your body. Feel like you really walk on the stage and look at the people. And as you do this press the same fist you did earlier. And hold it as you walk through your whole process. At the end imagine as bright as you can that the whole audience is on their feet clapping.
I hope it doesn’t sound to complicated, but this is the most powerful tool against any fear or phobias. It’s called Neuro Linguistic Programming.
You should do this exercise a couple of times. Take at lest10-15 minutes.
Well there could also be another reason why you’re scared. Maybe you’re not confident enough about your singing. I can also help you with that. I can give you some great tips to make your voice sound goddess.
Check them out on my site:
http://www.onlinesingingcoach.com/
Anyway control what you’re thinking about (ask yourself: why does anyone love me? why do I sing so fantastic?… It Really Helps!) and how you move. Stand strong as a rock and think that everyone in the audience is a little worm 
this will also help. It’s all about tricking your brain.
Good Luck!
Sam Dean