Today is Halloween! How are you celebrating this year? Are you going Trick Or Treat with your kids? Will you be handing out candies to little munchkins knocking down your door? In my community, many neighbours went to elaborate lengths to decorate their front yard. It's been fun to go for night walks this last couple of weeks and admire everyone's spooky work! I usually dress up for my young students at school or to go out dancing on Halloween. It's fun to forget about who we are for the lapse of a few hours and to bring out our inner child.
I also got a kick out of listening to a couple of group members' Halloween song posts this week featuring spooky songs and cool disguises for the occasion. Way to go guys!
Capitalizing on dressing up to get people's attention and grow an audience is nothing new. As part of the whole package, it speaks to who you are and how you want to be perceived.
Think of the following singers to prove this:
Lady Gaga
Michael Jackson
Elton John
Foxy Shazam
Madonna
Marilyn Manson
Elvis
Kiss
Spice Girls
Britney Spears
Slipknot
David Bowie
Katy Perry
What comes to mind when you think about these artists? Creative? Outrageous? Elegant? Unique? Scary? Weird? Sexy? Mysterious? Original? Tell me in the comments!
Why is dressing up for singing so much fun? Because it increases your confidence! Since singing and acting bear many similarities when it comes to interpretation and performance, putting on a special outfit allows you to step into a more daring persona. Hiding behind a mask and costume is an amazing incentive to take more risks. In her TedTalk Fake It Till You Make It, Amy Cuddy explains how you can trick your brain to step out of your comfort zone and enter a realm of higher self-esteem and improved YOU! Her focus is on posture but the concept applies to dressing up to:
The point is that pretending is empowering. Don't be a scaredy cat! If you need make-up and a costume to give you the extra boost you need to come out of your shell and make it happen, then do it!
There are few things to keep in mind when selecting what you're going to wear for your next event however:
1) Make sure that it's comfortable. Loose clothing is preferable so that you can breathe well and easily maintain proper diaphragmatic support. Dress according to the weather. Feeling hot or cold can greatly impact your ability to perform at your best. If you choose to wear high heels, make sure that you look good walking in them.
2) Make time to practice in your outfit to test your comfort level ahead of the show. The last thing you need is to trip in those shoes or sweat profusely in front of your audience. You want to be remembered for the right reasons!
3) Keep your outfit in line with your style or event. It goes without saying that what you wore at your last Karaoke competition might look different than singing at your best friends' wedding. Or may be not, depending on your vocal style and the song you picked.
Now, let's get clear on something; dressing up should by no means compensate for your talent! It's a gimmick that can serve you but also hurt deeply unless carefully put together.
If you plan to go all out with a really flashy costume you must absolutely match the surprise effect with EXCELLENT vocal skills. I'm no fashionista so I will leave the task of choosing what to wear to you but the singing part, that's what I want to help you with! I am here for YOU!
Stop in for a spell! Enthuse and excite with your bold fashion statement. But win hearts with your fantastic singing, undeniable vocal CHARISMA and unstoppable STAMINA. Stop playing it small and begin investing in yourself so that you have COMPLETE mastery over your singing gift. Hit it big by meeting your vocal goal and doing what you LOVE!
Your next step is to schedule a time together so that we can turn your ambitions to reality:
If you want a tasty sweet...
Val