Feedback

This is a feedback review from a performance review we did a few weeks ago. This helped me improve my performance as it shows me what i needed to improve on.

Final Preparations!!

I have two days until my performance. For my final preparations I am going to continue soon breathing exercises so I have good breath control when I perform. I'm going to keep singing he songs over in my head so I am confident with both songs. Singing the songs over and over means I can train my voice so I don't need to think about the notes I am singing. Also I am going to carry on doing vocal exercises with the higher scales so I am confident with reaching the higher notes so I don't panic about it just before I sing them during the sequence.

I have been struggling with what doesnt kill you, so my teacher transposed the song down a semi tone and down one tone. I recored both so I could decide which track to use. This week however I have got a sore throat, so the recordings don't sound as good as they normal do, I go off at some points.
This is my recording of the down one tone track:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCZJ97q98Ow
At the beginning it is hard for me to sing, which means if i choose this track I would need to change the melody so I was able to sing it.

This is my recording of the down a semi tone track:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfDr9mF3DSc
For both tracks, I need to wrok on my breath control as I run out of breath in the middle of a phrase.

I have been struggling with both songs this week, I have been doubting myself and don't feel like I want to perform either of my songs. To help with my confidence our teacher Karl transposed What Doesn't Kill You down a semi tone and a full tone. This allows me to choose one which i feel more confident with. It means the high notes are easier for me to reach. However it now means that the first section of lyrics:

You know the bed feels warmer
Sleeping here alone
You know I dream in colour
And do the things I want

Are a lot lower than what I would usually sing, which means I need to change how it goes so it doesn't go low. This will help me reach a higher grade.

To help me with Come What May I have been practising making my diaphragm tighter when I sing the high notes and having been taking big breaths, so the high notes sound confident and none of the notes are lost. For example when i sing:

And there's no mountain too high
No river too wide
Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side
Storm clouds may gather,
And stars may collide

My stomach is tight all the way through this section and I make sure I am taking a big enough breath to sing through the phrase with confidence.

Stage Presence

How will you present yourself on stage? Dress, interact with the audience and ensure your performance is engaging.
- I haven't got much stage presence so to help me improve my confidence I have signed up for a Red Nose Day Karaoke, this allows me to feel how it will be like performing on my own and will help me understand what I need to improve in the next week. For Come What May I need to be able to make the feel audience feel connect with the song. To do this I need to be able to show my emotion through the song. The song is very powerful because of the lyrics  so I need to try sing it as if i was singing it to a specific person instead of a large audience. it is a heart filled song, so i need to be able to connect with the audience, which means I need to make a lot of eye contact with the audience so they can see that I mean every word I am singing. I need to believe my own performance otherwise the audience won't believe it either.  For What Doesn't Kill You I also need to believe the song. The lyrics are also powerful, however because the song is more upbeat i will be able to move more maybe a little side step so the audience can see they can have more fun with this song. I would keep the mic on the stand however, because it makes me more uncomfortable if i don't have the mic stand. I usually hold onto the mic stand as i sing because it calms me down, and stops my legs from shaking. For this song I would also try and smile more as the song is showing the audience how strong I am, so I need to show them by having a good time whilst singing the song. Many people know the song, so I will ask them at the beginning to join in if they know it. This shows me that they are enjoying it, if they choose to sing along with me. I wouldn't do this with Come What May however, because it is a serious song.

Performance Review

This is the recording of Come What May:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0QaXuXWMdw&list=PLUwncSquNfWySAUHJD2nVa6njPIDGzg9L&index=5

Evaluation:
- Strengths of the performance- What were you pleased with? Why?
I was happy that I remembered all my words. It takes me a while to learn lines and because I was nervous, I was scared that I would forget the lyrics. I was also happy that I was able to remember when the song changed for low to high, as i normally have to read the music when practising the song, as I forget what I am doing. I was also pleased that i managed to get through the whole song without messing up.

- Weakness of the performance- What could have been improved? Why?
I think I needed to show more emotion when singing. This couldn't be seen as I was looking at the floor the whole time.  I need to connect with the song more, so the audience believe what I am singing. I also need to practise my breathing more, so I am able to take a big breath before reaching the high notes. I need to feel more confident when singing the song, because otherwise it could effect my performance, as I keep thinking about the high notes that are coming up.

- Link to your practise routine- Did your practise routine leading up to the performance prepare you effectively? If not, why?
When i practise I find it really easy, however as soon as I perform it infront of anyone I panic, as i worry to much about what people think. To improve this i need to perform the song in front of people more regularly so i feel more confident with people hearing the song. I need to do more warm up vocal exercises so it is easier for me to reach the high notes without worrying about it. I need to start thinking more that i can do it instead of doubting myself.

- What have you learnt from the experience and what will you change about your practise routine to develop further?
Next time i perform, i will try and show more emotion in the song. When i spoke to people this is what they said i needed to do, because they didn't believe my performance. In my practise routine i will do more higher vocal exercises to make me more comfortable with the high notes. I need to do more breathing exercises so i don't run out off breath when singing.

This is my first recording of come what may. I don't have any confidence with the song at the moment. I don't like the way I sound when singing it. I'm worrying about the high notes, so I need to work on this in my next practise session. I'm scared too many people will think it sounds rubbish when I perform it. If I get a note wrong, it will mess up my performance and will keep getting things wrong. This is the song I am most worried about. I also need to work more with the accompanist as there is timing issues. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fo4WsMPdxM