Confidence and Stage Presence for Choristers: From Hiding in the Crowd to Owning Your Voice

A chorister’s honest story about moving from hiding in the crowd to owning your voice on stage.

Confidence and Stage Presence

I wasn’t afraid of singing.
I was afraid of singing alone.

We had our weekly music class. I sang Alto. Most times when class started, I was the only Alto present. As the scores were passed around and the singing began, I felt exposed. I depended on the other Alto singers who I believed were more experienced than I was.

When we were learning to count beats in the scale and were asked to go a grade higher, the teacher would say:

“Who would like to try this before we continue?”

Most of the time, I knew the correct answer. But I stayed quiet and invented reasons not to volunteer.

The real reason was simple:
I was scared to stand alone and do something in front of everyone.

1. From Hiding in the Crowd to Owning Your Voice

Like in the story above, my problem wasn’t that I couldn’t sing.
I just wasn’t sure I could do it by myself.

My mindset was:

1. “If we are praised, let us all be praised.”
2. “If we are criticised, let us all be criticised.”

The crowd felt safe.

But growth doesn’t happen in the safety of a crowd.
It happens when there is no one left to hide behind.

At some point you have to ask yourself:

“If I find myself as the only Alto on stage one day, what will I do? Wouldn’t it be better to learn how to stand now, instead of waiting for that day to embarrass me?”

When you start thinking like that, you slowly kill the need to depend on others to feel safe. You start moving from “I can only sing if my section is loud” to “I can hold my line, even if I’m the only one.”

2. From Fear of Judgment to Acceptance of Visibility

Most of the time, we are scared to stand alone because of things like:

• Fear of judgment
• Fear of being wrong
• Fear of being compared
• Fear of standing alone
• Fear of looking foolish

My teacher once said:

“It is better to feel awkward for five minutes and get what you need
than to regret forever that you didn’t ask or try.”

Nobody wants to sound silly. But if you really want to grow, sometimes you have to let go of pride and allow yourself to make mistakes.

We actually learn more from our mistakes than from the times we get it perfect.

Yes, when I hit that wrong do (doh) note, everyone would burst into laughter. But honestly, who cares? It’s just choir practice. Isn’t it better to hit the wrong note there, where people laugh and you learn, than on stage on Sunday, where the mistake will be remembered?

Being watched is not the same thing as being attacked.
Your brain interprets visibility as danger, but most people in the audience actually want you to succeed.

As choristers, we must remember that if we choose to sing, we choose to be seen. The earlier we accept that, the easier stage presence becomes.

3. From Knowing the Answer to Speaking Up Anyway

Many times, fear doesn’t show up in the music first.
It shows up in opportunities.

In class, I knew the answer but stayed silent.
I knew I could attempt the exercise, but I stayed seated.

I was more afraid of being wrong than I was excited about growing.

Real learning starts when you step forward, even if:

• Your voice shakes
• Your hands tremble
• Your heart is racing

Do it anyway.

• Volunteer to try the exercise
• Attempt the note
• Ask the question
• Raise your hand

Every time you step out, you stretch your comfort zone.
Every time you hide, you shrink it.

Confidence grows when action comes before certainty, not after it.

4. From Practicing Songs to Practicing Performance

Most singers rehearse music.
Very few rehearse presence.

We know how to learn notes and rhythm. But we rarely practice what it feels like to stand in front of people.

Here are a few simple ways to build stage confidence:

• Sing in Front of a Mirror

Take your score and sing while looking at yourself.
Notice your posture, your facial expression, and your breathing. We are often more confident when we get used to seeing ourselves perform.

• Record Yourself

Record yourself for one or two minutes singing a section.

• Don’t judge yourself while recording. Just sing.
• Afterwards, listen back as if you’re listening to a friend.
• You can even send it to someone you trust and ask for honest but kind feedback.

The more you hear your own voice, the less strange it feels.

• Practice Alone on Purpose

Don’t wait for general rehearsal to find out whether you actually know your part.

• Take the score home.
• Rehearse your line alone.
• Try singing without anyone else on your part.

You’re building the courage to stand, even if you’re the only voice on that line.

• Simulate Stage Conditions

Gather one or two friends or family members and tell them:

“Sit here and pretend you are the congregation. I want to sing this as if it were Sunday.”

It will feel funny at first, but that small “fake performance” starts training your brain to stay calm while people are looking at you.

Closing Thoughts

Confidence and stage presence are not magic gifts that some singers are born with and others are not.

They are built gradually when you:

• Stop hiding completely in the crowd
• Accept that visibility is part of serving
• Speak up even when you’re unsure
• Practice not just the notes, but the experience of standing in front of people

Being confident on stage isn’t about being perfect.
It’s about being brave enough to:

• Show up
• Stand up
• Make mistakes
• Learn
• And keep singing anyway.