I have to sing in front of everyone!!!!?

Question

omg!!!!! i have music class 2morrow and i have a singing test. We have to sing a whole song by ourselves in front of the whole class!!!!!! I swear my teacher is insane! (please agree w/ me and not her!) i hate singing! and i usually get pretty bad stage fright. we did this last week to and i was shaking until the end of the period! and this is a sightreading test so there's no way ican practice it. it bad enough as it is, but we have some REALLY good singers in our class.

ps- this is why i'm in fitness instead of the musical!

i've tried talking to her, i've tried asking if we can sing in groups, even pairs, and i even asked if we could do it alone w/ her in another room, or on a tape recorder! (how pitiful can u get huh?) but she said no... she thinks its good for us!

I'm actually not a bad singer, its just when i have 2 do it in front of people my voice gets all shaky and i can't stay on one note for any amount of time.

the sad part is, i'm great at music.... i play 3 instruments, have been in two honor bands, and read bass cleft and treble cleft as easily as i read a book. but i hate singing!

Answer 1

i seriously think she's coo-coo. i hate it when teachers do that!! it gets on my nerves soooo badly! how is singing in front of other people when she knows it gives us stage fright actually good for us?! i would find a good excuse to get out of class. i dont have time for insane teachers like her!

lol if only i could say that to her face then that would take a huge load of my back.

Answer 2

I really feel for you. I always HATED performing solo. Speech class (high school and college), music class, and church choir (very small group and I was the only guy so whenever a male solo was needed guess who had to do it). I still don't like being the center of attention, but remember that you are with friends. Sure, there will always be somebody better than you, but only real sh*ts will deliberately make fun of you. Ignore them, take a few deep breaths, and think about your friends in class. I'm at the age where I just don't care about the way others see me, and I never cared if I did something to make everybody laugh, If they are laughing at least they aren't mad at me. EVERYBODY has at least a little stage fright and I bet there are many in your class who aren't paying attention to you because they are worried about their own performance. GOOD LUCK!

Answer 3

I know it is scary - but just pretend you are all alone in the class. Everyone is probably more involved in other things rather than paying attention to you, anyway.

You know, believe it or not, you will get through this and it isn't going to kill you. Later on, when you have to do other things that make you nervous or uncomfortable (and believe me, those things will be there, whether they are college projects or speeches, or a job duty (like fire someone)). You can recall this experience and say, "Hey, I lived through that, I can do this, too."

I am sure you are a much better singer than you think you are and nerves get everyone. Don't look anyone in the eye and just remember to keep breathing in a relaxed manner. Good luck to you & hang in there!

Answer 4

Oh I know its hard but she is right. I had to do that too. It is hard but if you want to do well in singing you have to work your self into being able to sing a cappella. Just work on your sight reading so you are as prepared as you can be. Take a deep breath and breathe out slowly. Remember every one else has to do it too. They will be a good audience because they too have to get up there. Your teacher will recognize your stage fright and allow for that. Remember even in fitness programs you sometimes have to get up in front of people and talk about stuff so work on your problem instead of trying to get out of it. It helped me to pretend I was a excellent singer and everyone had come to hear me, it gave me the confidence to do it. Good Luck.

Answer 5

If possible sing first to get it over with. There is no need to compare yourself to anyone else. The only way to get over your stage fright and nervousness is to keep doing things like this with a change of attitude. Forget about hating to sing and just focus on doing the best you can. There will be hundreds of thousands of things you will have to do in the future that you won't want to. The sooner you learn to deal with this the better off you will be.

Answer 6

Eeep.. Maybe you could try talking to the teacher alone, explain your stage fright and that you are not a confident singer. Maybe there is some other type of work you could do to make up for it, or just sing in front of her and not the whole class.

Answer 7

I have terrible stage fright myself. The two techniques I've used aren't appropriate for a minor though and I'm not sure if you are in high school or college.

So all I can tell you is to just breathe and try to keep calm...and don't keep trying to get out of it. Be brave enough to follow through; everyone else is scared too and they are going through it too. They are all going to be supportive bc they are scared too. Try not to worry so much about it. And lay off caffiene the day of.

Answer 8

So... what do your parents think about your teacher's forcing you to perform in public in a class not related to Public Speaking or Speech? You parents can write a note refusing to allow you to participate in this activity if they disapprove. Enlist their support and ask them to take it to the principal. There is nothing that requires this sort of activity in music class. If your parents aren't willing to help and agree with your teacher, then buck up, make a short speech to the entire class telling them you hate singing and are participating under protest. Then focus on the paper in front of you only, and sing the song. You can make yourself do anything scary and after two or three times, it isn't scary anymore.

Answer 9

Pretend they are not there, and you're singing infront of a mirror. Be one of the first people to go, the teacher might go easy on you and you won't be all nervous after seeing other people's performances. Just be like, ok, I'm not nervious and sing your heart out.

Answer 10

you CAN practice sight reading, just look at music and try sight singing it. i know it's hard at first, but if you have a friend who who is OK at music he/she can help you. you shouldn't worry about messing up, i bet there is at least 1 other person in that class who feels the same way... the kids are more likely for you than against you... good luck!