Arts & Entertainment, Music

Performance Techniques: Learning to Perform Live

Lesson time 10:51 min

There’s a lot to learn when it comes to creating an effective performance, both mentally and physically. Reba discusses the importance of feedback, psyching yourself up, and what you can learn from other performers.

Students give MasterClass an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars

Topics include: Stage Fright • Getting Feedback • Paying Your Dues

Preview

I think performing is really important to an artist because it gives them an outlet of all their energy and their creativity and their need to be on stage. I've always loved to perform. I like to have that attention. It's good attention. It's not bad attention. Nobody wants that. So to have-- to be on stage performing you get to do stuff that you don't get to do anywhere else. When I started in this business 40 years ago it was honky-tonks, bars, dance halls, rodeo, arenas, is anywhere I could perform. So a little bit at a time, you learn your craft, you see what you want in the future, when you can afford it, when you can get a better stage instead of just everybody being flat on the floor, and you dream and you wish. And then you go and watch other people what they do and what they don't do, and so you add that to your checklist. And that's what helps you to improve your show. I have stolen so many ideas. I'm saying I-- my team and I have stolen so many ideas from other acts. I mean, we all do that. I mean, how many people can come out of the ceiling or fly over the audience? And we've done it. Everybody's steals, borrows, and some of them say they think them up themselves. I was like, oh, yeah, I'll tell you exactly where we got that one. But it's because we're paying attention, and we're admirers. I mean, imitation is a huge form of flattery. I have watched so many people. The people I was always a fan of had it, had that charm and great presence on stage, so I copied them. You know, when you watch the Statler brothers, Mel Tillis, Red, Steagall. So many people, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette. When they get up, and-- I could not watch them enough. I would have sat through their concert three times in one setting, because not only what they sing, but what they say in between their songs. It's just-- it was just so endearing. I was just like, oh, my gosh. I want to be just like them. It used to be very hard for me to go out on stage if I was in a bad mood, or I felt bad, or I was tired or sick. Nowadays when I go onstage, right before I hit it I'm like, this is going to be the best show ever. This is going to be the greatest show. Because your subconscious is sitting there going, how's it going to be today? Are we going to have a good time or we going to have a bad time? Because if you say this sucks. I hate this. Yeah, me too. This is awful. But if you say, this is going to be the best time. Your subconscious is in there going, oh, man. We're going to party down here. It's going to be great. So it's kind of psyching yourself up, but it's all in positive attitude. I still get nervous when I go on stage, especially if I've got a new outfit on, if it's a new song and I'm worried about remembering the words, but it's the adrenalin that I get that I really like. No...

About the Instructor

You know her songs. Her Oklahoma charm. Now learn directly from Reba in her first-ever online class. Join her as she records a never-before-heard song, creates a new acoustic version of Fancy, breaks down her hits, and delivers emotional performances on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. This is more than a music class. This is Reba's life, business, and country music MasterClass.

Featured MasterClass Instructor

Reba McEntire

Reba teaches her approach to making great country music and navigating the business in 21 video lessons.

Explore the Class