Arts & Entertainment, Music
Showtime
Lesson time 08:14 min
There's no such thing as perfect. Even superstars run into hurdles. If you aren't committed from the moment you walk on stage to the moment you walk off, the audience will know. Usher highlights the importance of perseverance, and what it means to put on a flawless show.
Students give MasterClass an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars
Topics include: Leaving room for magic • Working through on stage injuries and mistakes
Preview
From the moment that you walk on that stage, to the moment you have walked backstage until the light can no longer see you, you have to be committed. I tell performers this all the time-- I tell my background dancers this all the time. I don't care if you don't think the camera doesn't see you. You don't come out of your character until you have walked off the stage. Even when you're in the wings of the stage, I want you still committed. Before you get in there-- before you even go on the stage-- you're getting yourself pumped to go out there. And then you run out and you're totally in the character. You have to remember that conviction is something that's real. And the audience reads it. And if you're not committed from that moment that you walk on that stage to the moment you walked off, they're going to feel it. [MUSIC PLAYING] So you're prepared, you've rehearsed, you know what it is to connect to the moment. You've done everything that it takes to visualize the incredible performance that you're going to have. Now, I want you forget it all. You got to leave space for magic. Your commitment, even if there is a mistake, or what is perceived as a mistake, can be magic. It is your ability to work through very difficult times that will lead to some of the most incredible things that you didn't even know or suspect would happened. You got to make space for magic. I mean, to this day, man, while performing I'm still making it up in my head. You got to leave space for spontaneity. OK. You've prepared. You've done everything you need to do leading up to this moment. You've even visualized an incredible performance. But, what do you do if something goes wrong? You've prepared. You've done everything that you need to do to be prepared for this moment, but now, the unexpected happens. [MUSIC PLAYING] There's no such thing as perfect. If you think you're going to have a perfect performance, you're not. I mean, it'll be perfect because you've sold it that way. And no matter what happens, you're ready, you're prepared. You went through all of what could potentially happen in your mind. And then magic happens. And you know why magic happens? Because you weren't thinking about it. Because you just allowed yourself to be in the moment. I can remember performing on the Billboard Music Awards. I came out there and my microphone completely didn't work. They were scrambling. You got people running on the stage, trying to hand me a mic. I see it getting ready to happen. I'm looking. I'm paying attention. I know I have choreography that I got to catch. But what do I do? I don't run off the stage. I don't stop. I walk over to the podium and I start to sing. And I'm singing standing there at the podium. I'm mad as hell, but I'm standing there and I'm singing right into the podiu...
About the Instructor
Usher, winner of 8 Grammy Awards, reveals the technical skills, career lessons and breakthrough advice that he has used to captivate audiences for over 25 years. For the first time ever, learn how Usher approaches performance and wins over audiences from the studio to the stage. There has never been a class like this before.
Featured MasterClass Instructor
Usher
In his first ever online class, Usher teaches you his personal techniques to captivate audiences across 16 video lessons.
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