My Pre-Show Ritual
Jun 24, 2026When I got my first professional theatre job at 20 years old, I was beyond thrilled.
Didn't matter that was making $100 a week doing eight shows a week at a non-equity dinner theatre.
(If you're doing the math, that's $12.50 per show.)
Did I care?
Nope. Not even a little.
I was getting paid to sing!
I felt like I had won the lottery.
While I had somehow convinced this theatre I knew how to sing and act , I had absolutely no idea how to be a professional performer.
I was learning everything on the fly.
Things like:
What is house right versus stage right?
Don't eat potato chips while wearing a costume.
And perhaps most importantly...
What exactly are you supposed to do before a performance?
Nobody hands you a manual for that.
Over the years, through Broadway shows, tours, concerts, auditions, and countless performances, I slowly developed my own pre-show ritual.
I discovered that I personally needed something that helped me feel grounded.
Something that supported my voice, my body, AND my nervous system.
And that's really what a pre-show ritual is about.
Not superstition.
It's about support.
Performing takes A LOT of energy.
Whether you're singing for 500 people, 5,000 people, auditioning for a role, singing at church, or performing at an open mic, your body, voice and mind are doing important work.
So the question becomes:
How can you best support yourself on that day?
For me, the entire theme of performance day is simple:
Care. Rest. Support.
That's it.
So that means no marathon training.... no rearranging the living room furniture......no staying up until 2 a.m. scrolling social media.
The performance becomes the main event of the day.
Instead, I focus on things that help me show up feeling like myself.
➡ I sleep if I need sleep.
➡ I hydrate.
➡ I go for a walk.
➡ I do a little stretching.
➡ I take time to meditate.
➡ I eat meals that help me feel strong and energized.
➡ I warm up gently.
➡ I save my voice.
➡ I avoid rushing.
And perhaps most importantly...
➡ I remind myself that my job is not to be perfect, my job is to be present.
When we make the intention of the day to NOT be over-focused on controlling the outcome (which is an impossible job btw), we can relax and get into the zone so we can show up as our best selves.
You can trust that you've done enough.
You can trust that your voice knows what to do.
You can trust that you don't need to earn your worth through a flawless performance.
Then after the performance?
When the inner critic immediately wants to conduct a full post-mortem?
(Like ...let's discuss every mistake, every missed note, every awkward moment, every thing we should have done differently.)
Yeah, I don't recommend it.
Try to put that off.
Instead, celebrate first.
Seriously! Celebrate.
Acknowledge what went well.
Recognize your courage.
Give yourself credit for showing up.
The analysis can happen later.
Growth is important.
The helpful kind of reflection is valuable.
But so is joy and kindness.
So is learning how to leave a performance feeling proud of yourself before immediately launching into self-criticism.
If you have a performance coming up soon, remember this:
You don't need a lucky pair of socks or to have zero nerves.
You simply need a way of caring for yourself that helps you arrive feeling supported.
Your best singing self lives in a body that feels cared for and in a mind that feels calm.
What are your thoughts on that? Do you have a pre-show ritual?
If so, hit reply and tell me what helps you feel calm, grounded, and ready to perform. I always love hearing what works for different singers.
And if you'd like to hear my complete performance day routine- including my warm-up approach, hydration strategy, visualization practice, and what I do after the show- listen to Episode 13 of The Joyful Singer Podcast:
My Pre-Show Ritual: How I Calm Nerves and Prepare to Sing
You can listen wherever you get your podcasts.
