Speaker 1Shut up, and sit down. Welcome to Being On Stage, the only podcast that gives you motivation, inspiration, and confidence to be better on stage. No matter how you entertain, sing, dance, band, comedian, public speaking, MC, drag, burlesque, performance art, or street performer, this is the show for you.
Speaker 2Hey, rock stars. Reggie Dawson here, your host of the Being On Stage podcast. Welcome back. Thank you so much for tuning in. I appreciate it. We're at episode 46. We are getting ever so close to episode 50, where I divulge the secret to a successful performance. You'll want to stick around for that, so make sure you're subscribed on iTunes. Today, I'm getting into rhythm and timing, and every performer, first and foremost, no matter what you do on stage, you have to have some form. You have to have some form of rhythm or some sense of keeping time. Otherwise, your performance is going to fall apart. I'm just going to put it plain and simple. Your performance is going to fall apart unless you have a way of keeping time and keeping rhythm. Once again, before I get into that, if you haven't done so already, please hit subscribe on iTunes. Make sure you get the up-to-date episodes, and also, while you're there, can you please rate and comment? It helps other people find the show, so if you like what you hear, help others find it. Also, at beingonstage.com. You can register for the Rockstar Lounge, where you get extra tips and tools to improve your stage performance. When you subscribe, you will also get a free copy of my book, Confidence on Stage. Rhythm. The rhythm is going to get you. Not to quote Gloria Estefan, but the rhythm has to get you. That's more of what we're talking about. You've got to have some sort, some way of keeping time, whether you're a dancer or a singer or a burlesque performer, or an aerial artist, or any type of circus performer. No matter what you're doing on stage, comedians, anything, you've got to have some form of timing and rhythm. Even if it's the rate at which you're speaking that creates a rhythm. Even our voices create a rhythm as we speak. That's why people are drawn to certain speakers, and that's why people are drawn to certain radio personalities, because of the rhythm of their voice while they're speaking. Everything we do on stage is based on the rhythm of their voice. everything we do on stage is about rhythm and timing. Timing those audiences' reactions, timing where we're going to stand, when we're going to stand there, timing what we're going to do with our face and our body and our arms, even our fingers. Every single bit of our show has a rhythmic aspect to it, no matter what you're doing on stage. Every performer needs to have a way of keeping time and having rhythm. If you feel like you don't have rhythm, get involved in a dance class. You don't have to be a dancer to take a dance class. That's why it's a class, so that you can learn. Go take a dance class. It's often been said that any performer that's taking dance class is interested in success. If you want to be successful on stage, no matter what you're doing, take a dance class. Learn the basics of keeping rhythm. Every single performer has to know the basics of keeping rhythm. Perfectly timed moments on stage create magic for your audience, which creates a reaction for you, which creates your following and your fans and the subscriptions and the people liking you and subscribing to you and coming out and seeing more of your shows. There are a lot of different ways that you can work on keeping rhythm, but it's got to be internal. It can't always be tapping your foot. It can't always be beating your hand. Although that is a great way to start getting the hang of rhythm, it can't always be an obvious thing. You've got to be able to internalize the rhythm of your show so that it stays even and so that you have the timing down for when you want those reactions. You need to know when the great time would be to throw your arm up in the air. You need to be able to time out when you're going to all of a sudden stop moving and freeze on stage and just wait and hold while the audience is nervous with anticipation until they start cheering because they want you to move again. All this comes down to the fact that you have to know when to pause, when to move, when to walk, when to step. Even your steps, your basic walking on stage should be tied to the rhythm of the performance and to the beat. Whatever the beat and the rhythm is, if it's your voice, if it's music, if it's your own instrument that you're creating the music, no matter what it is, your movements have to be tied to the rhythm and the beat of the performance. The backbone of the performance is the rhythm. And I'm saying this over and over and over again for a reason. There are hundreds and probably thousands of performers that don't pay attention to the rhythm while they're on stage. And it is a huge mistake. It takes your show from like mountaintop high to maybe down in the valley. Loss of rhythm, loss of following that beat can tear your show down to where you look like an amateur. And that shouldn't be the case. If all you have to do is just listen to the beat all you have to do is keep time and walk in a steady pattern and step and move to the rhythm and the beat. This should be cakewalk for anybody. And this makes performances, guys. This is what can take a performance from mediocre to amazing. This is what takes people from playing in local bars and pubs to opening on tour for major bands and for major events. This is what takes people from performing in their backyard to performing for Cirque du Soleil. Being able to keep that rhythm and maintain that rhythm and maintain that rhythm and maintain that timing in a show, that's what sets the difference between an amateur and a professional. No matter what you consider an amateur and a professional, timing makes a difference. And I'm not talking about timing of your career. I'm talking about timing of each individual performance. So how do you do it? How do you learn to get better with rhythm and time? Truthfully, the absolute best way is to play music and just walk. Just march. March in place. It doesn't matter. If you go for a walk, it doesn't matter. If you march in place, it doesn't matter if you're on a treadmill. Walk or march in place. Just keep doing it. Back and forth. One foot and then the other. Left, right, left, right. Walking is the gift that humans were given to keep time. That's the best way to do it is walk. You can find the groove and live in the groove just in how you walk. You can make your own music just to the steps that you're taking on the road or on the treadmill. Everything you do in your performance can be based around the speed at which you're walking. Now, no matter whatever the music you're listening to or whatever the rhythm you're going for for your show, just keep walking. Walk to the rhythm of the show. It is easy to keep time if you're walking in rhythm to what's going on in your show. Don't depend on your phone or a metronome. I know for musicians, don't depend on a metronome. Don't depend on the ticking clock. Sometimes you can't even depend on the music. Some dancers use music that they don't know. Some dancers use music that the beat is not well defined. You've got to be able to keep time inside, in yourself. There's so many ways that you can work on this just by counting off. One, two, three, four. Walking, running, swimming, tapping when you're in the car. Maybe the radio's playing, you're tapping along. Maybe the radio's off, windshield wipers are going. You're tapping along to the windshield wipers, the turn signal. Keeping rhythm creates the rhythm. Keep rhythm creates the reaction from the audience. Those movements that you make when you see celebrities where they know where to pause and they know where to freeze and they just turn their head and look, that's all timed. That's all rehearsed and well-timed out. And you can do that. You can have that incredible timing that sets the audience on fire in the middle of your show. You can have it. All you have to do is pick a moment in your show, know the timing that it's going to take to get there, and the movements, and the movements to get there, and freeze, and then move. Perfectly timed stops and starts and arm raises and steps keeps your audience engaged. It keeps them watching because they're not sure what's coming. They just know that it's coming because you're moving to the rhythm of the performance. Even if you're speaking, as your voice gets more excited, your movements should get more excited, and your audience is going to get more excited, because everything that they're watching and everything that's around them is getting more and more exciting, and they're going to start cheering, and then they're going to get louder and louder and louder, and then comes the climax of the show. And the climax of the show is, in music, it's when I get goosebumps in the climax of most music. The climax of a show is so hard to explain unless you've experienced it, but it is that moment where the audience is going, the audience is going nuts. You're at the peak of your energy. You're feeling the flow of energy from the audience into you, and it just comes out because everything inside you has to be left there on that stage. And that moment, when your energy is at its peak and you have to release everything, it's going to be ten times more amazing if it's well-timed. I spoke last episode about the importance of rehearsal. Use your rehearsal to get your timing down. And if you're practicing, because you're supposed to be practicing as if you're performing, right? That's the idea. Practice like you perform. in your practices to get that timing down. When you're in your mental rehearsal, use that time to plan out when the audience is going to react and then decide what you're going to do. Work backwards, but time everything that you want to happen. If you can't time out your whole performance, and I'm not talking complicated choreography, I'm talking walking. I'm saying at this point in this song, I'm going to stand here. At this point in this song, I'm going to stand here. At this point, I'm going to walk across the stage for 10 counts, freeze, and look left. Little things like that have huge impacts when you're in front of the audience. Paired with your art, paired with your talent, just the simple movements, a head snap, an arm raise, a kick, little tiny movements, a step, a stomp, huge impact on your crowd, huge impact on your audience, huge impact on your performance. time it out and keep on shining
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