Q&A for How to Win a Singing Competition

Practice singing in low-pressure situations as much as you can so you feel more prepared for your performance.

Really connect with your music; after all, singing is storytelling. Focus on connecting with the words you're singing.

Practice! Practice! Practice! Just, like the old saying goes; "practice makes perfect." Make sure before the audition you get plenty of sleep and drink plenty of water. Most importantly, don't ever give up on your dream. If you don't succeed at first, try another competition. You're young, you have plenty of time.

Your age does not make a difference. Practice your piece, work on scales and work with a professional instructor to do your best in the competition.

Make sure you are confident and smile. Try to avoid showing nervous gestures, such as tugging at your shirt or swinging while you sing.

Make sure you eat no dairy, or, if dairy is unavoidable for you, eat as little of it as you possibly can.

You should sing whichever you are most comfortable with, and whichever one best suits your vocal needs and range.

Learn to sight read. Sight reading is basically when you play a song by reading the notes for the first time. Know what notes are where, what the counts are, and practice. A lot of people say, "Practice makes perfect," but if you don't practice correctly, then you won't get it right. Practice makes permanent.

If your worried about the lyrics, then what I've done in the past is that I've practiced before I go to bed and annotated how I'll sing it. Your nightmares are just dream to scare you.

You can fix your nerves by not looking at anyone in the audience. Look above everyone's head and it will be okay. If that doesn't work, pick one person in the audience to look at, maybe a loved one or someone who loves to hear you sing. Focus on them and tune out everyone else. Pretend as though you're singing for them and only them.

Just do your best. Follow the same steps you would for a singing competition. Whoever does their performance the best will win, regardless of what kind of thing they're performing.

Lucky you! Just sing the best you can, but whatever you do, don't try too hard! They will notice that every time.

Just believe in yourself. Even if you are not chosen, it is always a good opportunity to perform in front of others and be critiqued, so you know how to grow your capabilities.

Yes.

Try finding a different version that suits your pitch.

Just take some deep breaths. I know this is fairly common advice, but it triggers hormones that calm you down naturally, and good breathing technique are also extremely important for singing well. If your throat is sore, you can try a throat lozenge or cough drop. These have menthol in them, which will soothe your throat temporarily.

Take deep breaths. You might want to do mantras before you perform (Look them up if you don’t know what they are). Remember that this is for your love, and practice, practice, practice until your song is perfect.

Maybe you could find a boy who wants to partner with you and sing the male part, or even a girl who sings alto. If not, it might be better to choose a different song.

Comparing yourself to others will make you feel tired and nervous. Take the singing competition as just a chance to sing for other people, and not a chance to compare yourself. There is more to singing than just having a good voice - be charming, be well dressed, have confidence and choose songs you enjoy.