<p>Hi all, it's been a while since I've been on here, but I would just like some friendly advice from fellow music majors. Did anyone else have a practice room phobia when they were a freshman? I'm a freshman vocal education major and I just can't ever bring myself to sing out in practice rooms. First of all, the entire doors of the upstairs, soundproof-ish ones are glass. So I feel so exposed, not to mention the fact the those rooms make me sound like I'm singing into a vacuum. When I see someone walk by out of the corner of my eye, I tense up automatically. Secondly, the downstairs rooms have no soundproof enhancements (so really the best for vocalists), however there are much fewer of them, and they are in the main hallway of the music building. So more tension from being heard more and more people walking by. I know this is all in my head, and really, I should not be afraid of flipping practice rooms. How silly! I think it has to do with me not ever being confident enough in my voice (even though I got the highest offered music scholarship from my university), especially with having so many amazing, well-developed upperclassmen around me making me feel even more intimidated. Also, I never practiced back in high school when my parents were around. I hated having even them hear me, so I would always wait until they were not home or sleeping. For now, I do most of my "practicing" in my dorm at half volume. Not good, I know... Any advice? I feel like such a wimp since I seem to be the only freshman vocalist with this problem. I need to get over this sooner than later or I know my vocal development and stage confidence will suffer. This is why I am not a performance major, I guess! =P I just love singing in choirs. HELP!!!! =[</p>
<p>The self consciousness is common, believe me.My S is friends with a fellow student who is this incredible player, who won one of the biggest international competitions there is, is now an upperclassman, and feels that. Especially if surrounded by a lot of talented students, it is easy to feel that. My S is on a floor with some really talented kids on the same instrument, and they all feel self conscious about practicing in their rooms…</p>
<p>The thing you have to remember is that the people you feel self conscious about were once where you are, and chances are they feel the same way, just probably better at not showing it. From what I have seen, FWIW, in reality the kids don’t judge what other kids are doing, they don’t sit there and say ‘oh, wow, they suck’, and the kids who do that soon get discovered and end up finding themselves treated with disdain IME.</p>
<p>The unease will pass as you gain your feet, prob within another month you won’t even think twice about it:)</p>
<p>Skip the soundproof rooms; they do make your voice sound weird and you can get frustrated. Grit your teeth, suck it up and SING- stop marking or you run the risk of damaging your voice and/or learning really bad habits that will take years to correct.
I can assure you that the other students aren’t walking the halls listening to you- they simply don’t care! They don’t have the time and are focused on their own lives, which is as it should be.
If you are a Music Ed major, you’re going to have to demonstrate for your students, and they can be a rough audience, so get the nerves out of your system now! You’re smart- you understand that this needs to be dealt with or you wouldn’t have posted here. You also know that the school had great faith in you or they wouldn’t have accepted you and awarded such a generous scholarship. Just keep remembering that you’re as good as anyone else there and that you’re all there for the same reason. Sing out!!</p>
<p>I heard this recently, and it makes sense!</p>
<p>“When I was in my teens, I worried about what everyone else thought about me. When I was in my 20s and 30s, I decided I didn’t care what they thought. Finally, in my 40s, I realized that NOBODY ELSE WAS THINKING ABOUT ME!” :)</p>
<p>I understand. DD still does not like to acknowledge that anyone can hear her practice. She wants them to hear her performances when done. So she sets up when there are fewer people around and does not look out a door or window when practicing. She has her own keyboard so she does not have to always have to be in a practice room. She closes windows and doors and sings out. Can people still hear her. Sure. She knows they can. But its a mind game.</p>
<p>Figure where you can be comfortable and what you can do to “hide” the audience. Concentrate on getting into the music. Then sing out and do not harm your voice with half efforts.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for the advice! I know it does really just boil down to a mind game, and that is sometimes harder to overcome. =P I’m really going to try and gain more confidence in myself. That’s where being humble shoots me in the foot. For some reason, I could sing by myself for others in my high school choir when I led sectionals and was trying to demonstrate a certain point with the music. But I was always a top choir buff in that choir. Here, everyone has already proven they have the same chops, so it makes it a bit more intimidating to act confident with yourself. My voice teacher has noticed my problem from the beginning, and I think she’s really helping me open up more. If I mess up and get frustrated with myself, she’ll scream “Who was beating you at home when you messed up?!” It just makes me realize for the umpteenth time that I am putting all of this on myself, and NO ONE else cares if I mess up a measure while PRACTICING!</p>
<p>Dear L – Many performers experience self-consciousness or anxiety at one time or another. Have you tried positive self-talk? Write down several “can do” mantras and repeat them before starting to practice. There are lots of books on conquering phobias, big and small. Hypnotherapy works very well for some people. Good luck and keep singing!</p>
<p>I had this same problem during my undergrad. And so I started practicing REALLY late at night, when hardly no one else was there (sometimes as late as midnight - I know, not the safest time to be out and about by yourself). Others would go out on Friday nights - I would go to the practice room, because I knew everyone else was out having a good time. I must admit, though, I always liked practicing late at night, even in HS, so it was second nature to me. And I made sure I didn’t have 8 a.m. classes the next day. But for me, it worked. I never really got over the phobia, and even now, in my 40’s, I prefer to practice when no one else is home. You could go the other route and practice really early in the morning, as opposed to late. Good luck - I so understand your feelings!!</p>
<p>Find a therapist who specializes in the cognitive and behavioral approach to anxiety. (accent on specializes) Your happiness is worth the effort.</p>
<p>Those soundproof rooms are just plain weird. You sound funny inside them and the glass walls/door are distracting.</p>
<p>I am a sophomore music major and I definitely understand how practicing in practice rooms could be a scary thing. What helps me is to remember that everyone who is there is there to improve and the only way you can improve is by making mistakes and learning from them.</p>