Top 10 Pieces of Advice for Participating in a Talent Show

This list was started a little over a month before I performed in my first talent show. My performance is on YouTube and SoundCloud under LonelyVariety.

The Top Ten

  1. Practice

    Most obvious one. Practice makes perfect. You could say perfection isn't possible, but to argue with figurative language is stupid because it's not literal.

  2. Have a Great Stage Presence

    What would you rather witness? An energetic musician making a few mistakes, or a boring musician making zero? You're on stage, not in a studio. People enjoyed my performance even though I couldn't sing.

  3. Fight Your Fears

    I have serious stage fright, but I have been in two talent shows. Fear was an obstacle, yes, but I was determined to overcome it. That determination, fellow TopTenners, is what you will need not just for a talent show, but for life.

    If you know what you're doing and you're good enough at doing it, you don't need to worry. It's normal to be nervous, but don't let that stop you from being awesome.

  4. Be Prepared

    Make sure you have everything you need, and make sure you're healthy enough to perform. My blood sugar was low right before I went on stage. I still did well, but it doesn't hurt to make sure you're fine beforehand.

  5. Add Your Own Flavor

    The majority of my guitar playing for my performance was improvised. That set it apart from the original, and I recommend you make yours unique too.

  6. Make Your Mistakes Unmemorable

    It's okay to make mistakes in a performance. The best thing to do is make them the least memorable part of the performance.

  7. Interact with the Audience

    Get them to sing the lyrics with you or something like that.

  8. Express Emotion

    I got some free videos from something called Jumpcut Academy recently. One of the things they talked about for making videos go viral is emotional response. Express and provoke emotions. I guess it applies to performing on stage as well. It doesn't hurt, anyway.

  9. Choose What You're Best At

    I was in talent shows in 4th and 5th grade. I sang badly to songs I didn't know the words to. I lost my voice too, so that was just legendary.

    It's called a talent show for a reason. Just make sure it's legal and morally right.

  10. Do Something Unique

    It helps make you stand out because it's unique. Yes, I am Captain Obvious, if you're wondering.

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