Alissa Reah – PRESHOW RITUALS

In this Preshow Rituals segment, the electro pop artist, Alissa Reah, reveals what she does before taking the stage. You can check out the rituals, after the break.

For as long as I can remember I’ve performed on stage. And, for as long as I can remember I’ve had stage fright. Whether I was playing for 5 or 500 people I was always just as nervous. I know I’m writing this in past tense but it’s happening still and will probably happen in the future. Despite this, I will never stop performing so now I’m going to walk you through some of the things I do before a show.

I have always been paranoid about forgetting song lyrics, so the day before I practice a whole lot. I sing, write, and speak lyrics all day, and unfortunately, I will probably never feel prepared enough. Before driving to the venue I make sure to drink a ton of water and listen to both the song I’m about to perform and the so-called “screaming in the car” songs. As a technically trained singer I know I should properly warm up but it is literally the last thing on my mind when I get backstage.

Before starting my set on stage there is always a soundcheck. My rule is to not eat or drink anything, but water, until I’m done performing. This might sound pretty strict but as I explained my mind is in a whole nother universe when it comes to performing. During the soundcheck, I also make sure to do the highest notes or hardest songs to make sure I can sing full-out in the venue.

Once I did not have time to take the highest note while sound checking. Let’s just cut to the chase and say it went horribly. Also, I will forever be terrified of the footage that is stored somewhere on my mom’s phone and I pray that it never resurfaces!

All in all, my stage fright has gotten a lot better over the years. These days I make sure I follow my pre-show rituals including running the soundcheck, grabbing some water, and having fun on stage!

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