Auburn McCormick – PRESHOW RITUALS

In this Preshow Rituals segment, the country singer-songwriter, Auburn McCormick, reveals what she does before taking the stage. You can check out the rituals, after the break.

Hi there! My name is Auburn McCormick and I am a country singer-songwriter based in Nashville, TN and Austin, TX. As a musician, I know how important it is to take care of your instrument. And as a vocalist, I know how much more important and how much harder it is to take care of our instrument, the voice. One of the things I do to take care of my voice is having a pre-show ritual from watching what I eat, to stretching, to vocal warm-ups.

It sounds silly to say that I watch what I eat, but my instrument is my body and something as simple as the food I put in it can affect it. On the day of the show I avoid all dairy. Dairy can sit in your throat and cause you to lose vocal clarity. I also try to hydrate as much as possible. There is a stupid saying “pee clear, sing clear!” I stick by that and do my best to stay drinking water!

Stretching is important for all musicians, but especially vocalists. I have a quick 10-minute routine I run through before all my shows. My voice teacher in college was the one who showed me how effective stretching can be for loosening up your voice. I try to focus on stretching my upper body and neck more than anything, with only a little time spent on my lower body. Lastly, I finish up by stretching my tongue and facial muscles. Though it looks funny from the outside, it is great to add to your pre-show ritual.

Vocal warm-ups!! I can not stress how important these are! Not only are they getting you ready for your big show, they also help you focus on singing properly. This step is normally the longest coming in at 20-45 minutes to complete. I run through all my warm-ups and exercises making sure to focus on how my body and voice feel. I pay attention to placement, breath control, and clarity. Once my pre-show ritual is all complete, I know I am ready to go out and rock the stage!

Keep up with her on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.