Mark Klaver – PRESHOW RITUALS

In this Preshow Rituals segment, the singer-songwriter, Mark Klaver, reveals what he does before taking the stage. You can check out the story, after the break.

I don’t have many pre-show rituals but the few that I do have, I maintain because I find that they are ALWAYS helpful! I hope that by sharing these pre-show rituals I can help, in some way, to improve you’re performance.

The first of my pre-show rituals is practice! I believe practice is critical and I also believe one can never “over-practice”. Spending a lot of time going over your set can never be a bad thing. It will help you make less mistakes, give you time to come up with new and creative ideas for your upcoming set, and make you less nervous on stage!

The second of my pre-show routines would be my vocal warm-ups/exercises that I usually do on my way to the show. If you don’t know any vocal warm-up exercises, you can look them up on YouTube. There are plenty of great ones to choose from! These take almost no time (less than 5 minutes) and will greatly improve your chances of not cracking during your set. This will also help you feel more comfortable going for those high notes!

This leads me to my third routine. I ALWAYS like to have a beer with my friends before the show. It helps me loosen up and being loose on stage is usually beneficial for you AND the crowd! (not too loose lol) For me, being a tiny bit buzzed when I go on helps me calm my nerves, and also helps me be more enthusiastic on stage!

Finally and MOST importantly, I like to go around BEFORE my set and say hello and show my appreciation to those that came out to see me perform (including the ones I don’t know.) I feel this is most important because I have found that this creates a really POSITIVE energy for everyone going into the set. If you show you care that they showed up, not just by announcing how grateful you are to them on stage when everyone is watching, but by connecting with them even for a few seconds before your set, it goes a long way. They will WANT you to be good!

In conclusion, there are MANY pre-show rituals that I’m sure I haven’t tried yet. I will say, however, that practice, vocal warm-up exercises, a quick beer before the show and connecting with your fans BEFORE the show can go a long way! Rock on guys!

If you like what you hear, check him out on January 12th at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn, New York.

Keep up with him on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.