Mykel – PRESHOW RITUALS

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

My pre-show ritual is going to make me sound so type A and uptight! Which I’m not really, but hey, it is what it is. As a vocalist first and foremost I take my pre-show ritual pretty seriously, and it goes against the typical rock and roll lifestyle that you’d imagine.

My songs are difficult to sing so I have a strict diet 24 hours before the show. I eat no dairy, drink no caffeine or alcohol (as both strip your vocal cords and cause major acid reflux that can inflame them), and I make sure I don’t eat 1 hour before I hit the stage and at that time take ibuprofen to make sure there is no inflammation. I always have throat coat tea in my water bottle as well.

I love to warm up in the car on my way. I have an entire 20-minute warmup regimen that includes vocal straws, tongue tiring exercises, facial massage (gotta get rid of that chronic jaw tension)! It makes a huge difference in my vocal quality. I am not always consistent with warming up but I try to be because the difference is insane! When I get nervous my mouth dries up so I always keep gum or a lozenge in my mouth right before hitting the stage and sometimes even during the show under my tongue (not safe I know)!

As far as getting in the zone goes I love listening to my favorite empowering power vocalists for inspiration, and I leave ample time for getting ready as that helps calm me down and focus me for the gig. I try to clear my schedule that day so that I can have a relaxing morning and journal, or tidy up around the house or hit the gym but that’s not always possible. Once I’m at the gig about to go on I have to jump around and deep breathe 5 minutes before to get rid of stage fright… I’m always nervous! But once I’m on stage it all goes away.

Preparing in that way helps me get rid of the anxiety I have surrounding the show. It puts me at ease and also gets me ready to perform at the highest level! Then I can go home, put on some sweats, eat ice cream, and watch reruns of New Girl while the adrenaline wears off. It’s the best feeling in the world.

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