Butterflies? That’s a good thing!

Feeling butterflies before the BIG SING? Thank your adrenaline!

With just one week to go until THE BIG SING, excitement in the choir, and amongst the people who’ve bought tickets to come and see us is building.

Over the past few months we’ve worked incredibly hard. We’ve learned new songs, new harmonies, developed our vocal technique, built our confidence, and created something special together. Another Night at the Mowlem was a wonderful concert, not only because we performed well, but because as a choir we stood on the stage together for the first time, so this time it will feel a little more familiar.

In the last two weeks, there has been a lot of work behind the scenes to organise and plan for the day, and now the lighting plot is complete, the words on screen are nearly finished, and everyone has more balloons to blow up than they might want to!

Our fundraising quiz night was a wonderful evening, and raised a fantastic amount towards the costs of putting on this show.

Now we’re in the final stretch.

At this point there isn’t a huge amount of new work to do. It’s time for the finishing touches: polishing the songs, revisiting the lyrics, and trusting all the preparation we’ve already done.

But alongside the excitement, something else is beginning to appear for some choir members: nerves.

If you’re feeling nervous about stepping onto the stage next week, here’s something important to remember:

Those nerves are not a sign that something is wrong. They’re actually a sign that your body is getting ready to help you perform.

Meet Your Performance Partner: Adrenaline

When we face something important, our bodies release adrenaline.

It’s part of our natural survival system, designed to help us rise to a challenge. Your heart beats a little faster, your breathing becomes more alert, and your body prepares itself for action. The funny thing is that adrenaline doesn’t know the difference between running away from danger and stepping onto a stage to sing.

It simply knows that something matters.

That fluttering feeling in your stomach, the extra energy, the racing thoughts, the heightened awareness - these are all signs that your body is preparing you to do something important.

In other words:

Adrenaline is not your enemy. It’s your body saying, “I’m ready.” - the trick is to learn not to fight it. The goal isn’t to eliminate adrenaline - the goal is to learn to ride it.

Think about some of the best performances you’ve ever seen. The performers weren’t calm because they didn’t care. They were often buzzing with energy. They have simply learned how to channel that energy into focus, expression and connection.

A little adrenaline can make us sing with more energy, perform with greater concentration and communicate more effectively with an audience.

Problems only start when we interpret those physical sensations as a sign that we’re not capable. We notice our heart beating faster and think, “Oh no, I’m nervous.”

We feel butterflies and think, “I’m going to mess up.”

Very quickly, the story we tell ourselves becomes more powerful than the adrenaline itself.

So if this week you are beginning to feel nervous - instead, try changing the story.

Rather than saying: “I’m nervous.” Try saying: “I’m excited.”

A simple shift in how you view the feelings and the butterflies can have a huge difference.

The truth is that confidence doesn’t come from feeling perfectly calm. Confidence comes from knowing you’ve prepared. And this choir has prepared. We’ve rehearsed. We’ve laughed. We’ve worked through tricky passages. We’ve sung the songs over and over again.

The performance isn’t being created next week. We’ve already been creating it over months of rehearsals.

The BIG SING is our moment to step out on to that stage, and enjoy ourselves!

The 5 S’s…..

Next week, when you feel those butterflies arrive, don’t try to chase them away.

Welcome them.

Take a deep breath.

Remember 5 S’s.

Stand tall - Sit up - Sing Out - Smile - Shine

That feeling isn’t a warning sign. It’s your body giving you the energy to do something wonderful.

And when the lights come up and the music starts, you’ll feel for yourself the magic of being on a stage…..

The butterflies don’t disappear - They simply learn to fly in formation.

We’ve got this!

Becs x