with Erikka J
Do not apologize for little mistakes during a session. You are human! This week, Anne & Erikka teach you how to overcome performance anxiety. Certain elements of voice acting get easier after years in the booth, but sometimes the nerves never go away. Taking steps before a big gig like walking outside, spending time with a furry friend, or breathing can calm you down, but what happens when you feel anxious in the moment? Stay calm in the booth and know that it is a safe space for you to perform and be your best. BOSSES, if you’re unsure of how to take control of the situation & your anxiety, listen up!
In this episode, Anne & Erikka explore what causes performance anxiety in the booth + how to gracefully work through it during a job.
"Anxiety is just an abundance of energy." - Erikka
About Erikka
DC born, Atlanta based voice actor, singer/songwriter and entertainer Erikka J is known for her rich powerhouse vocals, soulful tenor to soprano range, and commanding stage presence. As a writer, she is dedicated to giving her fans, or "Jewels" as she has named them, meaningful, honest, and relatable lyrics. During her time in Richmond, Virginia a reputation for delivering quality, heartfelt, attention grabbing performances earned her the honor of opening for Grammy-winning recording artist Chrisette Michele. Erikka has headlined events at notable venues such as DC's historic Blues Alley Jazz Club and the Dumfries Summer Concert Series. Though classically trained at DC's Duke Ellington School of the Arts and influenced by vocal staples such as Mary J. Blige and Billie Holiday, Erikka has a deep rooted love for hip-hop that is evident in her delivery. She lives up to her "Natural Born Hustler" mantra with accomplishments such as landing music video placements on BET Soul, MTV.com, VH1.com, and Russell Simmons' All Def Digital YouTube channel, as well as lending her voice over talents to notable clients such as Google, Amazon, Apple News+, and the DC Lottery.
Top 10 Takeaways
Quick-share concepts from today’s episode:
Channel your anxious energy into your character and performance. #VOBOSS
Get outside, breathe deeply, and get centered before a session if you’re feeling nervous.
Workshops, classes, and seminars are meant to be a safe space to get performance anxiety out before the job.
During a digitally directed live session, take control + turn off your camera during performance if it helps your anxiety. #VOBOSS
If you flub a word, keep going. Sometimes those moments make a performance feel more human. #VOBOSS
Don’t apologize if you make a mistake during a record. Take a breath, pause, and pick up at a natural spot in the copy.
Make your booth a safe space for performing.
Keep pictures of your family, friends & loved ones to comfort you during performances. #VOBOSS
Use your body during a performance to keep anxiety and tension out of your voice.
You are human. We all make mistakes, it’s ok! #VOBOSS
"No one thinks that successful voice talents get nervous, but we do!" - Anne
Referenced in this Episode
Direct links to things we brought up ++
Recorded on ipDTL - get it here >>
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Connect with Erikka >>
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Overcome the Butterflies in your Throat
We all go through it. Performance anxiety affects us all. And there are a couple of things that you can do to reduce your performance anxiety. A lot of times when we're in our booth and we're behind the mic, it's like something overtakes us. Like we could be having the best conversation, doing a read out loud before we go into our studio to record and everything is fine and we're relaxed. And then all of a sudden. Behind that mic, we feel like we have to perform...
