Wouldn’t it be great if you could get inside the minds of your audience, or the minds of those who audition you, and know what they are thinking about you and your whole presentation?
Actually, you can—by reading their body language. Once you know what they’re thinking, you can respond and deliver a successful presentation. Great singers often are transported by their music and don’t seem to be aware of their audience, but you can bet there are other times where they have learned to read the body language of the audience—and body language lets them know just exactly how to mold their listeners to their will. If you learn to read these clues early enough in an audition or a performance, you can usually salvage the situation and turn it around.
Learning a few simple body-language signals can help you discover the answers to the following questions.
Do they understand?
When audience members are confused, they move in a random way, picking things up and putting them down. They shift in their seats or shuffle their feet. (Is your diction muddy? Does your acting match your words?) Their brows may furrow and they may rub their eyes or face, typically downward, as if they could clear their heads of the confusion, or they may touch their temples or foreheads, symbolically pushing the “on” button for their brains. Their eyes may blink open and closed, as if they hope they could see more clearly.
Also, look for cues that look asymmetrical, symbolically saying, “I am a little off the mark.” They may tilt their heads to the side, lean to one side, shut one eye and squint, or show one facial expression on one side of their faces and another on the other side. If someone wishes the music would stop so she could ask a clarifying question, she may cover her mouth with her hand.
Are they bored?
Look for signals that show they have shut down or turned you off. An audience member may turn away from you or slump in the chair. Sometimes people will lean backwards and lazily rest their arm around the back of the chair or sit in mock naptime posture by slumping forward in their chair, or leaning. They may also put their heads to one side or down, break eye contact, fix their eyes into space, or close their eyes for brief or even long periods. They may have a vacant look on their faces because they aren’t tuned in. If you see this, you know it’s time to really turn on the energy and wake them up!
Are they frustrated, impatient or ready to go?
If audience members have gone from boredom to irritation, there may be big hints that they want to move on or are ready to leave the room, such as reading your résumé in the program, or checking their watches or their PDAs (personal digital assistants). If they are extroverted types, they may symbolically run from the room by crossing their feet and moving the dangling foot quickly up and down, jiggling the crossed-over knee, or tapping a foot.
Singers who see audiences or auditioners behaving this way have learned how to pull the audience back in. It can be as simple as a dramatic change in dynamics, an unexpected ornament—something to gain the audience’s attention. Great singers learn the art of never losing an audience’s attention in the first place!
Are they not buying in? Do they feel attacked? Are they defensive or angry?
Sometimes you may have taken a chance. Your music may be controversial or difficult for an audience to take. If your audience is feeling defensive, they protect themselves symbolically, either by shutting down, getting away or attacking. They shut down by crossing their arms, legs or ankles or shutting their mouths into a thin line. They may grimace and cover their mouths with their hands.
Audience members “run away” by looking away, or turning their hearts and upper torsos away, or pointing their legs or feet toward the exit and exhaling quickly and loudly. They attack symbolically by clenching their teeth, jaws, lips or hands. They may square off the body to you in a confrontational way, putting their hands on their hips.
You can’t do much about this once you’ve made the choice to present unusual music—just sing it with as much conviction as you can.
Sometimes you get this reaction when you sing mainstream music, and you may not know why. It could be that the person you are auditioning for has heard that aria 18 times that day!
Are they resentful? Do they dislike you, or dislike your viewpoint or content?
If an audience feels you or your music are injuring or mistreating them, you may see them do the following: cross their arms, stiffen their backs or limbs, grimace, look or turn away, or show the signs of anger mentioned earlier. Singers have to know how to sell themselves and their music from the minute they walk into the room until the moment they leave. Sometimes an audience won’t like a singer’s looks—I’ve seen it happen. A singer has to overcome that with incredible musicianship. I’ve seen that happen too.
Do they get it?
When audience members are excited and happy, they fill up with those good feelings. Look for a sudden shift, usually upwards, and a big inhalation, or they may shift their weight forward, or bounce in their seats, or move with a rocking motion. Once you get that kind of energy going, learn how to keep it!
Are they interested and excited?
Audiences signal their interest by smiling, tilting their heads (to hear better), furrowing their brows in concentration (but not with a pained look), and by leaning forward and blinking with excitement so as not to miss anything. They are “up” for what you are singing, so their overall posture will be up and attentive as well.
The next time you sing, try these tips and see if you can “read” your audience. By understanding their body language, you can tweak your performance and make it even more of a success!
