Performing with Opera Australia

I had the pleasure of preparing the children’s choir for the touring production of Don Giovanni with Opera Australia. It was a lot of fun working with a group of 15 enthusiastic young singers, a lot who were my vocal students. They had a very short rehearsal run, with me teaching the music and the actual stage rehearsal was with Opera Australia for 1 hour the day before, and 1 hour the day of the performance. The children learnt so much and it was an awesome opportunity for them to work with a professional company.

If you are interested in learning to sing, these sorts of opportunities are what make it happen. Some of my students have already performed multiple times this year. With Opera Australia, with local music theatre groups, with their school choir, and some will be performing next week in Singing Strong’s mid year showcase.

These children are getting out there and raking up the many hours of practice that it takes to learn their craft. As I have said many times, the only way to get better at performing is to practice performing.

Taylor Swift has been performing since she was 12 years old. Her parents were very helpful in getting opportunities for her to perform, but it still took the effort of getting out and practicing performing. She wrote over 100 songs before she even started going to record labels to get a deal. She practices her craft.

How are you practicing your craft? When was the last time you practiced singing?

Here is an exercise video to get you started right now:

One small change

There is one small change you can make to improve your singing instantly.

I have noticed that I have been reminding my students about this regularly.

Even in warm up exercises, they start the phrase strongly but by the end of the phrase it can be weak, often breathy.

One thing you can improve in your singing overall is to add energy throughout.

Make sure you stay engaged throughout the entire song.

A great singer doesn’t just start a song well. They end them beautifully as well.

A strong ending makes your performance sound polished, professional and full of confidence.

Be brave

Learning music doesn’t just doesn’t just make you a musician, it actually builds bravery.

Music and particularly performing music, lives in the same part of your brain where you recognize your own nakedness.

Every time someone performs, they are presenting to the audience – this is what I made, this is a piece of who I am.

That’s scary.

And bravery is doing something while you are afraid of doing it.

Every time that you do something that you are afraid of doing, every time you do something bravely, it actually rewires your self concept, what you think about yourself.

Neural pathways get built that tell ourselves I can do difficult things and I can do it in front of people.

What is so amazing is that neural pathway that has been built doesn’t stay in music.

It shows up in job interviews, it shows up when you volunteer in the community, it shows up when you stand up to a bully.

There are so many places in life when we require bravery, the ability to do something while we are afraid to do it.

Bravery is built in the mind and the body through repeated acts of bravery.

And music is a bravery gym.

It’s time to perform

Preparing for Your Performance

You need to start preparing weeks prior to a performance.

You cannot cram music. It always takes time.

Here are some simple ways to ensure you’re ready to shine on stage:

Practice consistently:

Even 15–20 minutes each day will build confidence and strengthen your performance.

Remember vocal health isn’t built the day of the performance. It’s built in the days and weeks leading up to it.

Know your lyrics thoroughly:

The better you know your words, the more you’ll be able to communicate the story and emotion of your song.

Rehearse with your backing track:

If you are using a backing track, practice with the exact version you’ll perform with so everything feels familiar on the night.

Perform before performance night:

Sing for family, friends, and record yourself. The more often you perform, the more comfortable you’ll feel.

Think about your stage presence:

Stand confidently, smile, make eye contact with your audience, and enjoy the moment.

Take care of your voice:

Drink plenty of water, get enough sleep, and avoid shouting or straining your voice in the days leading up to the concert.

Plan your outfit early:

Choose something comfortable, neat and performance-ready so you can focus on enjoying your time on stage.

Remember…

No performance has to be perfect. What matters most is sharing your music with confidence, courage and joy.

Raye: An example of an amazing artist

I came across a live performance of Raye at Live at Montreux Jazz Festival, 7th July 2026. This was an amazing live performance that has been generously uploaded to you tube.

You can watch the full performance below.

This is a wonderful performance where the music is the focus and the high level of the musicians is on display for all to enjoy.

I was first made aware of the artist Raye when I heard the song Oscar Winning Tears and then her song Where is my husband.

If you are thinking that this has all just fallen into her lap, you are very wrong.

It is interesting to note that she is a singer songwriter that has been performing for over 10 years. She is now 28 years old, so started her music career when she was very young. However it has taken her a long time to find international recognition. Her determination, hard work, developing her craft has finally got her to this level of performance.

Watch this performance and see the comfort she displays being on stage, the hours and hours and hours of rehearsal that would have gone into this performance, and the simple joy of creating great music.

Singing when unwell

Singing when unwell can be challenging, but there are ways to minimize strain and still perform effectively. Here are four tips to help you manage:

1. Stay Hydrated

Drink Water: Keep your vocal cords well-lubricated by drinking plenty of water. Aim for room temperature or warm water, as cold water can constrict your vocal cords.
Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol: These can dehydrate you and irritate your throat.
Steam Inhalation: Inhale steam from hot water to soothe and hydrate your vocal cords. You can add a few drops of eucalyptus oil for added relief.

2. Warm Up Gently

Gentle Warm-Ups: Do gentle vocal exercises to warm up your voice. Start with humming or lip trills to get your vocal cords moving without too much strain.
Avoid High Notes: Refrain from singing high or loud notes during your warm-up. Focus on the comfortable part of your range to avoid further irritation.

3. Modify Your Technique

Sing Softer: Reduce the volume to avoid putting too much pressure on your vocal cords. Use a microphone to help project your voice if needed.
Focus on Breath Support: Use proper diaphragmatic breathing to support your voice and reduce strain on your throat.
Articulation and Diction: Enunciate clearly to ensure your words are understood without having to push your voice.

4. Rest and Listen to Your Body

Vocal Rest: Limit speaking and singing outside of necessary performances to give your voice a chance to heal.
Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to how your voice feels. If you experience pain or significant discomfort, it’s best to rest entirely and seek medical advice if necessary.
Avoid Whispering: Whispering can strain your voice more than speaking softly, so try to speak in a normal, quiet tone instead.

Taking these precautions can help you preserve your voice and reduce the risk of further damage when you’re not feeling your best.

8 tips to memorize lyrics to a song

Singing Strong end of year concert

Seeing Miss Saigon at the Sydney Opera House

Hi it’s Mary from Singing Strong. I had a lovely excursion to Sydney a couple of weekends ago for my daughter’s 22nd birthday. We had the most wonderful time in Sydney I haven’t been there for, I’m trying to think, it’s been over 20 years, so I’m starting to give away my age a little bit here, but that’s okay. We went to Sydney and we got to walk around circular Quay. We walked around the Opera House and walked around to Sydney Harbor Bridge. This was amazing. I always love to watch the fireworks on New Years Eve from Sydney, so it was lovely to actually walk around there. We also went to Bondi Beach. My daughter is a Bondi Rescue fan and we went there and had a look at all of the area of Bondi Beach. We also went to Manly on the Sunday which was the most beautiful weather but incredibly busy, Sydney is just exploding with people, but it was really lovely, we had a great day.

We went to the Opera House on the Saturday night to see Miss Saigon. Miss Saigon has been around since the 1980s, but I had never seen it for whatever reason I didn’t manage to get to see it. It’s composed by the same people who composed Les Miserables. It is very different but musically as exciting as Les Miserable. If you haven’t seen Miss Saigon I would highly recommend it. Now it was very confronting I have to say, but the music was amazing. The young girl who played the role of Kim is literally 18 years old and has been plucked out of the obscurity and she was just incredible. The thing that I really valued and got so much enjoyment from even though it’s an incredibly sad story was the calibre of the singing and I have to say well done Opera Australia for putting this on. The singing was just world class, and I can say that honestly because I have been to a few different places around the world. The technicians are to be congratulated on the sound quality, there was so much going on in this show but it was just fantastic. The singing was incredible.

Now I know a lot of people are not so much music theatre fans and prefer contemporary pop music and that sort of thing and there’s nothing wrong with that, there’s some great singing. I’m going to be talking about that in the future, how pop singing is just amazing, but this night, I don’t know whether it was just the thrill of being at the Opera House. It was such high quality singing, so well-rehearsed, such strong powerful in control voices that could sing a huge dynamic range who were singing, this incredibly low music and then she has this beautiful high soprano coming through on some of the songs, it was just amazing. The show is coming to an end in Sydney, but it’s coming to Melbourne so if you are a person who lives in Victoria and you haven’t seen it I would highly recommended it. It is not for children, it’s like I said incredibly confronting. We just need to be careful with what we are exposing our children to. If you haven’t seen Miss Saigon you must go. I’m not going to do any spoilers, not going to tell you that the actual show itself because there’s some incredible things that happened on the stage that just flew my mind.

Well done to the production team and everyone who was involved. I’ve seen a lot of shows in the last 12 months now that we’re out of covid. I’m trying to go and see everything and I have to say out of all the shows that I’ve seen recently that is like number one at the top, can’t get any better, at the moment I to find a show that is a higher level vocally. It just blew my mind. if you are in Victoria and have an opportunity it starts on 29^th October. It’s not that far away, please go and see it, you will absolutely love it. As I said it is very confronting, very sad, but just an amazing show. Please go and see it. You can watch it online, but I just don’t think you get the same experience. There’s something about live theatre that you get a totally different experience.

Well done everyone at Opera Australia, I loved it.