Performance Pep Talk

People-pleasing is a struggle for many singers, actors, and musicians. It starts early, with praise for taking direction and working hard, and can turn into relying on compliments to know whether an audition or performance was any good, sacrificing boundaries to keep the peace, and feeling pressure to prove you belong in every rehearsal room. In this episode of Performance Pep Talk, we discuss thr...

Every singer, actor, and musician has had a bad performance, and the hardest part is often walking back in afterward with the fear of “what if it happens again?” In this episode of Performance Pep Talk, we discuss why a bad audition or show is so hard to shake, why replaying it in your head makes it feel worse than it was, and what resilience really means. Perfect for performers tired of feeling s...

Singers, actors, and musicians are trained to take direction, but constant notes from directors, teachers, casting directors, and social media can wear on your confidence. Without the right foundation, a note about your performance can start to feel like a note about you. In this episode of Performance Pep Talk, we discuss why criticism hits so hard (negativity bias, perfectionism, and imposter sy...

One of the most exhausting and challenging parts of being an actor, performer or musician is auditioning.  The power dynamic, the artistic gatekeeping, the high stakes, the first impression... all of it can leave us feeling exhausted and less than. In this episode of Performance Pep Talk, we discuss why auditioning is so difficult to navigate mentally and three practical ways you can take the pres...

Many singers, actors, and musicians believe their inner critic is what keeps them sharp. But fighting that voice, or trying to silence it, often makes it louder. In this episode of Performance Pep Talk, we discuss what the research says about self-criticism vs. self-compassion, the three components of self-compassion (self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness), and why being kind to yourself...

Burnout is a struggle for most singers, actors, musicians, and entrepreneurs. The constant responsibilities (day job shifts, auditions, rehearsals, running your own business) pile up until you have nothing left. Most people say "take a break." But what do you do when you don't have the choice? In this episode of Performance Pep Talk, we discuss why burnout is so hard to recover from...

You have one bad performance experience as a singer, actor, and performer, and suddenly, you're not just afraid of performing, you're afraid of getting nervous again. In this episode, Sophie shares a two-step plan of action for the moment panic starts creeping in, helping to bring you back to the present and redirect nervous energy instead of suppressing it. A great episode for singers, mu...

Stuck in a worry spiral pre-audition? Wondering "What if I forget the lyrics?" "What if I don't book this?" "What if I never book again?" If your brain spirals into worst-case scenarios the second you sit down in the holding room, this episode is for you. We break down how future-focused worry affects the brain, and we walk you through a simple, repeatable mindful...

One good audition and you feel unstoppable. One rough rehearsal and you're lying awake wondering if you even deserve to be there. If you're a singer, musician, or performer who feels like your sense of self-worth rises and falls with every audition, callback, or note from a director, this episode is for you. In this episode, we break down the research on why tying self-worth to performance...

Distracted in the audition room because you’re worried about whether the people behind the table like you? Feel like you’re constantly trying to people-please, and it’s making you feel ungrounded and insecure? In this Episode of Performance Pep Talk, we unpack WHY we tend to get distracted during auditions (from mind-reading the people behind the table to hyperfixating on our own mistakes), AND we...

You're feeling good after a great audition or lesson and then you open your phone and see someone from your program just booked a huge role. Suddenly, you're spiraling, wondering if you'll ever get there. In this episode, Sophie breaks down the psychology of upward comparison and the spotlight effect: why social media comparison hits so hard, and why so many performers hesitate to post their own w...

Rejection hurts no matter what level you are as a performer. But it's not just the "no" that gets you; it's the anticipation before you even walk in the room, scanning faces for signs you're about to be rejected. In this episode, Sophie breaks down the psychology of rejection sensitivity and three truths to hold onto before, during, and after every audition, plus a guided gro...

That feeling of "I should be further along by now" is something most actors, singers, and musicians have experienced. But where does this feeling actually come from? In this episode, Sophie unpacks the psychology behind why so many performers carry the pressure of an internalized timeline and shares helpful reflections to help you catch yourself before you spiral into self-doubt. Great when you're...

Every singer, musician, or performer has had the thought, "Don't be nervous." Hoping that by willing their nerves away, they will suddenly disappear. Unfortunately, the science proves otherwise, and suppression can actually make the nerves even MORE intense. So what can we do instead? In this episode, we break down how to embrace the nerves instead of fighting them, and walk you thro...

What should you do when you don't feel like performing, when the auditions feel stale, and when you're reaching burnout but still have a show to do? This week on Performance Pep Talk, we're going to address why motivation can be so difficult to find AND how to show up authentically anyway. We break down what is actually happening when you hit the wall, why "faking it til you make...

Feeling physically nervous before a performance is one of the most annoying things a performer can experience. All that work only to be sabotaged by your body. Sound familiar? In this episode of Performance Pep Talk, Sophie breaks down exactly why performance anxiety shows up so intensely in the body, why telling yourself to calm down rarely works, and what you can actually do about it right befor...

Imposter syndrome (or imposter phenomenon) affects almost all singers, actors, and musicians at some point in their careers. And the tricky part is, it can show up despite your level of talent, preparation, or experience. In fact, sometimes after you've booked the role is when the imposter shows up the most! So how do we feel confident when that voice inside our head is telling us we don't...

If you're a singer, musician, or performer, you know how to practice the material. You've run it a hundred times and feel prepared walking into the audition. And yet the moment the stakes go up, your brain starts micromanaging every breath, every note, every choice, and suddenly you're performing and judging yourself at the same time. In this episode of Performance Pep Talk, Sophie bre...

If you're a singer, musician, or performer, you know how to put in the hours to technically prepare for performance. You've drilled it in the practice room, the lessons, and the coachings. Yet when you walk into the audition room or onstage it feels like none of it shows up. Your voice feels different, your body feels different, and your brain is too busy fixating on the gap to actually pe...

Every performer (singers, actors, musicians) has that memory of a bad performance: the voice crack, the missed entrance, the blank. And as hard as those moments are in real time, what's often worse is what happens after. The mental replay. The overanalyzing. The spiral of if onlys and what ifs that loop long after the curtain comes down. In this episode of Performance Pep Talk, we break down w...

As a performer (singers, actors, musicians) there is always something to improve. Always a note to clean up, a choice to commit to more fully, a skill to develop. But if the goalpost is always moving, how are you ever supposed to feel genuinely confident in your abilities? In this episode of Performance Pep Talk, Sophie tackles one of the most common struggles performers face: building real, susta...

Performers (singers, actors, instrumentalists) often describe their pre-show panic coming out of nowhere. They walk backstage feeling confident, and then suddenly they experience a racing heart, shaking hands, difficulty connecting to their breath, and a mental spiral that feels completely out of control. Pre-performance panic attacks are one of the most frightening experiences a performer can fac...

Performance anxiety doesn't discriminate, showing up despite your level of experience, talent, or preparation. But a lot of the time, the pressure that makes it worse is coming from us. In this episode of Performance Pep Talk, we explore why perceived pressure is often more damaging than the situation itself, why shame never drives confidence, and how to shift into  present-focused performing...

If you would never speak to a friend the way you speak to yourself before a performance, this episode is for you. In this episode of Performance Pep Talk, we dig into why artists and performers tend to have the loudest inner critics, why trying to suppress that voice only makes it worse, and how to open the floor to something far more powerful: self-compassion We will explain why trying to banish...

You wouldn't walk into an important meeting without preparing. So why are so many performers still winging it in those crucial minutes before they walk into the audition room? So much of performance anxiety stems from a lack of control, and establishing a pre-performance routine is one of the ways we can regain control, stop "faking it til you make it," and feel grounded walking into any room. In...