Up on the stage again I've got the butterflies in my stomach. The stage is dark, the audience waiting and I'm giving myself my last pep talk on what a great show I'm going to have.

It's been nearly a full year since I've been on stage. Sure I've done it loads of times but for some reason after a lengthy break it all seems very new again. The only thing that's different now is that it doesn't take me as long to get over it.

My first time on stage was sure to be terrifying. I can still remember the days leading up to it. We had a gig at a seedy little bar in a town not too far from my house. I was stressing about this show for days. I knew we were good but I had never played in front of anybody before. I was terribly shy and although I knew what we could do, I was still worried that I might screw up and be laughed at or something. And I wasn't even a singer yet!

Conditions in this particular band forced me into singing while we were out on the road. Sure I had been up on stage alot by now and was used to people watching me play and sing backups. Singing lead was another story altogether. Now everyone was watching me for sure and I had never sang lead! Scary stuff. It gave me a knot in the pit of my stomach that probably took most of the night to get over.

So now I'm up on stage again. It's been a long break but I know what's on the other side of the fence for me, the chance to put on a killer show for several hundred people. It's like a drug for me, being able to get up and do it and receiving the applause and cheers. The DJ announces us and at just the right time our guitar player starts the opening riff. With a super tight "BANG" the rest of us join in and the show begins.

I'm mulling over the words in my head as I approach the opening line of the song, focusing on having the right amount of air being right in front of my microphone and ready to listen to what comes out of my monitors.

I'm happy with what I hear coming out of them. The rehearsal has paid off for sure. I have a good stage volume and I can hear properly. Judging by the tapping feet I see in the audience they like what they are hearing as well.

It's only now that the show has begun that I realize that the principles I apply to my singing technique, breathing, stage volume, etc is really working the way I think it does. I mean I'm always aware of it, but right now I can prove it. And I also realize that if I can, then anyone can! I'm not especially talented or anything like that. I just look at my singing in a simple, sensible way that helps me do the job I want to do.

It must be working. I've had tons of people come up to me at my shows saying how "awesome" it was. I've been recognized on the street by people for shows I've played. I've even received a free meal at my favorite restaurant because the manager recognized me. That's pretty cool.

It's not that I think I'm great or anything like that, anyone can do a good job at singing. I realize most don't pursue it to the point of performing on stage but it's nice to know that with the right mindset anybody could do it.