I've got a bunch of 5-7 year olds (25) who will be performing a song in two weeks time in front of a group of parents and friends (about 60).
I've done this twice before, over the last two years, and each time we spend weeks practicing, the kids nail the preparation, and are then consumed with stage fright up on stage and no one can hear them sing.
My question is: How do I help a bunch of 5-7 year olds get over stage-fright when performing a song?
Ask them to focus on whomever is leading. Remind them that no one is expecting them to be perfect and the important part it to have fun and do their best. Praise them during practice and tell them they are doing terrific. Make a hand signal that they know which indicates they need to sing louder when in actual performance. Mostly remember they are little kids. Tell them that everyone makes mistakes, forgets the words, misses a cue, even the professionals. If they do, it is no big deal just try to catch up where they should be. And smile!
Remind them that most people in the audience are parents or relatives of some ONE child on stage. As such, most of the audience is not looking at anyone except their own child. Therefore, each child will normally have only a very few (2-4) people actually watching what they as individuals are doing, mistakes or not.
This has worked for my own two kids, now 10 and 16, and for sporting events as well.
If you can, you could launch the concert with an exercise where you ask them to first show their parents how soft they can sing, and then how loud they can sing, and then launch into the song after breaking the ice. The only downside is that might make them more likely to shout than to sing beautifully.
If you have some additional time to prepare before the concert, you could try the same exercise in practice, with first as soft as possible, then as loud as possible, then as "loud and beautiful" as possible.
