Performance repertoire and interpretation

Comfort Level: Choose pieces that match your vocal range and capabilities. Straining to hit high notes or to maintain rhythms outside your skill level can detract from your performance and potentially harm your voice.
Genre Suitability: Choose pieces that fit your singing style and show off your vocal strengths. Similarly, be aware of any pieces that don’t suit your voice or that you struggle to interpret accurately.
Audience Engagement: Consider the type of audience and the venue in considering your song choices. Tailor your repertoire to suit the occasion, ensuring the songs are appropriate and likely to engage the listeners.
Variety in Selection: Demonstrating versatility is beneficial. Mixing genres, varying tempos and including both well-known and obscure pieces can make your performance more dynamic and interesting.

Understanding Lyrics: To effectively communicate a song, you must understand its lyrics. Consider what the songwriter is trying to say and how the words relate to the melody.
Emotional Connection: The best interpretations often come when the singer has a personal connection to the song. Try to find pieces that resonate with your own experiences or emotions.
Experimentation: Don’t be afraid to experiment with the phrasing, dynamics, or tempo, to make a piece your own. Making interesting choices can bring a fresh perspective and could garner positive attention.
Use of Performance Elements: Use facial expressions, gestures, body language and staging to bring songs to life. These elements can help convey the song’s story and engage the audience.
Consistency in Interpretation: Ensure to maintain a consistent interpretation throughout. If you start a song soft and romantic, it won’t make sense to suddenly switch to loud and aggressive partway through.
Understanding Musicality: Interpreting the melodic and harmonic elements of a song can bring a deeper meaning and improve the overall performance. This involves understanding the song structure and musical scales.