Myles Castello – PRESHOW RITUALS

In this Preshow Rituals segment, the R&B singer, Myles Castello, reveals what he does before taking the stage. You can check out the story, after the break.

First things first, I need to make sure I eat properly. I never like to eat too much before a show, usually fruits or vegetables to give me some energy, without feeling heavy. Being hydrated is also one of the most important things to me, especially as a singer. I can usually only drink tea or water before I go on stage just to warm up or soothe my throat.

After eating and drinking properly, I take out my phone and use this app which plays through different scales that I can use to warm up. It just helps to keep me in pitch and get my voice ready to go between different notes while moving between different parts of my voice. It’s one of my favourite tools as a performer to allow me to perform confidently. At the same time, it’s mental. If I know I’ve gotten through all the scales on this app, right away, I feel comfortable singing on stage. Once that’s done, I gather my band together in a circle and make sure everyone is good and ready to go. If we aren’t all on the same page, then the audience won’t be. I like to connect with them by talking, huddling up in a circle and getting everyone to just relax. The technical stuff like playing the right chord, hitting the right note isn’t important at this point. This little huddle is all about having the same vibe and energy while getting ready to just have a good time playing.

Before getting into music, I was always into sports and athletics. For me, warming up vocals is no different than working out and warming up your body. I always carry a skipping rope in my gig bag to get my body warmed up before a show. I like to move on stage and use as much space as I have. Usually, the more my body is warmed up, the more confidence I have, to hit certain notes, to move a certain way and to interact with the crowd. To me, all of that not only comes from being warmed up vocally but also the rest of my body. Coming from a sports background, skipping was one of those quick and easy warmups that use the whole body, and gets every muscle loose. So, I treat a show like its ‘game-day’.

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