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Food for thought: What is your face saying?
By Meg | March 21, 2008
Earlier today, I wrote a post at Sax Appeal, another blog of mine, about how facial expressions are a very important part of stage presence that musicians often don’t think about. All too often, great players reveal mistakes that would have gone unnoticed by the audience had they not gotten a terrible look on their face — or, they fail to recognize their good performances by looking far too serious.
However, this isn’t a problem just among musicians. As Shakespeare wrote, “All the world’s a stage.” And while he might not have meant it quite in this way, the truth is that life really is a series of performances. A good liar knows how to fake a convincing facial expression, but even the most honest people can look dishonest if their face doesn’t say what they intend.
When performing, I think I do a rather convincing job of getting into character, even if that “character” is just “saxophonist who’s happy with her performance”. (However, my friend Katy thinks she has found one of my tells: looking up and to the right when I’ve sang a note a bit off. And she’s listened to the songs enough in practice to know when they are off.)
What I have more problems with is that I sometimes get weird expressions on my face when I’m off stage. My mind tends to wander and my face goes rather blank, or worse, I react to my thoughts with my facial expression, even when those thoughts have nothing to do with the moment at hand. It’s been a bit embarrassing at times, but mostly people just ask if something’s wrong because I look upset, even when I’m just thinking intensely.
The bottom line is this: it helps to be more conscious of your facial expressions whether you’re a Hollywood star or a soccer mom. And there’s no big secret to it that I know of, just remember to occasionally ask yourself, “What is my face saying?”
Tags: Body, Impressions
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March 21st, 2008 at 4:05 pm
I hear that the queen of England looked sad when she relaxed. Therefore, she had to learn to cultivate a more pleasant reaction so people wouldn’t get worried after seeing her.
March 23rd, 2008 at 6:37 pm
I’m TOTALLY guilty of making weird faces when I’m deep in thought. I try to be more conscious of it but it’s hard. Thankfully we each have 2 screens at work so no one hardly sees me:-)
March 23rd, 2008 at 9:39 pm
Hi, Mrs. Micah! That’s really interesting, but makes a lot of sense. I tend to look sad, too, even though I’m a really happy person.
Hi, JJ! Glad I’m not the only one!
March 24th, 2008 at 1:13 am
Oh I hear you Meg, my natural resting face is apparently too melancholic for people, I am constantly being told by strangers to “cheer up”
March 24th, 2008 at 2:29 am
Oh, don’t you just hate that, Cybill! I wouldn’t mind if I was in need of some cheering, but I hate that people are reading me wrong.
O.k., scratch that, I hate being told to “cheer up” even when I am a little down — especially by strangers. If only things were so simple that one could really just “cheer up” like that. Even though I consider myself a happy, optimistic person, I can’t flip a switch to feel happy and I certainly dislike other people telling me how to feel.
March 29th, 2008 at 1:10 am
Oh I do that too, I’m always drifting off into my own world and getting strange/worried/stunned looks on my face. My boyfriend’s used to it now but it used to get embarrassing when it happened in intimate situation.
I also was told by a great boss of mine that I often screw up my face when I’m talking to somebody and then think about something, she said I had to stop doing it because it made me look like a monster. I stopped. Took a while though