What are some pointers to give singers on how to perform their selection?

Host: What are some pointers to give singers on how to perform their selection?

Jennifer Rutherford: Well assuming that you are already really naturally gifted and talented or taking lessons to improve on what God gave you, then the first thing you have to do is to make sure you have your song really well memorized. Next you have to remember to do a few breathing exercises before you go in the door because the first thing that you will forget when you are nervous is how to breath. Then keep your throat really open and free, remember to lift those abdominal muscles in and up to give yourself a good scoot of air on that first note and then off you go. Another thing people might want to know is how do they find their starting pitch? Believe it or not if you pick up a ground line telephone it will have an A, it's universal not matter where you go, that A. So if know what note your piece starts on relative to an A you can pick up a phone and find that A, if you don't have access to a piano or a pitch pipe for instance but maybe you are one of those people who has naturally born perfect pitch in which case none of this will be an issue for you. But I am talking of people who really have no talent in that direction. So you can just pick something that's pick a note that feels good in your throat too. You can just if you have sung it enough times you will have a feel of where it lies in the voice and just start where you are comfortable.