Why Shania Twain Thought ‘Dynamic Stage Performances’ Had Never Been One of Her ‘Strong Suits’
As a child, Shania Twain performed singing harmony. Even as a solo artist, the “Queen of Country Pop” sometimes struggled to perform in front of audiences, as noted in her memoir From This Moment On. After writing songs inspired by the Top 40 music charts, she “got better at commanding the stage.”
Shania Twain pursued music after graduating high school
This artist still remembers her early experiences with music, including playing “noisy, percussive instruments” in Kindergarten. She continued singing as a hobby throughout her childhood.
Aside from playing trumpet in her high school band, Twain worked part time at McDonald’s. After graduating high school, instead of enrolling in a 4-year college program, she took singing lessons and moved to Toronto from her hometown of Timmins, near Ontario.
Shania Twain wrote songs inspired by the Top 40 — benefiting from the experience ‘artistically’
After finishing high school, Twain moved to Toronto, a period marked by culture, even if it was short-lived due to “money woes.” She moved back home to write songs inspired by the Top 40 music charts. They weren’t exactly her sound, but they did help her develop stage presence.
“I did benefit from the experience artistically in the sense that the pop and rock songs I was singing demanded a more dynamic stage performance, which had never been one of my strong suits,” she wrote in From This Moment On. “With practice, I got better at commanding the stage and interacting with the crowd — although I can’t say it ever came naturally.”
Twain continued, saying she “began to come out of [her] shell” with practice, even if she would rather sit with her back to the crowd.
“Or to earn a living remaining a backup singer or recording commercial jingles in the studio,” she noted. “I’d have taken that above having to face an audience to perform.”
Why Shania Twain preferred singing harmonies as a child
Before she performed in front of large audiences, Twain taught herself a humming vocal warmup, harmonizing along with pre-recorded songs on the radio. The mother preferred for her to sing lead, but Twain often sang backup, which she described as true to her personality.
“Just like when I was a kid, I loved harmonizing with other singers and enjoyed the challenge of coming up with individual vocal parts that would blend together seamlessly,” she wrote in the same memoir.
She even mentioned bands that inspired her, including Fleetwood Mac, The Beach Boys, and ABBA. Twain would even imagine herself performing as background noise at a coffeehouse.
“I may have ended up in the spotlight, but I actually aspired to be in the background, where I felt safer and more reassured,” Twain concluded. Of course, Twain eventually earned her reputation as the “Queen of County Pop,” recently releasing 2023’s Queen of Me.
