Preparing for a Performance Audition

It's not possible to guarantee the success of an audition.  There is NOTHING that can change that, short of having a judge hand it to you.  However, if you prepare thoroughly, you will be ahead of the vast majority of others auditioning.  I would love to help you!  Here are detailed steps for preparing for a singing/performance audition:

1.     Be well rested – Make certain to get 8-10 hours of sleep during the nights leading up to the audition, even if this means lying in bed, reading, and/or meditating/praying for some of the time.  Avoid watching television or using the computer during the last hour before bedtime as this is suspected of causing sleep issues.  It may be helpful to take Melatonin and/or Magnesium supplements prior to bed, to aid in relaxation and sleep quality.  Reading is often very helpful for relaxation but choose lighter subjects, which will not require extensive memory or other brain stimulation.

2.     Warm up with wisdom – It is absolutely important to perform vocal warm-up exercises prior to an audition.  However, be careful to only warm the voice; don’t over-stimulate or overuse the voice to the point it becomes strained or tired.

3.     Bring plenty of water; a towel for sweat; script/sides/lyrics/music/blocking copies; pencils with erasers; high protein snack; dance clothes and shoes, if appropriate – keep everything neatly organized in one bag – Maintaining hydration is always important but even more so for the singer.  Think of it as clearing the debris from your performance space.  The other items listed may be needed or at least useful for day of audition activities.

4.     Dress appropriately – keep throat warm – No matter the climate, it is always appropriate to wrap a scarf around the throat to protect it and keep its temperature consistent.  It is not necessary to wear the scarf during the actual audition.  Other clothing should be dressy casual but appropriate to the musical or organization in question.  If auditioning for “Hair”, it would probably be more appropriate to wear jeans than a dress or shirt and tie.  If auditioning for a “period” piece, however, the dressier casual alternatives might be more pertinent.  Never wear costumes to an audition unless otherwise specified.  The most important element to consider regarding dress at an audition is comfort.  Clothes should not be too tight, so that singing is not restricted.  Dance clothing is tight but very elastic, so if appropriate for the audition, this clothing is acceptable.  Clothes should not be “suggestive”, which means, cut too low or too short.  When possible, avoid wearing a belt, which could restrict breathing.  Never wear new shoes as this can be extremely distracting and cause the audition to fail as a consequence.  For the most part, clothing should be comfortable, attractive, and casual.  For working on an actual stage, rubber-soled shoes (having character shoe soles rubberized is common in professional theater), or ballet shoes should be worn.  Dance shoes should NEVER be worn off-stage or more specifically, out of the theater, as this could damage the soles and make them unusable for use on the stage.

5.     Have a resume and Headshot prepared, in case needed – Depending on the level of the organization or theater, a resume may not be necessary; many provide application forms.  Many websites provide tips for constructing resumes.  Until a performer has worked in a number of venues/shows, the resume would be quite simple anyway.  Auditioning at any theater on a regional level or above requires a professional headshot.  However, for more local productions, a simple photo taken in natural light, of shoulders and above will suffice.  The photo should be in color.

6.     Song choice is of optimal importance – Unless it is stipulated otherwise, never sing a song from the musical for which the audition is being held.  However, it is important to find a song, similar in period and style, which will allow the judges to envision the person auditioning in the part being auditioned for.  There are hundreds of musicals and thousands of songs, so it is actually relatively easy to locate songs that are reminiscent of others.  As an example, a person auditioning for the role of Little Orphan Annie in the musical, “Annie” (“Annie the musical”), could sing “My New Philosophy” from “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”, (“You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”), as the songs and their associated roles, are similar.

7.     BE ON TIME! – If this means leaving much earlier and reading in a parking lot, so be it.  A professional is considerate and respectful of the time and talents of others, and arrives prepared and on time.  A person who arrives late “due to traffic” or any other “excuse” has no excuse because it tells the casting director and everyone else auditioning that that person thinks his/her time and activities are more important than theirs.  Obviously, this is not a good impression to leave.  It is the performer’s responsibility to be on time, no matter what.  Of course, a performer might be forgiven if a natural disaster stroke but imagine how blown away people would be if the performer had had the forethought to arrive before the storm.  That’s demonstrates organization, careful planning, and that the candidate is serious about his/her commitment toward the production.

8.     Listen and be Respectful of others, especially those directing you – Listening attentively and respectfully should be understood.  However, it is understandable that when nerves/tensions are higher, there may be a tendency for some people to be more talkative and have shorter tempers.  Listening with attention and respect needs to be a discipline performers practice prior to the day of audition, so that it is easier to control emotions on those important days.  Performers will often lose castings when exhibiting poor listening skills, emotional outbursts, and/or being too talkative because it makes them appear headstrong, unpredictable, and possibly, difficult to work with.  There are conceivably situations where a director needs a more belligerent-type personality for a role but this would be stipulated in the casting notice.

9.     KNOW all lyrics/lines for sides/music cues/blocking – Having all lyrics, music cues, sides, and previous stage directions memorized is a sign of professionalism.  It, not only, demonstrates to judges and directors a serious commitment to the casting, but it allows them to provide better, more specific direction to you during time spent with them.  Depending on the level of the production, it may even be appropriate to know the lines/lyrics/blocking of other characters, in the event that someone else is not prepared.  Proving diligence, preparation, and the significance of the work to one of its producers/directors is always a positive trait for encouraging cast-ability, and it is certainly advancement over the opposite.

10.  Be confident and cheerful but leave petty ego at the door – This requires a balance of assurance, courage, and determination.  It is important to display strength and spirit regarding your talent and personality with courteous but calm interaction with the judging panel.  On her Singwise website, Karyn O’Connor says, “The judges will be looking for confidence but not cockiness, and friendliness but not inappropriateness or a lack of interpersonal boundaries.  Confidence in your own skills is necessary in order to succeed, on stage as a performer and to sell yourself to an audience.  Cockiness or arrogance, on the other hand, makes you difficult to work with or resistant to following direction, and they suggest that you are unwilling to learn and grow as an artist,” (http://www.singwise.com/).  Finding this balance is challenging but highly valuable.

11.  Don’t apologize – NEVER apologize.  Exceptions would be made only if a performer inadvertently causes physical harm to someone, such as mistakenly dropping the keyboard lid on an accompanist’s fingers or tripping another performer by mistake.  Obviously, these would be unusual situations.  In the normal course of an audition, however, forgetting a word, repeating a portion by mistake, or even “going up” (forgetting) on lyrics all-together; do not apologize.  The judges are looking at the person auditioning, not simply as a singing talent, but to see how that person responds to external stimuli, how that person reacts to making a mistake, how the person stands, and even how the person auditioning interacts with the accompanist or stage manager.  It is of paramount importance that performers NOT make excuses or appear out of control of their emotions or any aspect of their performance.

12.  Be familiar with the entire musical, if auditioning for a musical play – With the Internet as a ready resource, there is no excuse for any person to be unfamiliar with a particular play or musical.  Knowledge, even general familiarity, shows the judges professionalism, respect, and diligence.  It is even a good idea to be familiar with other, similar songs, especially those that portray similar emotions or have a comparable range, if auditioning for a musical show; judges may wish to hear a particular passage or see a specific attitude, and having a literacy of similar songs and shows, as well as a distinguishing knowledge of all the songs or scenes the character for which you are auditioning would need to know.  Knowledge is power, pure and simple.  The more you know, the more you will be able to do.

13.  If at all possible, never audition a cappella – Obviously, if an organization requires an a cappella audition, there is no way to avoid this.  However, this situation should be avoided at all costs normally.  Using a digital track or singing to live accompaniment shows judges a person can relate musically, which provides evidence that he/she is able to maintain pitch, tempo and rhythm, as well as understanding dynamics and coordination of vocal performance with instrumental accompaniment.  Conversely, singing a cappella makes it easier for pitch to wander and for the person auditioning to appear foolish, awkward, and even cacophonous.  Do whatever possible to present a favorable, professional impression.

14.  Have audition music correctly copied, marked with key and tempo directions, as well as arrangement notations – The goal of any person auditioning for anything and especially anything musical, is to present the best impression possible to the judging panel.  It is important to choose the best song, make certain to select the most effective portion of that song, and then, have the sheet music organized so that all key notifications, tempo and arrangement directions, and any other specifications, are clearly marked and identifiable.  Anything the person auditioning can do to make the audition music easier for his/her accompanist is positive; a solid accompaniment is a powerful and foundational part of any audition.

 Please contact me at my website or in the comments below.  I will gladly help you towards your dreams of a successful performance career.  Website:  SingitForward.net

Sing it Forward!