How can you have the best audition possible?
The Voice of the City vocal competition has seen some great vocalists over the last few years.
Each of our contestants prepare to do their best, not just for the prizes or to impress the judges, but to have a great performance and grow as an artist and performer.
Here are some things you can do to ensure your audition is a great performance!
During auditions, the judges are looking for:
Tonal Quality: Does the voice sound focused, clear, open, warm, mature?
Rhythm: Is the beat secure, and the rhythms accurate?
Notes & Pitch: Is the pitch consistently accurate?
Dynamics: Are the dynamic levels obvious, consistent, and matching the style of music?
Expression & Style: Is the song performed with creative nuance and style appropriate to
the music?
Always Choose Audition Songs Appropriate to Your Age & Life Experience
Just because you like a song doesn't make it a good song for you to sing in an audition.
In order to believably portray the character of a song, you have to relate to the content of
the lyrics on a personal level. You have to really understand what it means to be in this
situation. If we have learned anything from reading the judges' comments, it is that choosing
a song that you can relate to emotionally is extremely important. There are lots of people who can sing well - what will set you apart is your ability to communicate emotion.
Your Audition Songs Should Show Your Strengths First
When given a choice, always choose the best song you have to offer.
Choose an audition song that is within your comfortable singing range - this is not the time to stretch for a note, as blowing a note will almost certainly also blow your. The audition panel will expect you to show off the very best you have to offer, and this means performing a song that is well polished and well rehearsed.
Choose Audition Songs That Let You Be Yourself
Many singers have the tendency to try and copy the style of whoever sang the recorded version of their audition song. DON'T DO THAT! Pick a song that you can identify with, and use it to show your own personality and style, not someone else's. Make sure you practice with only the accompaniment - singing along with a recording will not help you develop your own style. Find characters that suit your personality here.
Choose the Best Audition Songs for You
Singers are always asking others for audition song suggestions. What makes a song right for you is your voice and personality, the two things that other people don't know as well as you do!
If you want a truly great audition song, you'll have to search for it yourself.
Accompaniment For Your Audition Songs
There are three choices when it comes to accompaniment.
Use a piano accompanist.
Sing a cappella.
Use recorded accompaniment.
Accompaniment will keep you on pitch, and will fill in the instrumental sections of the piece. Live accompaniment also best mimics how you would be performing in the show, and demonstrates how well you can work with an accompanist. However, using an accompanist requires you to have sheet music in the correct key, and you will need to practice singing with the accompaniment before the audition. While using pre-recorded accompaniment makes rehearsing easy, it limits your ability to make creative changes in dynamics and tempo. Singing a cappella should be done only when absolutely necessary.
Here are some other tips from Columbus Children's Choir alum Valerie Accetta Thalassinos.
And, if you want to build a resume, check out this performance resume template.
Most importantly, don't forget to have fun!
Break a leg!