#13: Dear Julie - 16/32 bars? HELP

7/17/24

Today’s DEAR JULIE from Instagram:

“DEAR JULIE, I’m new to NYC auditions and I’m hearing everyone say that 16 or 32 bars are not the standard for audition songs. I was taught to count my measures and to never exceed. People are saying that I should focus on time and NOT measures? My professors STRESSED the measure count! HELP!”

OH I GOT YOU. 
First, get your money back from your college. 

JK. But definitely tell your professors they are totally out of touch with the standard for auditioning in NYC. Seriously, email them now.

The 8/16/32 bar “CUT” is a good place to start. A lot of classic songs fit this mold. Verse & chorus. Or bridge and chorus. Unfortunately, songs simply aren’t written in this structure much any longer. Plus, I can name a hundred songs where 16 bars can take 90 seconds and a hundred songs where 32 bars can take 30 seconds.

What are we do to? 

FOCUS ON TIME. 

You can control tempo, so you can control time. 

16 bars = 30-45 seconds at the most

32 bars = up to 1:15 at the most

Ideally, aim for cuts that are about 60 seconds and within that, a shorter cut JUST in case it is asked of you (the dreaded EIGHT BAR announcement). 

This is true even if the posting says “prepare a short song” - for a lot of EPAs you may see this language. This does not mean a full song that happens to be short - like 2 minutes lol. This means keep it to 60-75 seconds. 

NON-UNION members or anyone attending a true open (equity & nonequity are all welcome with no priority based on union status)  - ALWAYS be ready to quickly move to 8 bars (15-20 seconds of singing… i’m not kidding… “as long as he neeeeeeeeeeeds meeeeeeee” THANK YOU!)

Things change quickly but we’ve been talking about TIME, not bars, for at least 12 years in NYC auditions. PROFESSORS - you need to change your language asap. Don’t be out of touch!

Dreams Don’t Die 

Julie