#72: We haven't a thing to fear
Tuesday 10/8/24
It’s been a minute since I gave you all a LIST. I’m in a LIST mood. Here is a LIST.
Musical theatre is a combination of voice and acting talent. Here is a list of 10 tips to help you impress an audition panel!
1. Pick songs that match your essence, world view, or your personal POV.
If you have a unique POV with a song and you think it could work? Take the risk! You are creative and understand your talent more than any other person alive.
2. Learn the notes.
Rehearse your song every day, even if it means singing it over and over in the car when you aren’t able to meet with an accompanist. The more you know your song, the more you can make it your own. If you’re familiar with the notes and the tempo of the music, you’ll be more likely to add little adjustments that reflect your personal singing style. You can only PLAY when you are totally confident in what is first on the page
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3. Sometimes it’s ok just to stand and tell the story.
Because musical theatre involves acting, you need to be able to sell the character as well as the song. Your character has motivation. What movements would your character make in relation to what they’re singing? Make specific choices and rehearse them like you would for an acting performance.
4. Don’t WAIT to act
So often actors start an audition from a safe space. It take them 10-15 seconds to “get into” it. You simply don’t have that kind of time! You must act the second after you nod to the pianist to begin.
5. LOVE telling the story.
As mentioned above, since directors can tell when you connect with the character; they’ll also be able to see when you LOVE your material. If you enjoy performing your number, you’ll want to do it more, which means wanting to rehearse it more. If you rehearse more, you’ll be more prepared. So find songs you love. You’ll feel great before, during, and after your audition.
6. Rehearse with a live accompanist.
This is a top tier best practice. Yes, it will cost money. But this is a cost of doing business! Bring your songs to an accompanist friend for an hour and sing through alllll your cuts. Record the session. It is so critical that you can HEAR what the piano will actually play. A skilled accompanist can also give you ideas on marking sections or editing sheet music if needed.
7. Take care of your voice.
Nothing is worse than having a damaged voice or no voice on the day of your big audition. Take care of your voice always, but especially the week before your audition. Get enough rest, avoid using the two extremes of your vocal range (screaming and whispering), steaming (and not speaking after for at least 15 minutes), and slowly warm up your voice on a day to day basis. These activities will help you keep your voice healthy and audition ready.
8. If you look good, you’ll feel good.
The days of business casual or jewel tone dresses are far behind us. The general consensus is that you can wear what you want - casual or not. I just believe you have to feel good in whatever you’ve picked to wear. Make sure you won’t get wrinkly… or bring a handheld steamer!
9. Don’t rush the last moment after the song.
Take a moment as the character to come out of the song. Don’t stop acting because you are done singing but there are 2 bars of an outro. A rushed moment is a missed opportunity for your character and your audition—because you’ll never get that moment back. Remember to stay in character during the beat after the song has ended.
10. Set it and forget it.
Once you walk out of the room, no matter how your audition went, identify the positives. Think about it for the next few hours and then you must figure out how to stop thinking about it. You have ot move on because if “whats meant for you will not pass you” is good code for “move on with your day/week/month. You’ll hear if you are supposed to hear”.
Dreams Don’t Die
Julie