You got asked to audition, now the real pressure is on. Time to prepare not only your song, but also your strategy to audition effectively.
Before You Arrive
Calm any anxiety and get pumped up to perform by following
these pointers before the audition.
Be Fully Warmed Up
At most singing auditions you’re not going to have the time
or ability to do any vocal warm up exercises, so it is imperative that you be
fully warmed up before you walk into the door of the audition waiting room.
Most auditions don’t allow vocalizing due to the sheer number of voices that would
create an unmanageable volume control problem.
Cattle call auditions for a TV show appearance can be a particular
challenge because you’ll be competing against hundreds of other singers, meaning
that you may be waiting several hours in line before you even get back to the
judges.
These types of auditions rarely allow for vocalizing. Ensure you’ve really taken advantage of any time you can to do your hums, scales and
other exercise before you get to a point where you must be quiet.
What to Eat and Drink Before the Audition
What you eat and drink before the audition can make or break
your success. Never drink or eat dairy products less than an hour before you
perform to avoid building excess phlegm, and additionally avoid large
quantities of citrus juice drinks.
Always bring a couple of bottles of cool
water with you.
Try to eat a very light meal and do not over eat. Foods like
salads, broth-based soups, fresh fruits and vegetables are great choices that
will not weigh your stomach down and will digest quickly.
Avoid heavy foods
like steaks and pastas.
Dress for Success
Always dress the part for whatever you’re auditioning for
whether it’s as a band singer, musical theater actor, cruise ship singer or a TV
show contestant like on America’s Got Talent.
When you audition you want the
judges to be able to visualize you performing and not just basing the audition
on singing abilities.
At the same time that you want to look your best, also make
sure that the clothing and shoes you select are comfortable and don’t require a
lot of management to keep looking good.
The last thing you want is shoes that
pinch your feet or an article of clothing that fits so uncomfortably or moves
around so much that it distracts you from your singing.
At the Audition
Capture the judges attention
with these tips.
How to Introduce Yourself
Many auditions will be recorded either on video or audio for
the judges to review when selecting the final candidate. This introduction is
also called slating your name.
How you slate yourself will set the tone for how you are perceived. A
weak slate may leave judges feeling less than enthused even if you give a
decent performance. A strong slate
paired with a good performance can make the judges feel that you will be
confident and a true star.
When you slate your name, do it with a confident, positive
and excited tone. Consider putting an emphasis on your last name, or do some
sort of word play.
For instance I slate my name by saying “my name is
Rage.” I smile very large and pause about one second to create slight
tension, then I raise my eyebrows and state very emphatically “Christine
Rage.”
The judges hear “Rage” and it catches their attention
every time, then my dramatic pause followed up with my full name creates a
memorable slate.
Find a way to slate your name that goes beyond just saying
“my name is [first name] [last name]” by using a unique way to state
it both in structure and in emphasis.
No Apologies Attitude
Everyone makes mistakes, to crack slightly or sing a wrong
lyric is as human as erring. If you mess up, don’t call any attention to it,
just keep going.
The chances are the judges won’t notice if it’s not a major
mistake, but if they do, the last thing you want to do is to come off as
unconfident.
Walk in with a rock star attitude and do not break out of
character. Ever.
Exiting the Audition
Auditions often feel like a whirlwind that went by too fast.
No matter what you do, don’t break the momentum of the audition by asking lots
of questions or trying to showcase more than the judges ask you to.
Anxiety can
make you act in ways that can jeopardize your chances, so make sure to keep
yourself in check and do only what is asked of you.
There are very few questions if any that you should ask of
your judges no matter what type of audition it is. Questions make you appear
unprofessional.
As they say in Hollywood, don’t call them, they will call you
if they are interested. Then when you do get the call back, you can pose all of
your questions at that time.
Your main concern is to walk into the audition
room promptly, slate your name emphatically, sing your piece, then thank the
judges for their time and exit promptly.
What to Expect After the Audition
Knowing how to conduct yourself after your audition is as
important as preparing for it. Follow these tips to ensure you’ll get the right
gig for you.
Waiting On the Call Back
There is no standard length of time to expect a call back,
and since you don’t really want to ask how long it takes to hear from the
judges you are going to be left with no real answer to how long you will have
to wait.
In some cases you might get called back later the same day you
auditioned, or it could be a few months down the road if it’s for a cruise gig
for example.
The best way to alleviate anxiety is by not counting on
getting a call at all.
If you didn’t get the singing gig you will likely not
hear back from the judges as they won’t have the time to call back every one
who wasn’t accepted.
Following Up
Following up on an audition is generally not recommended. You
could, on the day of the audition, send an email or note thanking the judges for
the opportunity to audition, but whether such a thank you will be seen and
appreciated is unknown, though it seems hardly to be an obtrusive way to follow
up.
Outside of such a gesture, calling the judges to follow up would likely
result in you not getting the gig as it may be seen as unprofessional. Your
best bet is to simply keep tabs on the opportunity and see if an announcement
is made of the new singer.
Re-auditioning
Re-auditioning is rarely out of the question. I have
personally never known of any band, cruise ship, musical theater or talent TV
show like The Voice that wouldn’t allow you to re-audition at a later time.
In
fact, persistence can be seen as a positive. As the saying goes if at first
you don’t succeed, try, try again.
Don’t Focus on One Audition
No matter how badly you want a certain singing gig, don’t
get so overly focused on the audition that you put off other opportunities.
Keep
going out and auditioning over and over. You might land a gig that is even more
perfect for you than you could have imagined.
Practice Audition Regularly
Auditioning in itself is a skill beyond performing the
actual gig you are trying out for. Keep auditioning at other opportunities even
if you do get the gig you went for.
Consider auditioning for opportunities you
don’t want as well, because every audition is a perfect place to practice keeping
your auditioning skills fresh and effective.
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