7/28/2019 Selecting Songs

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Oten the call for a singingudition comes with only

ays or hours to prepare.

 At that point, it’s usually too late

to start trying to learn a new song.repara on s e ony way o

assure that performers give their 

es poss e emonsra on o sand talent, while looking posed

an se -assure . or over r y

ears, I’ve been helping singers

show themselves off to their bestpossible advantage at these nerve-

wracking rituals called “singing

auditions.”

Every performer requires a collec-

tion of songs that are ready to be

per orme a a momen s no ce.When selecting songs, age, gen-

er, an oo are mpera ve. en,

suitability to the audition must

be taken into account. I consider songs you sing much like the cloth-

ing you wear: it must fit correctly,

be ready to wear, and appropriateto the occasion.

The song may have to be sungacappe a w ou accompan-ment), with a tape or CD of ac-

companmen arao e-s ye , or 

with a live piano accompanist who

is playing the sheet music for thefirst time. Being prepared for all of 

these contingencies may make the

difference between a successfulaudition experience and one that

ou want to forget.

There are countless songs tochoose from when deciding what

to prepare for musical auditions.

Understandably, singers want to be

unique, and often feel that choos-ng an un nown pece w ep

them to stand out and be remem-

ere . a sn aways e case.

• e au oners ave never 

heard your song before, they

may concentrate on the songrather than the singer. They

should be concentrating on

ou and your dazzling perfor-

mance, not trying to figure outwhere the song is from. If you

do decide to sing something

unusua, m g e goo eato introduce the song before

ou egn.

• If the pianist is familiar withthe song, he or she will often

do a better job accompany-

ing you, and following your specific phrasing.

Vocal coach and author Davidrag use o say a ou on

have to be different to be good; be-

ng goo s eren enoug . a

doesn’t mean that every young

erformer must sing from Annie or 

Oliver! There are a multitude of 

song choices, many of them less

overdone but still part of the musi-cal theatre repertory.

1Do some homework at therary or on e n erne. o e

which Broadway shows or musical

ms a c ren n e cas an

what songs they sang.

2Carefully study the lyrics of any

song you are considering for 

auditions. Do the words requireexperience beyond the performer’s

age? In other words, should anychild sing “Memory” from Cats

3 Attend classes, workshops,

an semnars w ere you can

hear songs that others are sing-ng. eep noes, an as a coac

or teacher about working on songs

ou like.

4Watch talent competitions,

showcases, and pageants. You

don’t necessarily want to copy

someone else’s performance, butou can earn a o y wac ng

both the successful and unsuc-

cess u perormances. ry o

objectively analyze what makes aperormance wor .

5Have at least one “up tempo”

(bright) and one “ballad” (slow)in your collection of songs. Make

sure that the sheet music is in your key, and clearly marked for thepianist. If the printed music is not in

our optimal key, have it written out

y a qua e pro essona so a

an accompanist will be able to doe e s o p oss e.

6If you sing in both “head” voice

(high) and “belt” voice (low),have songs that show each range.

One song probably won’t show

both voices equally.

7Have practice tapes or CDma e o w an w ou

elody line. The melody line w

e p you earn e song, u w

ou’re at an audition you havee prepare o sng w ony

accompaniment. If this sounds

fusing, ask your coach or teac

to demonstrate the difference

Ultimately, the best song to sinat an audition is one that fits yand that you’re totally comfort

with. Even if you’re a “quick st

a song recen y memorze w

not look or sound as natural aece a as een one ov

long period of time. An experie

coach or teacher is an importa

asset, but don’t wait until the linute to get ready. Rememb

“Failing to prepare is preparin

fail!” 

SelectingSongs for an

  AuditionBy Robert Marks

Points to consider when building your audition repertoire