Audition Preparation For Singers by Josh Spink

Feb 25

View from the back of red velvet theater seats facing a gold and red curtain. — Photo by Paolo Chiabrando on Unsplash

I’ve been lucky. During my life as a professional singer, I’ve only had to audition twice — both times for college music programs. I had no idea how to prepare. I just walked in, sang a song, answered a few questions, and walked out again.

But both of those experiences are deeply etched in my memory. The bright, institutional overhead lights. The long beige folding table with three faculty members sitting behind it, looking up at me expectantly. My heart beating hard in my chest. My trembling knees hidden by my 80s acid-washed jeans.

In spite of my shaky voice and lack of confidence, I was accepted into both programs. Somehow, I managed to avoid auditioning ever again.

But for many singers, it’s an important skill to have. Knowing what to expect and how to prepare can make all the difference — not only in how well you perform but in the kind of experience you have and remember.

Enter guest blogger Josh Spink. Josh is a classical singer and writer. He’s had to audition —a LOT. So I asked him what advice he would give to singers who have upcoming auditions and could use some help.

I love what he’s written, and know you will too! — Valerie

I think there is one fact that all singers, artists, dancers, and actors alike can agree on: auditions are hell.

It is a cruel irony that we need to audition in order to work as singers when auditions are when we are most nervous! I can’t count the amount of times I had a terrible audition and thought to myself “if only they could hear how I sing normally”. There is a belief among singers that we can’t do anything about this fact: auditioning sucks and that’s it.

Well, I’m here to tell you that that doesn’t have to be the case. There are some habits you can incorporate that will help you to consistently have great auditions, control the nerves, and even enjoy auditioning - as crazy as that sounds! So let’s get to it.

Audition preparation before the big day

In my experience, the absolute best way to combat nerves is to be well prepared. Audition prep starts long before you audition, or even before you hear about an audition. What do I mean by this?

Staging fake auditions

One of the big reasons that auditioning is so uncomfortable is because it is a foreign and unfamiliar experience to us. In this post about performance focus, I talk about creating mock audition scenarios before we audition. This helps us to become really comfortable in an audition setting. Singing in auditions and singing regularly both feel completely different. We need to get used to the feeling of auditioning.

If you have family or roommates that you live with, ask them if you can ‘audition’ for them. Recording yourself is also a great practice. Whatever you do, make sure you treat it like a real audition - that means no starting again if you make a mistake. You could even take it to the next level and put on your audition outfit. The more you can do to get into the audition mindset, the better.

Practice concentration

Anxiety hits in auditions when we start to think about the future or the past. This could be in the form of “that note sounded terrible!” (past) or “the hard part is coming up now” (future). For successful auditions, we need to be in the present.

It is almost impossible to focus your mind while auditioning if you are not used to focusing in day-to-day life.

Practice concentration every day - eg. while you are walking to the market or washing the dishes. Do your best to focus on the action you are carrying out. I do this by bringing my attention back to my senses. What am I seeing, feeling, hearing? The more you practice concentration, the easier it will become.

When you are singing, focus your attention on the words and the meaning in the song. During breaks between sections or songs, keep your focus on your breath so that your mind doesn’t have a chance to run away to the past or the future.

Do your audition research

If you are auditioning for a specific role, researching the character and the show will really help you to feel more confident when you audition and to deliver a more informed and relevant performance. Research should start as soon as you hear about a new audition. You should also dress the part. I’ll talk more about this in a second.

Showcase your strongest qualities first

If you have a particular talent, for example, if you can sing high or you are a good actor, it is really important that you show off these skills first in your audition. Auditions are all about first impressions. More often than not you can choose the first piece you sing, even if there is a set audition song. But let’s get more specific than that.

Panels often won’t hear a whole song, especially if there are lots of applicants. It is not uncommon for them to just ask for 16 bars of music in musical theatre auditions. In this case, is it no use singing a ‘slow builder’ that has a climax at the very end. If they are only hearing 16 bars of music - start at the climax!

Audition prep on the day

Be fresh and well-rested

It is so important that you are feeling rested when you are auditioning. Try not to fall victim to cheap bus or train tickets that leave very early in the morning. No matter what you tell yourself, it is just not possible to get quality sleep on public transport. Believe me I’ve tried!

Consider booking overnight accommodation if your audition is far away. Think of this as an investment. You will perform much better after a good night’s sleep and be more likely to get the job.

Dress up for the audition

Being smart, groomed, and well-dressed makes a good impression before you even sing a note.

It is also a great idea to dress in an appropriate way for the character you are auditioning for. For example, I have often auditioned as a character tenor. This type of tenor normally plays the servant or the sidekick. Therefore, to present more as a servant character I would wear a waistcoat and tie but no jacket. Dressing the part always goes down well and gives you an extra edge in the audition room.

Organize and clearly mark your music

You often won’t have a chance to rehearse with the pianist before you audition. If you sing a single note or dynamic differently from how it is printed in the music, you need to write it down. It doesn’t matter whether the song is famous and is always sung a specific way. Don’t assume the pianist will know anything.

Do the superhero pose - perhaps the best type of audition preparation!

This famous Ted Talk by a woman called Amy Cuddy talks about the power of body language. It has been proven that just standing in a confident way before you audition leads to improved performance. Give it a try!

Even with all the audition preparation in the world…

The truth is that we can do all possible preparation for an audition (and we should) but at the end of the day, sometimes it will go our way, and sometimes it won’t. Even if you audition perfectly, you might just not be what the panel is looking for.

One of the best things we can do as singers is develop a thick skin and not take audition feedback too personally - it is just part of the gig! This fact actually allows us to enjoy the practice of auditioning much more. Since we don’t know what the outcome will be, we may as well appreciate the process and remember why we are auditioning in the first place - because we love to sing!