And so begins my musings and ramblings about auditions … and the first rule: read carefully and follow all instructions on the audition notice.
If the notice says to prepare 16 bars of a song. Then pick 16 bars; not 28 or 32 bars – and certainly not an entire song. Assume that you will be cut off at 16 bars. You might be pleasantly surprised if the auditioners ask you to continue … but don’t count on it.
And pick the best part of the song that shows your personality, range, etc. For some songs, the “money part” might be the last section of the final chorus – where the melody soars into sustained phrases and dramatic moments. I am willing to bet, however, that the best part of the song is NOT the very beginning.
If the notice says to bring in sheet music, then bring in the piano music for the song. Do not bring in a libretto that only has the melody line. What do you expect an accompanist to do with that? Honestly, do you want the pianist to just pull an accompaniment out of thin air?
Oh – and when the notice says to bring in music it’s a good idea to … well … bring in some music. Singing an a-capella version of “Happy Birthday” isn’t wise. And don’t be surprised, if this is the case, that the auditioners simply tell you “no.”
Make sure you understand the difference between ‘up tempo’ and ‘ballad.’ The former tends to be played and sung faster and with more energy than the latter. If the notice asks for an up tempo song, then that’s the style you should prepare.
Pay close attention to whether or not you can prepare a song from the show for which you are auditioning. If the notice says not to, then don’t even think about preparing a song from the show.
Lastly, if you are not sure what they’re asking for then ask them.
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