Sunday evening musings...
After many consultations over the last few weeks, with Music Theatre Singers and their audition books, there is a great deal of confusion out there...
I wanted to address some of the issues that seem to be quite common, and that can perhaps make a difference in a positive way in your audition process!
Let's assume you can actually sing (!), that you actually have craft and technique and are using your voice well...(a large assumption at times in MT sadly, but for the purposes of the blog...)
Why are you confusing your audition?
Too many of you are deciding on your repertoire as you WALK IN THE ROOM!!!!
PLEASE DO NOT DO THAT!!! Why? You bring that confusion into the room.
The panel is too busy to riddle out confusion. Even if they are creative or imaginative, (!), they do not have TIME to do it. If you are are not SECURE, they will not be. You will be dismissed. End of discussion.
YOU ARE IN CONTROL and you MUST make a clear decision about what goes into that room with you!!
What type are you evoking? You MUST make that decision before you leave your apartment!!! Why? BECAUSE WE SEE YOU FIRST!!! Your type must be OBVIOUS not subtle. If you can't answer that question, if asked, or you hesitate, then you aren't secure in it, and that confusion is being projected.
PROJECT YOUR TYPE. CLAIM IT. It can change!!!! Just know WHAT YOU ARE LEADING WITH so your energy and your look evokes it. Choose your repertoire to take that projection further so there is NO DOUBT in the panel's mind why you are there!!
Look and presentation of material has to match. If it doesn't, it causes confusion. Confusion is not clear and therefore you will be dismissed. You will be in "that" pile of resumes/head shots! The "not ready"/"no callback" pile.
You do NOT need to be EXACTLY like your head shot - and in fact, a little diversity to show your range from head shot to actual person can be great if you have that diversity. Make sure that head shot shows your true type so what you present is truly representative of YOU!
If you have range, you do not need to exude the same type at each audition - but you need to know WHAT to exude and HOW to do it!! If you don't know, neither will they - NEXT!!!!
DECIDE, COMMAND, DO IT! Get creative with it - if you are an artist, you should be able to do that right?! Create the type as specifically as you can with each audition. MAKE A DECISION.
"Ingenue" or "Leading Lady" is only the beginning...based on the audition, get specific! If you are an "ingenue" are you projecting a "young Drew Barrymore type meets Kristin Chenoweth type"? or are you projecting something else?
EVERY audition needs specificity!!!!
ONLY YOU can create that specificity!
The more specific you become with what YOU can create, the more successful that audition will become! If you aren't confused, you will not project confusion. YOU ARE IN CONTROL OF THIS! You can't control what the panel is looking for or why, but you DO have control to make your reason for being there VERY CLEAR.
If YOU know what you are projecting, you will bring more confidence and clarity into that audition space.
THIS is up to you. If you aren't confused, you are in control.
(Oh, and leave the flip flops in your bag - I wanna see REAL SHOES in that audition too!!! girls AND guys!)
If you are confused, you are confusing others. Clear up the confusion with yourself and others will begin to LISTEN!
A callback perhaps? Maybe a job?!?!?
GO GET IT!
After many consultations over the last few weeks, with Music Theatre Singers and their audition books, there is a great deal of confusion out there...
I wanted to address some of the issues that seem to be quite common, and that can perhaps make a difference in a positive way in your audition process!
Let's assume you can actually sing (!), that you actually have craft and technique and are using your voice well...(a large assumption at times in MT sadly, but for the purposes of the blog...)
Why are you confusing your audition?
Too many of you are deciding on your repertoire as you WALK IN THE ROOM!!!!
PLEASE DO NOT DO THAT!!! Why? You bring that confusion into the room.
The panel is too busy to riddle out confusion. Even if they are creative or imaginative, (!), they do not have TIME to do it. If you are are not SECURE, they will not be. You will be dismissed. End of discussion.
YOU ARE IN CONTROL and you MUST make a clear decision about what goes into that room with you!!
What type are you evoking? You MUST make that decision before you leave your apartment!!! Why? BECAUSE WE SEE YOU FIRST!!! Your type must be OBVIOUS not subtle. If you can't answer that question, if asked, or you hesitate, then you aren't secure in it, and that confusion is being projected.
PROJECT YOUR TYPE. CLAIM IT. It can change!!!! Just know WHAT YOU ARE LEADING WITH so your energy and your look evokes it. Choose your repertoire to take that projection further so there is NO DOUBT in the panel's mind why you are there!!
Look and presentation of material has to match. If it doesn't, it causes confusion. Confusion is not clear and therefore you will be dismissed. You will be in "that" pile of resumes/head shots! The "not ready"/"no callback" pile.
You do NOT need to be EXACTLY like your head shot - and in fact, a little diversity to show your range from head shot to actual person can be great if you have that diversity. Make sure that head shot shows your true type so what you present is truly representative of YOU!
If you have range, you do not need to exude the same type at each audition - but you need to know WHAT to exude and HOW to do it!! If you don't know, neither will they - NEXT!!!!
DECIDE, COMMAND, DO IT! Get creative with it - if you are an artist, you should be able to do that right?! Create the type as specifically as you can with each audition. MAKE A DECISION.
"Ingenue" or "Leading Lady" is only the beginning...based on the audition, get specific! If you are an "ingenue" are you projecting a "young Drew Barrymore type meets Kristin Chenoweth type"? or are you projecting something else?
EVERY audition needs specificity!!!!
ONLY YOU can create that specificity!
The more specific you become with what YOU can create, the more successful that audition will become! If you aren't confused, you will not project confusion. YOU ARE IN CONTROL OF THIS! You can't control what the panel is looking for or why, but you DO have control to make your reason for being there VERY CLEAR.
If YOU know what you are projecting, you will bring more confidence and clarity into that audition space.
THIS is up to you. If you aren't confused, you are in control.
(Oh, and leave the flip flops in your bag - I wanna see REAL SHOES in that audition too!!! girls AND guys!)
If you are confused, you are confusing others. Clear up the confusion with yourself and others will begin to LISTEN!
A callback perhaps? Maybe a job?!?!?
GO GET IT!
Eine frage: If one is auditioning for an established show I've always heard DO NOT sing from the show. Every time I have broken that rule I have been cast. Do you have a rule of thumb for this?
ReplyDeleteThere are variables...if the call says "do NOT sing from the show" - then don't. If you are really wanting a certain role and it doesn't say you CAN'T then prepare something from the show AND something else - offer both and let them choose what they want to hear!
ReplyDelete