What about YOU?

Saturday musings...

This audition season for music theatre and opera performers has been what many of you are referring to "the hunger games".

It has left so many of you exhausted, frustrated, angry, defeated, sad, and second-guessing what you are doing.

It breaks my heart.  I see your commitment,  your struggle,  your desire,  your drive...

Yes, there is much that is wrong with the system.  There are flaws in every aspect of the business.  We have little control over that, and must watch it hit critical mass before it changes,  IF it changes.

But, more importantly, what about YOU?

You the performer;  you the artist;  you the human being.

What have you done for YOU during this hunger games season?

When you feel depressed, sad, exhausted, wondering, what do you DO?

If you are a performer wanting a career,  that focus can be exhausting if you actually ignore YOU.  Now you might say,  but Susan, I am studying and taking lessons and classes and going to seminars and intensives and and and...

Okay...but I ask again,  what about YOU?

Does auditioning give you joy?  Does spending all that money on application fees make you warm and fuzzy?

These are the necessary evils to become viable in the business...this is NOT YOU.

Remember when just stretching your body and making sounds and singing gave you JOY?

What is your goal?  Yes, working and being paid for your work is a goal;  Having reliable craft is a goal;  Sustainability in your work is a goal.

What about nurturing yourself THROUGH your voice?

What made you love to sing in the first place?  Do you remember?

How did it make you FEEL?

Listen,  I am goal-oriented as the next type A personality! I get it.  However, pursuing, and working toward something, and focusing - all good things - can sometimes exhaust us.  It is outside of us, and we forget what brought us to this aspiration in the first place.

Who inspired you?

Who believed in you?

Who inspires you now?  Who believes in you now?

Do YOU inspire you?  Do YOU believe in you?

How does it FEEL to take a singing breath?  To just sing because,  oh I don't know...YOU LOVE IT.

What happens when you let all that pursuit release for a few minutes and just come to a song BECAUSE YOU WANT TO;  because you love it;  because you love how it makes you FEEL. 

Nothing more,  nothing less.  Just how it FEELS.

The depletion we feel during and after a hard audition season where we must focus on the DOING to get seen to be called back to have a chance to be hired,  can not just fatigue us;  it can get in the way of us remembering WHY we do the actual singing;  the actual acting;  the actual dancing.

If you can find the joy again and re-discover and re-commitment to the JOY we experience with no value judgement and no pressure, then perhaps there's a chance to be still enough to recuperate from the fatigue.

Maybe, just maybe,  we change our focus to ourselves in the truest form, and our artistry and commitment to the nurturing of self reveals more truths and allows us to TRUST again. 

Perhaps,  finding that space for self will allow for a still moment to release and discover why  it feels GOOD to sing;  why we wanted to in the first place!

Feeling, and letting all the real and positive and beautifully overwhelming feelings envelop us might be EXACTLY what each of us needs right now.

I dare you to nurture YOU.  Shift your focus just a little bit inward and trust it won't betray you.

I dare myself the same thing.

The Audition is About YOU!

Sunday musings...

Auditioning has come up again and again - of course.

Some of you freeze, some of you hate it, some of you love it,  most of us view it as a necessary evil.

So, what is it? REALLY?

Guess what? It's about you.

It's about you doing your research on the company, the casting director, the artistic director, the "who's who" in the room;

It's about you doing your work on your voice and your repertoire that you are going to audition with;

It's about you doing your research to understand what you are actually auditioning for and what the requirements might be;

It's about you figuring out what flatters you physically, because we see you first;

It's about you figuring out how you walk into the room;

It's about you knowing how you come across honestly;

It's about you learning how to reveal only what is necessary;

It's about you being comfortable in your own skin,  in your own preparation,  in your own time, and being okay with that;

It's about YOU.

Thinking about THEM simply takes you out of the game.

What are you there to do?  Are you prepared to do that?  What have you done to get you there?  Are you present in that knowledge and that commitment?  

There are no apologies, no "yeah, buts",  no self-sabotages, no over-revealing, no over-sharing,  no extras. 

Auditioning is like a job interview, yes.  Even more intimately,  auditioning is like a first date.  If it's not a blind date,  you have done your research.  If it feels like it might be a good match for you,  you are simply focused on getting a second date!

Revealing too much on that first date can make them suddenly have an emergency and leave; or simply not call you again.  Be aware of what you are revealing.  DECIDE on that.  Nobody needs to know everything on a first date.  The panel doesn't have to see all of it at an audition.

They need to see just enough to be intrigued enough to say "hmmm, let's call her/him back."

Write your audition script,  but be prepared to stay present enough to improvise when needed.  Don't sabotage your script.

I often do workshops on the authenticity of auditioning.  Something as seemingly frivolous as knowing what foot you used to step into the room with allows you to remain present and focused.  You'd be amazed at how many of us are already over at the piano before we walk into the room! Literally!

Nerves are nasty things sometimes.  However, I have learned to look at nervous energy as a sign that SOMETHING IS IMPORTANT TO YOU.  So hone the nerves.  Focus them.  What do you want to focus them for?  What can you focus them away from?

Know what happens when you aren't present and the nerves take over:  do you laugh?  Do you talk too quickly?  Does your speaking voice get higher?  Do you walk too quickly? Do you "snap" your answers?

We have to practice the audition to actually stay present in it when it happens.

Do it in front on the mirror.  Do it with friends you trust.

Be aware of how you come across, and if you don't know, ask someone you trust.

If it's important to you,  you have to find out what happens and how you come across.

It's all about you.  Make it count TOWARD getting that call back or that possibility!

Be prepared.
Be focused.
Be serious about the work,  and not take yourself so seriously.
Do the research, including the research on yourself.

Write the script.  Play the script.  Know your actions, and your decisions and your motivations.

Know who that person is who walks into the room.  Know that person intimately.  Know how to play that person.  Know how that person responds, and reacts.  Know what you that person will reveal and nothing more.

Make it about you.  HONESTLY, AUTHENTICALLY, YOU.

A first time Master Class Collaboration in NYC!

I am thrilled to announce that Chuck Hudson, Stage Director and Master Teacher will be joining me and together we are offering a Collaborative Master Class for Opera Auditioning in March in NYC!

Here is the link to find out details:
http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=0e10ca677256a28338c9cdabf&id=e42938ec53

This will be open to only 6 singers to participate but we are also accepting auditors to observe and take in the class.

Please go to the link for more info and then email me susaneichhornstudio@gmail.com if you have questions or queries.


Hope to see you in March!

A NOVEMBER SPECIAL IN THE NYC STUDIO!

If you read the blog,  and live in the NYC area or are going to be in NYC during November...

The studio is offering a CONSULTATION SPECIAL.

This is an hour work session that will evaluate where you are vocally,  what you need next and how to go about it;  we will evaluate what is in that audition book - what is serving you well,  what needs tweaking,  and what you might want to re-think.  I will also offer some repertoire suggestions!

Interested?

This CONSULTATION SPECIAL is $30 OFF my regular hourly fee.

This is for singers who have NEVER been into the studio to consult or work with me.

Is this you?

Are you interested?

Email me  HERE,  and attach your head shot and resume  and I will send you more information and how to book a session!