Audition Tips Series – Part 1

How Do I Prepare for An Audition?

As a performer, it’s important to be able to audition well and it’s something you will do pretty frequently. In any genre that you play or sing in, it’s important to be well prepared.

Here are some key tips on how to prepare for an audition:

Preparing Music

• Be sure to select music that you know well.
• Have it memorized with rhythm, notes, and understanding the context of the pieces you’ve prepared.
• Have enough of a variety for a panel of the judges to select one or two options for you to perform.
• Have a least 3 to 4 selections of repertoire ready for your audition.

Dress professionally

• Depending on what you are auditioning for, be it a part in a music, opera or an orchestral audition, you want to dress to impress while showing your personality at the same time.
• There’s some variety in dressing professionally, depending on the audition setting, but it’s key to dress as professional as you see fit.
• Be sure you dress as your best, but dress comfortably too!
• Business attire, such as a nice suite, dress shirt, blouse and slacks or a nice dress will work in most situations. (I will blog more about particular audition attire in later articles.)

Show Up Early

There’s the important phrase you might have heard, “To be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late, to be late is to be forgotten.” (or to be late is unacceptable). It’s especially true when it comes to auditions.

Many companies or organizations may ask you to come at a certain time before your audition time as a way to keep the audition schedule moving timely, therefore, it’s important to be on time, but early is even better!

You want to give yourself plenty of time, to run through your music, warm up, use the restroom, find the check-in registration (if applicable) and get a drink of water. Give yourself the extra time in preparing- you worked hard to get a call for this audition, so it’s important to prepare well to your best ability.

Warmup Well In Enough Time

• Use all the warmup exercises that you know well.
• How much time you will need to warm up may vary, but warm for at least 15-20 minutes before your audition time. That’s why it’s important to show up early!
• Warm up the lower part of your range up to the highest part of your range as well as your middle range. Your entire range is key in having a successful audition!

Important Tip! Remember to breathe and if you get nervous, it’s perfectly natural to feel nervous, it shows that you care about the audition and you want to do well!

Sleep, Stay Hydrated & Eat Well

This general tip is certainly applicable in many other situations, but it’s especially true in auditions! Having these 3 things will help you have a better audition.

• Get plenty of sleep of at least 7-8 hours per night.
• Stay hydrated with water daily, water is good for you!
• Try and plenty of healthy and nutritious goods.
• Be sure to also eat what feels good to you and your body.

Here’s a helpful article on what to do and what not to do in auditions.

These are just general tips for preparing for an audition, as far as genre specific auditions, it is similar preparation process, but there may be more details in terms of music, the types of judges you will audition for, where the audition is located and what exactly is the audition for. I hope these tips are help to prepare any performer!

In my next blog, I will talk more specifics on how to prepare for an opera audition, so it will refer to singing auditions. Did you find this blog helpful? Comment below and subscribe to my blogs! Please share my blogs to your friends and family/ Let me know in the comment what other audition tips you can share. Thank you for reading my blog!

Photo by Joshua Hanson on Unsplash