SELECTING THE PERFECT AUDITION SONG

You’ve probably been to hundreds of auditions where you are asked to sing 16 bars of a personal song selection.  Many of you have a couple of go-to ballads, up-tempo and pop songs ready to be pulled out of your back pocket depending on what you are auditioning for.

Do you sometimes wonder if your song selection is costing you the job?  Curious if you are selecting the right songs for your voice? Or, maybe you’re just ready to freshen up your audition song repertoire?

Here are a few tips to choosing that perfect audition song --- the right song for your voice and for the gig you want!

DO YOUR HOMEWORK

You only have a short amount of time to show the director/choreographer your “chops” – so don’t be shy!  Look for songs that show your range right out of the gate.   Go for songs that are well known so people relate to them, but not overused so you will stand out in your audition.

Take the time to research songs that are in the style of your audition.  Is it a 60s show?  Then maybe a song choice from Mamma Mia would serve you well. 

CUSTOMIZE

Once you think you have found the right song for you and your audition, try freshening it up to make it unique.  Turn a country song into a pop song, or put a female touch on a song originally recorded by a man.  Determine the right key for your voice, play with the phrasing and make it your own.

PRACTICE

Although this may be an obvious tip, many of us forget to practice our audition songs in the right way.  Do you know the song well enough to sing a cappella?  To find out, practice your song with and without accompaniment.  How are you going to present your song?  Work through it in front of a mirror, camcorder or your own audience.  You never know what time of day you will have to sing your song, or in what condition you will be in once you are finally able to be seen at an audition – you may be hungry, tired or nervous.  Try practicing and fine-tuning your audition song when you first wake up, mid-day and when you are exhausted at the end of the day. 

Regardless of the conditions, if you spend a little extra time trying to find the right audition song, customize it to fit your personality and practice it in various environments, you will ensure that you will deliver the best performance you can – and hopefully book your next job!

Click here to search Virtually Vocal for your next audition song!