Auditions

1. Auditions Marina High School 2013-2014

2. When Will I Use This? Honor Choir (SCVA, All-State, Western Division, National, etc.) Other Ensembles (Vocal Jazz, college groups, professional groups, etc.) College Conservatories Musical Café Marina Talent Shows Many others…

3. We Will Discuss the Following… • Preparing for the audition • At the audition • During the audition • After the audition

4. Preparing For the Audition: Get the info Choose your music How to practice Mental preparation

5. Get the Info • Make sure you know: • What you are auditioning for (duh) • The dates of the commitment • Honor choir weekends, musical rehearsals/performances, etc. • The date, time, & location of the audition • Make sure it is accurate and on your calendar • The audition requirements • Piece, tonal memory, sight-singing, scales, improvisation, etc. • What YOU need to do to prepare • Do you need to pay to audition? Can you arrange a ride? Do you need to provide an accompanist? Do you need to find your own music? • ALWAYS ASK

6. Choose Your Music • Do this EARLY • Choose something that: • Fits the requirements (language, time period, etc.) • Isn’t too long (keep it under 3 minutes) • Shows your range (i.e. Sopranos, don’t sing a piece written in an Alto range unless you want to sing alto) • Shows your skill but isn’t too difficult—or too easy • You can work on without outside help (i.e. accompaniment tracks, available recordings to listen to, etc.) • Please ask for help from any of your sources (voice teachers, Mr. Graham)

7. How to Practice Listen to different recordings (hello, YouTube!) Take a couple of lessons to learn and prepare the piece Get an accompaniment/karaoke track (online, in a book, ask around) or have someone make one for you to practice with Practice somewhere quiet and alone Practice with a friend or two to help critique you before the big day Don’t forget to practice your scales, sight-singing, and tonal memory, too *Be diligent and work as hard to practice as you would to get an A on your performance in the classroom.*

8. Mentally Prepare • Believe it or not, this is one of the most important parts of this process. • Practice a positive attitude and a positive outlook • No one likes to hear you say, “I’m so nervous,” “I’m so unprepared,” “I’m gonna mess up,” or “I don’t know if I should do this.” • These phrases are actually just practicing negativity and discouraging yourself from doing well. • Don’t be influenced by others’ negativity • It’s a terrible competition that no one wins. • “Perfect practice makes perfect performance.” • Imagine yourself succeeding. Imagine a positive experience. Always.

9. At the Audition Start preparing early What to bring Get to the site early Continue “preparing” Give yourself something to look forward to afterward

10. Start Preparing Early • Wake up with plenty of time to get ready • Shower, hair, makeup, iron your clothes • Eat a good meal, and avoid anything that will get in the way of you singing well • Dress well (and pick out clothes before the day of) • Ladies: Knee-length dress or skirt, or dress pants, nice top, nice shoes, hose, hair out of face, natural makeup; no sleeveless or strapless, no B’s showing, no deadly heels • Gentlemen: Dress shirt and pants, tie optional, dress shoes; no ill-fitting clothing • Everyone: NO jeans, sandals, t-shirts, B’s showing • Warm up or run through stuff • Get your stuff together…

11. What to Bring • ID • Water • Snacks (optional) • Change of clothes or shoes (optional) • Binder or folder with… • Paperwork • Resume, headshot (depending on audition) • Music and extra copies/extra pieces (depending on audition) • No sheet protectors, No one-sided copies • Everything organized neatly

12. Get to the Site Early • Give yourself plenty of time to get there, find parking, and figure out where you’re going • Introduce yourself and be personable and smiley with EVERYONE • You never know who will hire you in the future… • Fill out your paperwork accurately • Spell composer’s name correctly, know your height, etc. • Find your buddies (if applicable) • Find a place to warm up and run through your stuff • Talk to the other people there!

13. Continue “Preparing” • Continue to practice positivity, positive outlook, and a good attitude • Again, you never know who’s there and who will hire you later • Remember, it’s okay to be nervous. • “There is a thin line between nervous and excited. YOU get to choose which side to stand on.” • Do what YOU need to do to feel ready • i.e. warm up, run through stuff, hum, listen to music, facial stretches, yoga, meditate, etc. • Also remember, EVERYONE wants to see you succeed. : )

14. Give Yourself Something to Look Forward to • If you can, plan something for after your audition to reward yourself for your hard work • Lunch, adventure on the way home, milkshakes, whatever!

15. During the Audition Be professional Always smile The answer is, “Yes” Never apologize Do all the things

16. Be Professional • Come in looking like a pro • Dressed well, paperwork and music in hand, shoulders back, chin up, smiling, BA. • Introduce yourself to the accompanist • The accompanist will make or break you. Be nice. • Walk over and introduce yourself with your bum away from the judges, give him/her your music and explain anything if you need to • THANK THEM before and after you sing • Introduce yourself to the adjudicators • Shake hands if appropriate • Be proud of your name and what you are about to do • Most importantly…

17. ALWAYS SMILE • Even if you are nervous, sick, sad, angry, or anything else. • A smile can cover up most things, including terror. • Smiling makes you look confident. • Smiling makes you FEEL confident. • Smiling makes you seem personable and professional, even if you’re not. • If you mess up, smile bigger. • The judges will either know you messed up and appreciate that you were positive and continued singing, or they will not know and just think you’re really happy to be there.

18. The Answer Is, “Yes” • Unless the question is, “Are you ready to begin?” and you are actually not, the answer is always, “Yes.” • Or, obviously, if the answer is no. It’s the principle. • For example… • Can we hear your major scale? Yes. • We will now do the tonal memory, are you ready? Yes. • Can you please read sight-singing line 1? Yes. • Can you sing another piece for us? Yes. • Would you please take 3 steps forward for us? Yes. • Can you please start a one-man conga line? Yes. Absolutely. • The answer is never, “I’m so bad at this.”

19. Never Apologize • If you mess up, you do not say you are sorry. • If you mess up, you also don’t roll your eyes, curse, cry, or stop. • If you mess up something like a scale or sight-singing and you know you can fix it, simply finish it strong or ask, “Would it be alright if I try that one more time?” • Accept and understand that the answer might be, “No.” Smile and move forward. • As long as you are doing your best, you have no reason to apologize. • Obviously, if you hurt one of the judges or something, you do need to apologize.

20. Do All the Things! • Piece • Pitch accuracy, correct pronunciation, attention to detail (dynamics, articulations, etc.) • Scales • Major, minor, chromatic—pitch accuracy; sol-feg does NOT matter • Tonal Memory • Accuracy; it’s like a game to get as many right as you can • Sight-Singing • 50% for pitch accuracy, 50% for rhythmic accuracy; do your best! • Range (sometimes) • The answer is, “Yes.”

21. After the Audition Feel whatever you need to feel once you have left the site completely. Don’t talk smack on yourself or anyone else until you have left the site completely. Also don’t brag. Bragging is a bad color on everyone. Reward yourself for your hard work, whether you felt you nailed it or not. If you don’t get what you wanted, feel your feelings and let it go. Always move forward. If you do get what you wanted, that is awesome and so are you!

22. Questions?