Preparing for an audition? Here are some tips to get ready

My body fills up with nerves while I wait to go on stage to sing the song I’ve been preparing for weeks. I run my song one more time in my head before I have to perform. The assistant stage manager calls for me to go in, and I’m ready to step onto that stage with confidence. I was ready for my audition.

There are a lot of steps to preparing for an audition. An audition can be for TV, Broadway, community theater and more. It goes all the way from choosing a song to rehearsing a monologue. Find the part you want and rehearse. Find a character in the show you’re auditioning for that you feel would fit your style. Once you’ve chosen your character or type of character you’re going for, you need to choose a song to sing at your audition. It should associate with the character.

Now you need to rehearse it so you know the lyrics back and front, how to tell the story of the song, and how to act out the emotions. Make sure to know how to show emotion and act out the song’s story to show how that character feels while singing it. You might need the piano sheet music for your audition song, so make sure you get that.

You should know what to expect when going into an audition. Most of the time, auditions have either two or three parts to them, such as singing a song you have prepared, learning a dance combination and reading lines for characters in the show. I would advise bringing some kind of dance shoe (jazz shoes, character shoes, etc.), your sheet music and a pencil.

Lastly, when auditioning, be confident and respectful. Show how fast you can learn and how well you can follow directions. Practice, practice, practice and try your best.