NATS Auditions, Competitions, and Auditions for School Musical Theater Auditions! How to Prepare!

There are so many opportunities to audition or compete in the singing world this time of year!  Local NATS Chapters are hosting their Student Auditions, competitions for scholarships are starting, and many folks will be having auditions for school musicals soon.  What are the best things that you can do to prepare?  Prepare yourself and your materials!

For NATS auditions and other competitions:

- Select your repertoire early and in accordance with the requirements indicated.  Decide on repertoire with your teachers' guidance.

- Make sure that you have made all deadlines for registration EARLY.  Carefully check if you are to bring originals only.

-After registration, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE

- Work technique, breathing, and phrasing.

- Analyze lyrics of each song thoroughly so you know what you are really saying and can communicate it to the audience (judges).

- MEMORIZE, MEMORIZE, MEMORIZE

- Decide if you are using the house accompanist or your own.  If you are bringing your own accompanist, set aside time to practice with them.

- Carefully select your audition attire and practice in the shoes you will be wearing (it really affects your posture!)

-"Perform" for someone in your family or good friend.  This way you know how you will react to an audience and how they will react to your performance!

-Break a leg and make sure you warm up before you get to your auditions!

For Musical Theater Production Auditions at School or Otherwise:

- Find out the audition selections or requirements as soon as possible and start practicing.  Often times music directors select a song from the production that they will use for auditions.  Sometimes they give you a choice.  Be prepared either way.

- Follow all the steps above, knowing that you will be auditioning with the house accompanist.  

- Break a leg and make sure you warm up before you get to your auditions!

Take Care of Your Body, Take Care of Your Instrument

Take care of your body, it is your instrument as a singer!  

As the fall rapidly creeps along, so too do the problems of allergies (thank you falling leaves) and colds (thank you all of us being together and sharing our germs).  It is so important to take care of your body as a singer at the first sign of a sniffle. You can stop it from getting worse with some preventive measures.



It may be allergies.  If you are prone to fall allergies due to the falling leaves, mold, ragweed, start taking your allergy medicine. Wash your hair before you go to bed or regularly change your pillowcases so you don't sleep in the allergens.  

It could also be the start of a cold.  If it has been going on for a few days, it may have started as allergies and gone to a cold.  Go to bed earlier and drink some more O.J.  

You may be feeling some stress since the school year schedule is in full swing! Stop and pay attention!  The best thing you can do is respond to what your body is telling you! What are some specifics?

10 Top Things to Take Care of Yourself and Your Singing Voice 

1.       Good Hygiene- Wash your hands and don't touch your face

2.       Drink 8-10 glasses of water (or non-caffeinated beverage) a day

3.      SLEEP  at least 8 hours every night!

4.       Exercise 3-5 times a week to keep up your immune system 

5.       Reduce Medicines - Use nasal saline spray first, medicines last, but take allergy medicines

6.       Sing Well - good posture, breath support, and sing in correct range       

7.       Speak Well - Support your speech as if you are singing, minimize talking, don’t

          yell over loud noise!

8.       Practice Everything in Moderation (Singing and Speaking and Activity Level)

9.       Pay attention to your body signals.  If it doesn't feel good, don't do it!  

10.   Find time for a little relaxation and de-stressing time!

     Your body knows what it is saying.  If you take care of it and listen to it, you can make it through the allergies and stress and not get sick thus preserving your wonderful singing voice!  Keep singing!