"You Can't Be Everything To Everybody" and "Know Thyself"

We've all heard the above sayings at some point in our lives - "You Can't Be Everything to Everybody" and "Know Thyself."  These principles serve as great guidance for any singer pursuing auditions, regardless if they are on the community or professional level.

Regardless of the audition level, the competition for large roles is always rough.  There is always more talent than jobs and it gets worse the higher you go!  To separate yourself from the pack, you have to have an intimate understanding of your own vocal strengths and weaknesses, select songs that highlight your best attributes, and audition for shows and roles that you are best for at this moment.

The principle of "Know Thyself" and your voice lessons is simple.  As you progress in your training, it will become obvious to both you and your voice teacher that there are certain aspects of your singing that make you special.  It may be that you have exceptional high or low notes.  You may excel in dramatic songs or in comedic parts.  You may prefer uptempo numbers over ballads.  The list of choices goes on and on, but your best bet as a singer is to do WHAT YOU ARE BEST AT!  Remember, judges for auditions only get to hear you for a few minutes.  You want those minutes to be full of moments that make the panel go "Wow!" and not "Oh, she's pretty good..."

The principle of "You Can't be Everything to Everybody" actually has two parts.  The hard element is this - you have to recognize that no matter how good your singing is, you may not be everyone's cup of tea.  Beyonce is a superstar, and yet even she has detractors who don't care for her singing or song material.  The same will apply to you.  No matter how great you or how well you audition, there will be some people who you cannot please.  It is best to just move on and go to the next audition without trying to break your back pleasing a person who just "isn't into you."

The second part of "You Can't Be Everything to Everybody" is an element of humility.  Unless you achieve celebrity status (like Tom Hanks or Meryl Streep), the reality is that your voice type, physical appearance, age and other characteristics will limit what roles you will be able to realistically earn in theater.  As an example, while I would love to play a serious villain, I'm just not that intimidating (I'm an average height, 140-pound white guy - it's not happening)!  However, my vocal ability and general demeanor make me an excellent choice for romantic leads such as Freddy in My Fair Lady or U.S. Lieutenant Cable in South Pacific.  While we like to encourage everyone to "Think Outside the Box," the reality is that most of us DO fit a certain type for theater, and it is far easier to succeed by playing to that TYPE than against it. 

One Final Note: I do not want this entry to suggest that I argue against versatility or exploring areas of vocal repertoire...we do that in voice lessons all the time!  But when it comes to auditioning, each singer has only a few minutes to stand out. Use those minutes to show off your best abilities.  Then, when you get hired, that is when you show them your full range and can be considered for different types of roles and productions!

DWS