The College Audition

For most people, the college audition is a nerve-racking experience.  You are singing for people you have never met, singing with a pianist you have never rehearsed with, AND you are singing in a place you have never sung before.

Auditioning, however, does not need to be a stressful experience.  The best piece I ever received and pass on to my voice students is that in an audition, the judges WANT you to be successful.  From their perspective, the judges have heard numerous singers, and they desperately want you to be the great singer who blows them away.  If you do a great job, you make the judges' day easy; they just pick you and finish the auditions.  When the judges whisper to each other or write down a comment, it is often positive, not critical.

Second, the scary aspect of auditioning is the fear of rejection.  Instead of worrying about whether a judge will like you or not, focus on what you do have control over.  You control the songs you sing and how you perform.  Use the audition as an opportunity to do what you love - singing.

Finally, learn to quiet the self-critical voice in your head during the audition.  The time for self-criticism and analysis is after the audition.  During the audition, focus on the performance.  With some practice, auditioning can become an exciting and stress-free experience!

DWS