The #1 Mistake to Avoid When Selecting Audition Repertoire

Okay... I need you to use your imagination for a moment…

Instead of a hopeful auditioner, I need you to imagine that YOU are sitting behind the judges table. You are now the person whose responsibility it is to sit through auditions. The power feels good doesn’t it?!?

You look down at your schedule and see 80 names on your list. EIGHTY!! And this is just the first day. Now imagine you are finishing up your 8 hour day. You look back through your notes and realize you’ve heard the same handful of songs multiple times throughout the day!

Can you imagine sitting in a room for 8 hours straight and hearing the same songs over and over and over? Well that is the reality for many audition panels… from college auditions to summer stock! Imagine how they feel as they hear the first notes of... any of the songs on the "most overdone audition songs" list.

As an auditioner, you don’t want an "ugh" to be the first reaction as your song starts and you DEFINITELY don’t want your panel to be bored during your audition! If you think you might be guilty of this then you know who you are and you need to own it!

When you are thinking about your audition rep, put yourself in the shoes of the audition panel and imagine their response to what you are singing. If there is the slightest chance they will hear the song you’re singing more than once on an audition day and if you are not going to absolutely “blow their socks off’ with your rendition then just don’t sing it!! There are SO MANY other options out there.

So… the #1 mistake you can make when selecting your audition repertoire? Choosing songs that nobody wants to hear (again and again and again). Or to put it another way "You can’t be the only person in the room in love with the song you are singing!"

I’m not saying you can’t sing songs that you love… you absolutely have to love every song you sing! But, I’m saying you have to choose songs that you (and everyone else in the room) will love! Trust me it can be done.

So how do you choose repertoire that hasn’t been “done to death”? Well, you have to put on your detective hat and do a little digging.

First of all, look outside the traditional Anthologies. For pre-1970’s material investigate the Gershwins, Irving Berlin, Harold Arlen, Cole Porter, and Jerome Kern, among others. For contemporary music theater look to lesser known Broadway shows for original material.  

Do your research… listen to a lot of musicals! Listen to compilation recordings of famous Broadway singers. Watch YouTube videos from live venues in New York.

And if you need advice, find a coach with real world experience who can help you find fresh repertoire that fits your type.