Blitz Your Singing Audition!

Ready to stand out from the crowd and WOW the judges at your next singing audition? Here are my top 5 secrets to get you there.

Opportunities to be discovered as a singer are at an all time high due to television shows like American Idol, The Voice or America’s Got Talent.

Even getting through to the top 100 can do wonders for your career through all of the music industry big-wigs that you will get to meet. However, the competition to get a spot singing in front of the judges is fierce. 

You’re up against other singers who also have amazing voices and look the part, so what can you do to stand out? Here are some of my best auditioning tips to help you blitz your next singing audition.

Here are 5 steps to help you stand out at an audition.

1. Make a good first impression

First impressions count, especially in an audition situation. It’s all about confidence. The judges will decide what they think about you within the first five seconds of seeing you. Yep, this is before you even open your mouth to sing. This means, the way you walk into your audition really counts!

Is your head up, shoulders back and are you walking in with confidence? Or are you slumped over, looking at your feet and appearing as nervous as a snowman on a sunny day? I know TV shows like The Voice etc, like to show auditions from shy, frumpy sorts killing it in their audition despite their lack of confidence and terrible threads, but believe me, this is not the norm. It just makes for good TV. Make your first few seconds count and practice walking into the room and flashing a smile at the judges. It will help!

2. Look the part

Just like first impressions, your appearance counts. A LOT. As much as we wish it wasn’t the way, humans judge each other on how we look which means the easiest way to get one up on your competition is to scrub up, brush your hair and put on some decent threads.

HUGE TIP: Your outfit does NOT need to suit the kind of music you do. Instead, it needs to convey two things:

• Your personality
• Your sense of style

It’s all about packing yourself up as a marketable product.

Picture this… you stride into the audition room wearing this season’s hottest leather skirt with a pink streak in your hair and killer heels to match. You smack of punk rock but then… you start singing a wistful indie folk-pop song with your to-die-for pretty head voice.

What do you think the panel are going to think? I’ll tell you what they will think. They will start salivating over all the branding possibilities your unique blend of punk dress crossed with indie folk-pop will bring and how many albums they can sell off your unique image.

That’s how the music industry works. So, the lesson here is to take the opportunity to really show off. Just go for it! 

Click here for some more tips on standing out as a singer.

3. Pick the right song

HUGE! This is HUGE!!!! Picking the right song means choosing something that plays to your strengths. Pick a song that sits right in your ‘Magic Zone’ (we talk about this inside my Academy) and doesn’t have all the notes sitting either in just your head or chest voice.

Pick something you are comfortable singing and something you know really well, so you don’t have to worry about remembering lyrics or hitting that ‘really difficult high note’ in the audition. Make your life easy, and choose correctly. Click here for tips on finding your niche.

4. Leave a business card

It costs very little to create a cute looking business card these days. Leaving a small card that has your name and contact details on it is a great way to be remembered. Think about it… no business person would ever leave a networking session or important meeting without handing over their card, so why would you?

A business card makes you seem professional and organised. (Important note: No, they do not need your entire release catalogue, signed poster and full artist biography) Want them to hear your music? Just leave your website or a link on the card where they can listen if they want.

5. Cut out the long intro or solo on your backing track.

Ok… admittedly, I fell into this trap myself. I was doing a performance for a variety show and I was supposed to sing my song over a backing track. ‘Easy!” I thought to myself and picked a favourite song, put on a cute dress and I thought that was all I needed to do.

I WAS WRONG.

The first half of the song went well… quick little intro as I walked up to the mic, I sang my bit and then……. enter the long solo section.

Yep, I’d forgotten to cut it out of the track, which meant I had nothing to do but twiddle my fingers looking awkward up on stage, all by myself while the music played on. I hadn’t rehearsed a dance to fill the space or any actions (my huge oversight) and so it just felt super crappy until the vocal section came back in and I could sing again. Learn from my mistake, my friend. I speak from experience when I say that standing on stage, alone, with the audience staring as you as you look stupid… sure ain’t pretty….

So there are my top 5 tips you can use next time you’re auditioning for singing gigs. I hope you enjoyed this blog and if you did, let me know in the comments below!  

As they say in show-biz, Break a leg!!!

Nicola xx