Audition Tips for Singers: Preparation is Everything!

If you’re about to audition for a band, a vocal course or even a TV show, then it’s worth knowing that every audition needs different preparation. In this blog, we offer some tips to help you get ready for every audition, and also give you some things to think about before you dive into your performance.

The Three Categories

Vocal auditions can be divided into three different categories: auditions for a band, for a course of study and for some kind of talent show. “You can also apply a scale of difficulty to that,” vocal coach Alfons Verreijt adds. “Auditioning for a band is probably the mildest one, while auditioning for a course is already much harder, and auditioning for a television programme, I would say, is the hardest. When you’re auditioning for a band, you need to just be yourself as much as possible, otherwise, months later your new colleagues or band mates will figure you out. With a band, things really need to click on a personal level, otherwise it won’t work. When you’re auditioning for a music or vocal course, you need to show that you can be coached and that you’re ready to learn. And, when you’re auditioning for TV, you need to sort of play the role of yourself auditioning for TV. Every audition you go to will require a different kind of preparation and, in any case, your preparation always needs to be really thorough.”

Alfons has a mass of auditioning experience. As a singer, he’s gone through plenty of auditions for bands and auditions for training courses. As a pre-selection jury member for the TV show Popstars, he also has plenty of experience on the other side of the table. He was also a coach on So You Wanna Be A Popstar and X-Factor and has also coached several students who have taken part in these talent shows, some of whom have been very successful. Here, he tackles every audition type, one by one, starting with auditioning for a band.

Auditioning for Band

“If you want to join a band and already have a band in mind, then you first need to know exactly what they’re looking for in a singer. Because often, this is actually unclear,” Alfons advises. “Of course, it’s really important that the band’s sound really appeals to you, otherwise, eventually things won’t work out and the band will descend into a discussion group about song choices.” There are some other factors that need thinking about when deciding whether or not you want to audition for a particular band: these people are going to become your colleagues. You’re going to have to spend a lot of time with them so you need to make sure that you know a lot about them before deciding to audition. Also, most bands aren’t looking for the greatest singer there ever was, but someone who sings a particular way very well and that ‘particular way’ really needs to fit the sound of the band. “A good example is when the rock band Di-Rect found a new singer through a TV show and didn’t pick the best singer, but the singer with the best ‘rock ‘n roll’ feel and who fitted the band best. That was Marcel Veenendaal,” adds Alfons. A band is always about the whole picture. The members of The Rolling Stones are, individually, brilliant musicians, but as a collective everything really works. It’s also worth thinking about the fact that, when you audition for a band, it matters less that you might be up against better singers than you, because it’s not just your singing ability that’s taken into account when choosing a new band member.

Don’t Take Notes

If you’ve found your band and have decided to go ahead and audition then first, get hold of all of their recordings and listen to everything on repeat. Knowing all of the songs before you even get to the audition will not only be a big compliment for the band, but will let them know that you’re really serious about joining and that you’re really into the material. It’s also a big no-no to take a stack of notes into the audition, or even notes on your phone. You need to know the songs by heart. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t bring along some of your own ideas or loose fragments of lyrics that you’ve already come up with because, if the band starts jamming during the audition, you’ve already got something to hand.

Before arriving, it’s also a good idea to ask the band if they have all the gear you need or if you need to bring your own microphone and PA system. Actually, If you can, always take your own gear. This looks really professional and makes you less dependent. If you’re unlucky, then you might be fighting with bad monitoring during the audition, meaning you can’t hear yourself and can’t deliver the performance you know you can. So, in the very least, it’s worth taking along your own microphone and an active monitor so that you know you’ll have a good vocal monitor with you. These days, you don’t have to spend too much money to get a decent active monitor. You could even hire one for the day.

Another thing that’s worth remembering is that, while you’re auditioning for the band, the band is also auditioning for you. So use the audition as an opportunity to figure out if this is definitely the band you want to be in. Have they set everything up at the right volume so that you can hear your vocals? If not, then you might need to ask yourself if you really want to be part of this band. In an earlier blog, we already explained that singing louder so you can hear yourself over a band is really bad. Your vocal cords just can’t take it. But, if the audition is going really well and you have a great feeling about this band and really want to be part of it, then show it by helping to clear up the gear and rolling up jack leads. They’ll love you for it.

Auditioning for a Course

Now we come to auditions for an educational course. “There are plenty of conservatories and vocal courses you can apply for,” Alfons begins. “Before applying, I personally recommend looking for the course and vocal teacher that suits you best. If you can’t find something that fits perfectly, then it’s worth looking further. You’re not just investing money in the course but a number of years, so it’s worth choosing the right one.”

It’s obvious that auditioning for a course will demand preparations, but this is a very different situation to auditioning for a band. “When auditioning for a course, you need to show the admissions board what they want to see,” Alfons explains. “So, you need to know who’s going to be sitting on the board during your audition and have an idea of what they prefer musically. If there’s an established jazz singer on the board, for example, then show them that you can also sing jazz. That will only work in your favour.”

It’s also worth knowing that conservatories and other educational institutions are often looking for singers who are really willing to learn. So you need to show them that you’re turning up to learn as much as you can. At the same time, the standards set by a lot of conservatories these days can be very high. “They want singers to arrive as complete singers already,” Alfons reveals. “Conservatories get a lot of money for students who actually graduate rather than drop out partway through. This is why they have such high admission standards, so they can have the maximum number of course completions with not too much training. The success of any former students also reflects back on the institute.”

So, while you need to show that you have a lot to offer during your audition, you also have to show that you can learn and please the admission board with your performance. During the audition, you perform a couple of mandatory numbers, but also often have a free choice. “It’s best to play it safe,” Alfons advises. “Include numbers that you’ve already been singing for a long time rather than numbers that are new to you. The new songs won’t be fully set in just yet so are an unnecessary risk. The admissions board has no idea whether or not a song is new to you and it wouldn’t make any difference if they did. Ultimately, whatever you sing needs to be good.” Another thing that won’t make any difference when it comes to the admissions board is if you’re ‘feeling unwell’, you’re ‘tired’ or you feel ‘nauseous’. ‘The show must go on’ – which isn’t just the motto for your audition, but for the profession that you’re training to go into. “If you have a fever below 39 degrees, then you can’t complain,” Alfons admits. “And if you’re really unwell, then you’re better off not going at all. It’s better than ruining your audition.”

‘Smart Casual’

If you’ve already got an audition for a course coming up, then you’ll need to ask if you’ll be accompanied by a pianist, a full band or an orchestral band or if you need to bring your own accompaniment. This will prevent any nasty surprises. Also, always take a set-list with you, including the key of each song, as well as the score for every musician and a tuning fork (this can just be a smartphone app) so you can tune to the right starting note. Once you’ve packed all of that up, what are you going to wear? “Smart casual is always best,” advises Alfons. “So don’t turn up in a full gala ball gown or suit, but don’t turn up in a ripped pair of jeans either. You need to look like you take care of yourself and convey respect for the admissions board. The clothing style doesn’t matter, as long as you look neat. Also, check your ego and be modest. If you’re stubborn, difficult and unwilling to accept any comment from them, then they’re not going to give you the spot.” And, what about the audition itself? “When you’re singing, you need to let them see everything that’s in you. When you’re not singing, keep it humble. When you are singing you need to give everything that makes you stand out. This will give your performance more impact since it’ll make the difference between you and you as a singer much greater.”

Auditioning for a TV Show

Now we come to auditioning for talent shows. We’ll focus on television shows, since these are the most well-known talent contests and, on our ‘audition scale’, Alfons considers these the most challenging. “If you want to go for something like that, then you almost need to surrender to the process and understand that you can’t control any of it,” Alfons warns. “If you’re lucky enough to get through the first round, then all you can do is thank the gods. And, from that point onwards, understand that you won’t get a say in anything. Everything, from the song choice to your clothing, your styling, your hair – everything – will be chosen for you.” Alfons continues: “It can be bad if you’re someone with a big mouth. If your on-camera audition is disappointing, then your overconfident statements beforehand will be edited in such a way that you’re made to look like a fool. Ouch! For this reason, I always take any of my students who want to go through the process through media training as well.”

Another thing you need to be aware of is that the chances of you getting through are extremely slim. “Around 99 percent of the people who audition don’t actually get their moment on TV,” Alfons reveals. “Every contestant first goes in front of a pre-jury, and there are no cameras in the room. Only some are allowed through to the TV jury and not even all of that gets televised. Then, only a very tiny percentage actually go through to the next round.”

A TV show jury is not just looking at the quality of your singing voice but at the total package. They’re looking for someone that can sell records. So, when you’re preparing for the audition, it’s a good idea to film yourself performing, so that you can work on how you’re coming across on film. This is where the media training that Alfons has already mentioned can come in handy. “You need to know how to answer questions in front of the camera. Just try giving yourself an interview on camera and you’ll see how difficult it actually is to give an answer that’s confident without being arrogant.”

Create a Fanbase

It’s also really important to create a fanbase beforehand – so you need to gather your own fans. Social media is an obvious tool for this, simply because it can really work. Having a fanbase could also work in your favour later, when it’s voting time. “Your fans are, of course, first and foremost the people who know you,” Alfons says. “There are often many more than you think. But after you’ve been on TV, with platforms like Instagram and Tiktok, your following can spread like wildfire. The key is to keep on it. Keep updating your ‘story’ online and keep your fans warm. Your fans are your capital.”

See also

» Speaker Systems
» Microphones
» All PA Equipment

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» Vocal Harmonies: A Few Tips & Some Theory
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» Mixing Flawless Vocals in 5 Steps

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