Expert: Wanda Reinholdt - 1/16/2008

Question
QUESTION: Hello,

I would love to audition for my local area's singing talent show.

I am used to signing with a group of people, however, I sing in my 8th grade choir, at concerts we have about 4 times a year. I also sang a solo once for choir, and have been in my school's variety show twice.

However, I get really bad stage fright - whenever I sing alone, sometimes I forget some of the lyrics because I get butterflies in my stomach and I get really shaky; cannot concentrate.

I was wondering if you could help me choose a good piece to audition with - my range is from F below low C (C3) to F above middle C - notes F2 to F4. I'd like to find a good contemporary piece, a musical number, maybe.

Thank you for your help, I really appreciate it. =)

ANSWER: Hi there, Mariah.  Thanks for writing.  

For the stage fright, I am wondering if you might be changing your breathing.  Usually when there are nerves and shaking and butterflies, it has to do with the breathing.  

So the first thing I would like to suggest is that you forget about the singing for a moment.  Concentrate only on your breath.  Learn to breathe deeply.  What I mean by deeply is to breathe using your diaphragm.  

Stand straight in front of a mirror and put your hand on your abdomen.  Breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth, breathe in through the nose down into your abdomen and fill your abdomen.  Don't stop filling your abdomen (go as far as you can).  Then breathe out through the mouth pushing out as much air as you can and don't take another breath until you have pushed out lots of air.  

This exercise will both increase your breath capacity as well as help you relax.  This is a great exercise to do before you sing anytime.  You can do this while off stage or at home or in the car or...

When you are practicing singing, concentrate on learning the tune of the song first concentrating on finding the breath points.  Once you know where to breathe, don't add the words to the song until you have learned to breathe as deeply as you were in the exercise.  I guarantee that if you breathe like this when you sing that you will have more power and will relax a lot.  

A good audition piece - have you been to the library?  Have you looked under soprano solos?  The best thing to do is to go to the library and listen to all sorts of musicals to find an audition piece.  You want one that you like, one that is not too hard, and one that will show your talent.  

I rarely give an actual piece to do as I don't know your level of skill nor the tone of your voice nor what you look like and I would be amiss to tell you a piece if it did not match.  

So I'm not trying to avoid your question.  It just is much better to go to the library and listen.  If you want some ideas, it also would be helpful to talk with your choir leader/ teacher as they know your voice and your abilities a little better.  

Does that help you?

Wanda

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello, thank you for your help.

It really helped me a lot, especially with stage fright.

I was just wondering, would it be better to audition with a Broadway piece, or something more contemporary, such as something composed within the past few years or so?

I can sing up to either Level 3 or 4, depends on the song's genre - enjoy world, classical, Broadway, film scores, and jazz genres.

Oh, and my range is from Low G to High G - choir teacher checked my range yesterday.

Thank You

Answer
Hi Mariah...I'm glad that helped with your breathing.  Keep doing this exercise as long as you are a singer.  It is the best for helping with power and with relaxation.

For a piece, if they don't say what they are expecting, it really does not matter what piece you do.  As long as the piece is showing your talents.  My experience is that most directors are not interested in what you do necessarily as much as how well you do it.  

So what is it that you like?  It sounds like you could do some alto or some soprano.  Choose a song and genre that you like and work it.  Then enjoy presenting it.  That's the best way to get a role.  If you can find a piece that has a bit of variety in it (like dramatic and more melo or high and then low) that would be a good piece to do as well.  

If you have time, look at lots of musicals in the library and listen and find one you like.  And go for it.

Does that help?

Wanda