The end of the year is always a hectic time, with holiday parties, end-of-year recitals, and students taking final exams for winter break. It’s also a very busy time for performers: half of us are performing in holiday shows and the other half are auditioning like crazy. The big issue is how to stay healthy and prepared during these hectic times. Nothing is worse than overwhelming yourself, causing yourself to want to lie in bed all day and avoid responsibility. Just as bad is when you’re running around like a chicken with your head cut off and then getting sick. So without further ado, here are some tips on how to stay at the top of your game during this upcoming winter audition season:

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  (Via Oleksii Leonov on Flickr / CC 2.0)

  Drink water. My first advice to anyone is always to drink lots and lots of water. Drinking a glass of water or two can cure any sickness, sadness, or sleepiness. Plus, it keeps your vocal chords hydrated and gives you energy.
• Sleep. It’s better to go to one or two auditions well-rested than it is to lose sleep and go to six auditions that you won’t be able to give your full energy to. Like water, sleep is your friend.
• Have every song ready. You never know what accompanist will want to hear “Spark of Creation” when it’s listed in your repertoire or when a director will ask for that patter song you haven’t sung since high school. Take one voice lesson to just sing through all of your audition cuts so they stay fresh and in your body. Also, have 8, 16, and 32-bar cuts of each song handy in case they want to hear more or less of your song.
• Allow for buffer time. You never know how long that EPA will take or how crazy traffic will be getting to tech rehearsals, so build buffer time into your schedule. Worst comes to worst, you have an extra 30 minutes to get some tea at Starbucks or nap!
• Prepare the night before. Have your rehearsal bag prepped with shoes, extra clothes, and snacks. Lay out your audition outfit (I’m looking at you, girls in jewel-tone dresses and nude heels!), prep your sheet music, and have headshots on hand. You don’t want to have to rush around the morning of!
• Keep a journal handy. I have a journal where I write down the basic details of each audition I go to so that I remember what I did in case I audition for that company or show again. Plus, it’s a good way to reflect and only takes 5-10 minutes out of your day.
• Change up your material. Even if you’ve gotten a lot of work singing “A Change In Me,” if you’re sick of it, find a new song! Nothing makes me more excited for an audition than to share new material I’ve been working on. Plus, you can find plenty of options here on NewMusicalTheatre.com!

Audition season is a busy time for everyone, and the end of the year is no exception. Stay prepared, focused, and healthy, and hopefully you’ll book that next gig!

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