Auditions
Recommended Books
The Music Collection contains several books on auditions, including works on preparation and building confidence. Many are classified in MT 956 or related areas. The recommended books below are sorted by their call numbers to ease browsing. Hover over the info icon to see a description of the book. Also visit the pages on auditions at the Music Performance and Theatre Studies guides for additional resources.
The Audition Process: Anxiety Management and Coping Strategies by
The stress and anxiety which performers experience at auditions and concerts can be managed through the use of many and varied techniques, here explored in a comprehensive book by oboist-composer Stuart Dunkel. Written as a practical guide for immediate use, in language free of confusing psychological terminology, The Audition Process offers a compendium of approaches as presented by other musicians, psychologists, and athletes.
Call Number: ML3830 .D9 1989Publication Date: 1989
Auditioning for the Musical Theatre by
Proven tactics and techniques from a leading New York vocal coach on how to "act" a song, choose the right material, and handle a callback; what to wear; how to use eye contact, select a voice teacher, and vocal coach; and more. Includes 130 excellent yet unusual audition songs for all types of situations and performers, including juveniles and dancers.
Call Number: MT820 .S657 1985Publication Date: 1985
Thank You -- That's All We Need for Today: A Practical Guide to Musical Theatre Auditions by
Thank You -- That's All We Need for Today is full of practical advice for anyone who auditions for musical-theatre shows, whether professional or amateur. Starting with the earliest stages, it covers every aspect of the audition process: Choosing and learning songs, Looking after your voice, Deciding what to wear, Preparing CVs and photos, How to make a good impression, Who's who on the audition panel, Also included: a CD of vocal warm-ups - helps you get the best out of your voice
Call Number: MT892 .H36 2009Publication Date: 2009
How to Audition for the Musical Theatre: A Step-by-Step Guide to Effective Preparation by Call Number: MT892 .O4 1988Publication Date: 1988
Audition Advice for Singers by
From my own experience / Plato Karayanis -- Be a performer, not just a vocalist / Robert Bailey -- Dear auditioner / Karen Peeler -- What makes a singer employable? / Richard Pearlman -- Auditions are performance opportunities / Richard Harrell -- First impressions count / Ken Benson -- The audition between the music / Michael Ching -- The psychology of the audition / Gary Glaze -- Thoughts on auditions / Evelyn Lear and Thomas Stweart -- Be an individual / Gordon Ostrowski -- The audition : the ridiculous in pursuit of the lucrative / Michael McConnell -- Someone gets lucky / Richard Bradshaw -- Comments from an audition team / Karl W. Hesser & Mark C. Graf -- Auditioning is a process / Gayletha Nichols -- Emphasizing your assets / Jonathan Pell -- Top ten suggestions / Susana Meyer -- More top ten suggestions / Edward Purrington -- Artistic preparation / Roberta Peters -- Auditioning is about communication / Felicity Jackson -- Points of view / Ann Stanke -- Putting together the total package / Matthew Lata -- Opera is foremost a dramatic art form / Kurt Klippstatter -- Concentrate on the essentials / Christine Bullin -- The dreaded audition / Christopher Mattaliano -- Some thoughts on auditions / Sara Tornay -- Learn about the company / David Speers -- Prepare for a winning audition / Peter Russell.
Call Number: MT956 .A93 1996Publication Date: 1996
The Complete Professional Audition: A Common Sense Guide to Auditioning for Musicals and Plays by
In the United States, there are 300,000 actors; 100,000 hold union cards. There are 184 college theater programs and 108 performing-arts high schools. There are 578 acting schools and coaches in New York City and Los Angeles alone. The Complete Professional Audition is the one book all of those actors need-because before actors can act, they have to pass the audition! Here's practical, hand-holding advice for choosing material, rehearsing, warming up, staying calm, standing out in a crowd, understanding casting, avoiding pitfalls, following up, getting the right headshot and resume, and accepting an offer. There's even a section on handling rejection-not that The Complete Professional Audition user is ever going to need that, of course. Ultra-useful appendices of recommended songs and monologues (yes!) make this the complete guide for everyone with an audition coming up. * Designed for both play and musical auditions * There are 300,000 actors and acting students in the US-and all of them want an edge at the audition * Through his workshops and seminars, author Darren Cohen knows exactly what actors need to pass an audition and get that part * Practical, down-to-earth ideas that work
Call Number: MT956 .C68 2005Publication Date: 2005
Get the Callback: The Art of Auditioning for Musical Theatre by
The easy-to-use handbook Get the Callback: The Art of Auditioning for Musical Theatre offers practical advice on all the facets of auditioning, walking the reader step by step through the audition process, explaining what to expect, how to behave, and how to prepare for a winning audition. It also coaches the actor through the ins and outs of pursuing a career in musical theatre. Through his professional and teaching experience, Jonathan Flom presents the material in an easily accessible way. Get the Callback proceeds chronologically through the audition process, beginning with finding auditions and reading and interpreting casting calls. Flom discusses many facets of preparation, including selecting songs and monologues to suit your voice and the audition, organizing and arranging your music, working with the accompanist, and presenting yourself to the directors. He gives a detailed description of the actual audition performance and even offers advice on how non-dancers can survive a dance audition. The book includes valuable information on callbacks and how to field job offers, providing advice on contracts and negotiations. Further information on getting professional headshots, designing a quality resume, and writing winning cover letters is also included, each with examples. Unique to this volume is a chapter on auditioning for college training programs. The book concludes with three appendixes: a list of recommended dos and don'ts, and two lists of appropriate audition repertoire by genre and by actor type, as well as a glossary of terms.
Call Number: MT956 .F56 2009Publication Date: 2009
Rock the Audition: How to Prepare For and Get Cast in Rock Musicals by
Rock musicals are an increasingly dominant force in contemporary musical theatre. Rock the Audition defines what is required of the actor-singer to succeed in the audition room and gives the aspiring performer the tools necessary to interpret rock material with abandon, creativity, and inspiration. This book shows those interested in auditioning for a rock musical how to holistically embody the essence of the show for which they are auditioning. Rock the Audition teaches performers how to: * Pick songs that have or have room to create a dramatic arc * Create their own appropriate cuts and arrangements, and successfully communicate the feel of a song to a pianist for proper support * Capture the essence of the musical they're trying out for * Understand the vocal styles of different genres and how the styles changed over time * Act a rock song Sanders's method also helps singing actors refine their physical life in the audition room when singing a rock song, an approach profoundly different from that of the legit musical-theatre auditioner. Rock the Audition shows readers how to interpret the meaning of the chosen songs and how to bring their own unique point of view to those interpretations. Listen to Sheri Sanders live at Book Expo America on the BEA Podcast.
Call Number: MT956 .S35 2011Publication Date: 2011
Music for Auditions
Singers are often asked to prepare a 16-bar (i.e., 16 measures) audition excerpt of a musical theatre song. The following anthologies have solos for each voice type specially-edited one-page to show the auditioner's voice to the best advantage.
Volumes are collected by voice type:
The Singer's Musical Theatre Anthology, 16-Bar Audition Excerpts
The 16-Bar Theatre Audition: 100 Songs Excerpted for Successful Auditions
Audition Musical Theatre Anthology
Online Resources
- Backstage.com, a top website for musical theatre audition postings
- The College Audition Blog, a blog on auditioning
- Nail Your Audition, a blog post by Gerald Klickstein, author of The Musician's Way
Interlibrary Loan
Users are encouraged to search for items beyond University Libraries' catalog via RILM Abstracts of Music Literature and WorldCat. Materials not available in print or online may be requested through Interlibrary Loan. Please allow up to seven days for electronic delivery and up to fourteen days for delivery of physical items.