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Over the past couple of years leading up to the annual Unified Professional Theatre Auditions (UPTA) and Southeastern Theatre Conference – SETC Pro-Div auditions, I have occasionally posted some friendly, and, hopefully, helpful reminders to the actors attending those auditions who will be singing as part of their audition package – in other words: to those who will be working directly with me for 60-90 seconds. I have reposted and shared one of those posts below, but I would like to add the following observations and advice to not only the actors/singers, but also to any teachers, coaches, and accompanists preparing anyone not only for the upcoming SETC auditions in Lexington, KY, but any upcoming in-person auditions.
Over the past couple of months, I have been in the room, back at the piano for a variety of auditions: Broadway shows, regional theatres, theme parks, cruise lines, colleges. Here are a few things that I have observed:
-There are performers who are still getting used to singing and acting(!) live and in-person for others.
-There are performers who haven’t had the opportunity, nor need(!) to work with a live pianist on a regular basis over the past two to three years since we’ve been using pre-recorded accompaniment tracks.
-There are performers who are still learning and adjusting to projecting their voice and presence(!) beyond a ring light and iPhone camera.
-There are performers who haven’t had the need to print off a physical headshot and resume, nor sheet music in the past two to three years.
-There are performers getting reacquainted with the concept of “filling and using the space,” “aiming to the back row.”
In short: We are still recovering from the shutdown. We are all still coming out of it at our own pace, and in our own time. We are more in a “new world” rather than a “new normal.” I have been fortunate to have been working with teams since the Fall of 2021 who fully understand that. We are still getting used to using audition monitors again, having full holding rooms, and organizing lines outside of an audition room. We are all aware that a “sense of space” has taken on a more literal meaning. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts: Grace. Extend it not only to your colleagues, but also to yourself.
Singers: Practice singing out again. Truly singing out! Sing in Central Park. On the sidewalk outside of your apartment building. Rent a rehearsal studio with some friends, and just sing for each other from opposite sides of the room. Make your voice heard. Make sure it can be heard. Make sure it can be heard over the sound of the accompanist at the piano playing your sheet music.
Teachers, Coaches, and Accompanists: Facilitate and encourage your students and clients to practice, to getting used to singing LIVE again if they haven’t had to do so in a while. Set up studio “open mics.” Discuss and acknowledge the differences between singing to a camera for someone to view later on via their computer, versus singing for a director, casting agent, and music director – for people, observers, listeners – sitting ten feet away from them behind a table… Or in a darkened theatre… Or in a convention center/hotel ballroom.
I have had some wonderful, heart-warming, and soul-inspiring experiences while being back at the piano in an audition room over the past couple of months. Just being “back” is still special. I wish that same feeling of good fortune to each person who will be stepping in front of a team to share their talents.
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Here is a related series of post from my blog and Instagram that may also be helpful:
The View From A Piano Bench 