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Auditioning Techniques

7th Grade Music Appreciation

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Auditioning Techniques for Music Theatre

Song Selection

A great deal of emphasis is placed on song selection when auditioning for any production or group.  There are almost an ‘unlimited’ number of songs to choose from when selecting what to sing.  Singing an ‘appropriate’ song is not what gets the job, rather it is the combination of the song WITH the performance.  Many times singers want to sing a song ‘that nobody else sings.’  Well, first of all, if nobody else sings that song, perhaps there’s a good reason.  On the other hand, you don’t want to sing a song that’s so overdone that the judges have already heard it several times that day.  You want to choose a song that you can relate to and one that is unique and interesting.

“Add Your Own Twist” to a Song”

Occasionally, taking a new approach to a song has it’s reward.  If appropriate, gimmicks should be freely used at every opportunity.  Adding props or costume in an attempt to make the song ‘original’ and unlike anyone elses’ performance is always a smart idea. Consider the lyric content when determining what props or gimmicks to utilize.  Get feedback from friends and fellow musicians/teachers.  Sometimes, brainstorming helps to come up with creative ideas. 

“Things to Consider when selecting a song”

*Find a song that:-suits you (voice, age, gender, style)-Is appropriate to the show the character or style of show that you’re auditioning for. -Is not overdone-Is playable by a pianist at sight (unless you’re bringing your own accompanist or have a cd accompaniment)-Is a song that YOU enjoy performing. -You can relate to and understand the meaning within the show it came from.-Shows off your ability and strengths (range, acting, dancing, register you’re strongest singing in, etc.)-You did not try out with last year. (Show that you are expanding your repertoire!)

“Develop a repertoire of suitable songs”

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How do singers go about finding songs that show them off to their best advantage?  One of the best ways of developing a repertoire of suitable songs is to know thyself.  That is, if you are the type that is right for the young ingénue roles that have been played by the likes of Julie Andrews, Barbara Streisand, Michael Crawford, Donny Osmond, etc., begin listening to available cast recordings of their shows.  “Lonely Goatherd”, “Sixteen Going On Seventeen” (from “The Sound of Music”);  “Till There Was You”, “My White Knight” (from the Music Man), “Before the Parade Passes By”, “Ribbons Down My Back” (from “Hello Dolly”); “Heart”, “Goodbye Old Girl” (from “Damn Yankees”); ‘Close Every Door”, “Any Dream Will Do” (from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”), are wonderful songs that not only show vocal range, but can demonstrate a performer’s ability to act and interpret lyrics.  Remember, “You don’t have to be different to be good….being good is different enough.”  Casting directors have spent entire days listening to different renditions of “Tomorrow” (Annie), and “Colors of the Wind" (Pocahontas), and can still (sometimes) spot the best performances. 

Examples of various types of songs as starting ‘repertoire’ list…

CHILDREN:  Songs must be age appropriate and within the comfortable vocal range of the performer.  Obvious song choices include songs from the musicals, Oliver, Sound of Music, Annie, and Secret Garden.  Also, for the aforementioned shows, children are sometimes required to sing a number from the show they’re auditioning for.  “Where Is Love,” “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" , "Bare Necessities", “My Favorite Things”, “Tomorrow”, and “Part Of Your World”, are staples in any child singers repertoire.

TEENS:  The ‘teen’ performers that play between thirteen and seventeen years old should sing songs with lyrics that don’t rely on too much experience or memories.  “Sixteen Going On Seventeen” (Sound of Music), “Nothin' Like A Dame” (South Pacific), and “Cabaret” (Cabaret), "Consider Yourself", (Oliver) & 'In My Own Little Corner" (Cinderella) are the types of songs that work well for this age group. 

SOPRANOS:  Sopranos might do well with songs such as "Green Finch and Linnet Bird" from Sweeny Todd, “No Other Love” (Me and Juliet), “Out of My Dreams” or "People Will Say We're In Love" from Oklahoma, "I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady, “Good Night My Someone" from The Music Man, "One More Kiss” from Follies, and “Is it Really Me” (110 In The Shade). 

MEZZO-SOPRANO/ALTO:   MS/Alto’s might do well with songs such as, "Oom Pah Pah" form Oliver, "Honey Bun" and “Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair” from South Pacific, “Cain't Say No" from Oklahoma, "What I Did For Love" from A Chorus Line, “What Did I Have That I Don’t Have?” (On A Clear Day..), "Popular" from Wicked, and “The Music That Makes Me Dance” (Funny Girl”). 

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CAMBIATA or Unchanged Male Voice: "Consider Yourself" & "Who Will Buy" & "Where Is Love" (from Oliver, the musical), "Gary, Indiana" from The Music Man, and 'Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" from Songs from the South.

TENOR:  "Surrey With The Fringe On Top" and "Kansas City" (from Oklahoma), "There is Nothin' Like A Dame' (from South Pacific), “Being Alive” (Company”), “Younger Than Springtime” (South Pacific), “Johanna” (Sweeney Todd), and “I Will Follow You” (Milk and Honey). 

BARITONE/BASS:  "Some Enchanted Evening" (from South Pacific), "They Call The Wind Maria" from (Paint Your Wagon), "Get Me To The Church On Time" (from My Fair Lady), "Make Them Hear You" from (Ragtime, the Musical), “Always Look On the Bright Side of Life" (from Monty Python's Spamalot), "Put On A Happy Face" from (Bye, Bye Birdie).

NON-Standard Musical Theatre:   Certain musicals auditions ask for a ‘non-Broadway” song.  Depending on the style of the show, you’ll want to look into material sung by pop performers who have a vocal range and style similar to the requirements of the show.  Performers have had good luck with some of the songs of: Billy Joel, Elton John, Paul Simon, Michael Buble, Christina Aguilera, Kristin Chenoweth, Sarah Brightman, Anita Baker, or Barbra Streisand. 

 Type of casting for singers auditioning for musical theatre:

1. Lead Roles- prepare by choosing songs that show off acting skills and specific vocal ranges as well.  The song chosen must be appropriate to the show as well as the singer. 

2. Character roles-Find out the ‘voicing’ of the role you are auditioning for, and choose a song that has the same voicing and similar personality-type.  (ie. If a female is auditioning for a ‘belting’ role, it would make no sense to sing a mid-range soprano song.  Also, one would not choose songs from the musical that you are auditioning for, unless specified to do so.  

3. Chorus and smaller roles (singers who dance”) 4. Dancers (dancers who sing) If not confident as a singer, choose a song that has a

'long dance or instrumental break' where you can show off your 'forte'.

Memorizing Vocal Music

1. Brute repetition.  Speak the text repeatedly.  Sing the text repeatedly. 2. The rule of three:  Work a long phrase until you can repeat it perfectly from

memory three times consecutively.  Do the next phrase the same way.  Combine the phrases and work them as one longer phrase.  Build by phrases until you sing perfectly from memory an entire section of the aria/song three times consecutively.  Build by sections until you have memorized the whole song.

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3. Memorize the text without the music.  In other words, memorize it as a poem, rather than as a song.  Then put it with the music.

4. Speak the rhythm.  Sing the rhythm, on one pitch. 5. Try memorizing while lying on your back.  Studies have shown that actors

memorize roles faster while working on memorizing in a supine position. 6. Memorize the song backwards.  Memorize the last section first, then the next-to-

last section, working your way forward. 7. Rewards:  Reward yourself with each song memorized. Get a frozen yogurt or

goody that you really like.  Don’t get it until you’ve sung the piece successfully in the presence of others (in other words, performed it from memory under pressure.)

8. Write the words on paper while repeating the song from memory. 9. If you visualize the words in order to memorize, visualize the words in the upper

left quadrant of your vision.  According to ‘Neuro-Linguistic Programming’, it seems to settle in the memory quicker and more deeply by using the upper left quadrant.

10. Try to “hear the piece in your head,” and to “listen” to it, preferably right before you go to sleep – or to “hear” it while you are listening to something else.

11. Delay Gratification:  when working on an entire role, (opera, musical, ), memorize your favorite piece last.  Memorize the most difficult music FIRST.  Memorize ensembles before solos.  In other words, delay the gratification of memorizing your favorite parts until the other sections are memorized. 

12. Try working on memorization while doing some mindless chore.  Repeat phrases over and over again while cleaning up or washing dishes or sweeping.  Refer to the score when necessary, then return to the mindless task and work the memory. 

Vocal Warm Ups

The mission of a warm up is to turn you from non-vocal status into a smokin' singing machine. To arrive at maximum potential, you've got to allow enough time to deal with stubborn tensions and coordination issues. A good way to begin warming up is with a hum. Keep your lips together but let your jaw hang down so your teeth are separated. At a very low volume, let your voice find the pitch that requires the least amount of energy to produce. The hum should tickle your lips. Sustain this note for as long as comfortable and repeat with long slow relaxed breaths in between. Test other notes in the neighborhood and see if they can be hummed as easily. Don't test the range just yet; the goal is to make the voice feel good first.

Next, change the single note hum into a three note melody. Start on your original easy pitch and let the voice rise up three notes and then come back down three notes. Use this simple melody to become aware of any behavior issues. Are you humming the high note as easily as the others? The littlest inconsistency is worth correcting; it will only become a bigger problem when singing. Keep repeating the melody until all three notes feel exactly the same. Once this is achieved raise the starting note of the melody and explore

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your range. Remember: K.I.S.S. ("Keep It Slow & Simple") Don't complicate the process by doing too much too soon. Let the voice come to you.

When humming feels slippery, it's time to move on. With the word "me," sing a five note scale (1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1) placing the "M" on steps 1, 3, 5, 3 and 1 (ME-EE-ME-EE-ME-EE-ME-EE-ME). This should sound smooth; not choppy. Singing this way allows the vocal folds to assume a little more load while still retaining the advantages of a hum. Watch that your air does not dump out while making the EE. Always let the voice crack and blank out on high notes rather then push them. Let the registers change reflexively, never adjust your face or increase the volume to avoid head voice or falsetto. Give things time to coordinate. Hang around awkward areas with a focus on keeping your behavior simple. Switching the EE vowel to an AH (MA-AH-MA-AH-MA-AH-MA-AH-MA) will increase the work load at the folds even more, but wait until the EE is responding well before doing this.

A good indicator that you are warmed up is an independent tongue and jaw. To encourage this, let your jaw hang open and place your index finger on your chin. Using the same five note scale above, alternate between AH and EE vowels without moving the chin (AH-EE-AH-EE-AH-EE-AH-EE-AH). Your finger is there to remind you to let the tongue do the moving - not the jaw. Just the rear portion of the tongue needs to rise to pronounce an EE; you don't need to spread your mouth or smile. When this action becomes easy you should increase the speed. Make sure you don't drive harder - singing fast does not require fast air. Only after you are able to access your entire range without pushing should you explore singing louder. Gradually increase the volume of these scales until you reach what you'll need on stage. Watch for volume-based tensions creeping in. Slowly roll your shoulders and move your head around while vocalizing to make sure you don't get locked up.

There is only one question to answer when warming up. Is the sound you're making easy to produce? That's it. If the answer is yes you get to move on. Try something a little more challenging. If the answer is no you should address whatever is making things difficult. Vocal warm ups are like stretching the body before a work out of before a game. They can last 5 minutes or 30 minutes, depending on what concepts you are working with or what techniques you are trying to accomplish. So, if you're into making resolutions make this the year you adopt a new approach to singing. The more time you spend gently preparing the longer you'll be able to sing afterwards. You'll never burn out if you remember my little twist on K.I.S.S: When warming up the voice, "Keep It Slow & Simple".

Lastly, it is always wise to get private vocal lessons or coaching when preparing for an audition. Your music teacher (Mrs. Smith) can provide you with a list of studios and/or private voice teachers to research and interview in order to find the right instructor for you, depending on your goals.

“Power Breathing”

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Power lunch. Power walk. Power nap.  Hey, as long as we’re making ourselves feel powerful by renaming natural activities, let’s talk about “Power Breathing”.  There is nothing new about power breathing.  Every baby on the planet has the technique down.  Power breathing is what allows infants to scream for hours on end.  Obviously, newborns don’t have a lot of muscle strength.  So where does all that energy come from?  They instinctively harness two universal properties:  air pressure and recoil. 

     The air around us is pressurized and self-stabilizing.  When the pressure decreases anywhere, surrounding air will move in to fill the void.  This is the motor which drives the weather, and why the weatherman is always talking about areas of high and low pressure.  On a smaller scale, when you open a new jar of pickles, you’ll hear a suction sound as the seal is broken.  Pickles are vacuum packed, which means the air pressure inside the jar is much lower than outside.  Unscrew the lid and air is drawn in.  The same thing happens when we inhale. When your lungs are expanded, the air pressure inside drops.  Outside air then rushes in to equalize the imbalance.  What’s important to remember is that air doesn’t make your lungs expand—muscles do. 

     The diaphragm is a dome shaped muscle which sits directly under your lungs.  When it descends, the area inside your lungs increases.  There are also muscles between your ribs, which spread the cage, and muscles in the neck and shoulders, which can lift your chest.  Any of these muscles can enlarge your lung space to create an inhale.  Of all these options, the diaphragm is best positioned.  We are often too tight in the stomach area, through, and don’t give it room to drop.  Infants are not tight down there and take full advantage of the diaphragm’s ability to pull in air.  Notice how their belly’s swell like little Buddhas just before letting go of a wail.  It’s a simple principal; the more air you take in, the more pressure you’ll have to cry.

Once expanded, your lungs are like two balloons. The air pressure inside an inflated balloon is greater than outside the balloon. Everybody knows that the pressure will come out -- with force -- by simply releasing the balloon, but we fail to apply this universal law to singing. At the beginning of each phrase, we use abdominal muscles to drive the air out of our lungs. Not only is this as unnecessary as squeezing a balloon to empty it, but it causes all kinds of trouble. Singing requires a specific amount of pressure; too much force triggers your throat to hold back air like fingers clamping down on the neck of a balloon. Control is lost.

The other under-appreciated source of power, recoil, also relies on the diaphragm. Most people incorrectly associate the words "breathe support" with push. They tap there tummy and say, "Sing from here. Right?" Well, that’s half right. To better understand how the whole thing ties together, let’s get creative with anatomy. It’s been said that the body is a temple but I think it more resembles a tenement. Imagine your body as a building that has one studio apartment on each level. Let’s call the first floor the "legs" of your structure. The second floor represents your abdominal cavity and the third level is the thoracic cavity (if you want to get fancy, you can call your head the penthouse). It doesn’t take very long when you live in a building like this to appreciate that one

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person’s floor is another person’s ceiling. This rule is the same in your body. The diaphragm is both the floor to the lungs (thoracic cavity) and the ceiling to the abdomen. Move this divider up and down, and it enlarges one cavity while compressing the other.

When your diaphragm descends, it pushes on everything inside your abdominal cavity. Since this "room" is jam packed with furnishings like a stomach, liver and intestines, everything gets shoved towards the walls. This is why your tummy sticks out when you inhale correctly. It’s not filling with air down there, it’s just a response to the ceiling coming down. Compressing your abdominal cavity doesn’t take much effort, as long as its walls are relaxed. Sucking in your tummy when you inhale locks everything in place, so the diaphragm can’t come down. The result is a shallow breath that doesn’t pack much punch. We learn from infants crying that creating a big inhale is important. Even more important, though, is not pushing once you’re fully loaded. You’ve already worked for the energy; all you have to do is release.

The automatic reaction to compression is recoil. If you push down on a spring and then quickly release it will jump back to its original form. The more force you use to compress, the more force you get back on recoil. Push down on the spring again but this time slowly raise your hand. The spring returns at the hand’s speed. This is a controlled release. Notice that, to control the motion, your hand only needs to push downward; there’s no need to pull up on a spring. The same is true for your diaphragm. Once the abdominal cavity is compressed, it wants to spring back. As if it was holding back the recoil of a spring, your diaphragm should continue to apply and downward pressure to regulate the air pressure passing through your larynx. In other words, it "supports " your voice by making sure that the vocal folds aren’t overwhelmed.

Combine the spring-back action of your abdominal cavity with the momentum of high pressure from fully inflated lungs and you’ll have vocal power to spare. Notice that both of these power sources are passive, the work was done during the inhale. If you need more thrust, your abs are always there to add. I know it feels as if you need to push with your abs in order to make your voice powerful. Just remember that this desire is a reaction to half-inflated lungs. Stretching your body will help; start your warm-up routine with some reaches and side-stretches. Reserve abdominal push as a last resort, not a first line of strength. It takes a while to re-train the body to release the abs on every inhale, but the pay-off will be a voice that’s truly bouncing off the walls -- just like when you were a baby.

Do’s and Don’t’s for a Healthy Voice

Do’s:  Drink 6-8 glasses of water daily.  *Treat allergies and infections promptly. Rest your voice in times of illness. Keep background noise to a minimum –Don’t yell to be heard. Stay relaxed- release stress with yoga, aerobics and meditation.

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Find a vocal coach- non-trained singers have more vocal tension and are more likely to injure their voices.

Avoid:*Caffeinated, alcoholic and acidic beverages.*Smoke-filled environments.*Whispering, excessive yawning and phonating while yawning- this may strain

the muscles in your throat and voice.*Frequent aspirin use – It may contribute to vocal cord hemorrhage.*Milk based drinks which can cause excessive mucus.  *Excessive loud talking.  This, too, may lead to vocal strain.

Don’t:            *Clear your throat – Sip water or take a deep breath instead.            *Cough if you don’t have to – It will become a bad habit.            *Drink alcohol – the alcohol may numb your vocal cords and you may be unable to feel their fatigue.

*Don’t SMOKE!  Not only will you be slowly ruining your voice for life, but you are a hazard to other lives with 2nd hand smoke, not to mention the fact that smoking is suicidal. 

            *Accept roles out of your vocal range just to “gain experience” –the price of injury can be quite high.            *Clench your teeth – this causes tension in the jaw muscles.            *Raise your voice when you are angry – Instead, take deep breaths through your mouth and let the air out with a soft sigh.  Yelling may injure your vocal cords.

*Note: If you are having chronic vocal/ throat problems, you should see an ear/nose/throat physician. 

“Singing With A Cold”

     The germs which cause colds are always around.  Constantly washing your hands and avoiding contact with others is not enough.  The best defense is to keep you immune system strong by eating right (fruits and vegetables), hydrating (Eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day), sleeping (around 6-9 hours), and exercising for better circulation.  Staying warm is also an important factor.  In frigid conditions, your body works hard to retain heat.  Dressing in layers with a hat, water-proof boots and a scarf allows your body to focus energy on fighting off incoming infections.  Use your brains.  Wait until you stop sweating before going outside after rehearsal, or have a coat handy if you are loading equipment in and out of stage areas. 

     If you catch a ‘nasty’ aching, head clogging cold three days before an important performance, there are certain things to consider.  Over the counter medications (anti-histamines) dry up congestion, but prohibit the necessary house cleaning.  Congestion, mucus, is what your body produces to flush out toxins.  Anti-histamines also dry mucous

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membranes, like your vocal folds, which will cause you to lose your voice.  So, reach for the decongestants as an absolute last resort.  However, it is better to experiment with medications at rehearsals, rather then waiting until the day of the performance.  You should always know the effect something will have on your voice before you use it under the spotlights.         If you have time, instead of squashing the symptoms, help speed up the cleanse.  Flood yourself with water and real juices to thin the congestion, lubricate your folds and flush your body.  The juice should be freshly squeezed in order to get the most benefit.  The best types during a cold are Orange (vitamin C), Celery (retains fluids), Cucumber and Cranberry (cleans acid deposits) and Carrot (Vitamin A).  If you’re not into juices, take supplements.  The water-based vitamins like C and B complex are the first to be depleted when you’re fighting a cold.  Unfortunately, a Mountain-Dew slushy has no vitamins, but does give a great brain freeze. 

     An important benefit of hydrating is that it may keep a cold from reaching your lungs.  Throat clearing and coughing, which normally accompanies a cold, is very irritating to the vocal folds.  The delicate membranes in and around the larynx become swollen and rigid, which is why your voice gets so deep and restricted.  Inhaling steam will help loosen congestion in the lungs as well as soothe the vocal folds.  Be careful when inhaling steam, you can burn your lips and nasal passages.  Gargling with warm salt water will also help draw phlegm away from your larynx. (If the salt is collecting at the bottom of the glass, you’ve put too much salt in the glass).  This is a good routine to get into daily, to clean and increase circulation of the mouth and throat.  Teas, honey (no preservatives or additives), or any other coating therapy may soothes soar muscles but will not heal the vocal folds. To reduce the swelling and get singing again, you’ve got to vocalize (warm up).

Warming-up with a Cold

     Low volume, barely audible, humming is a great way to start.  Let your larynx choose the pitches.  It’s better to stay with one single note (whichever is most comfortable) than to push or force the range.  Allow plenty of time for your voice to loosen.  Rushing the warm-up when you have a cold will greatly reduce the longevity of your voice and make conditions worse the next day. 

Extra-Sleep to Kick a Cold

     Sleep as much as you can during the days leading up to your performance.  But, on gig day, don’t hibernate.  Get up, take a long hot shower and do some light stretching and exercising to get your blood circulating.  Mentally prepare for the long day ahead.  You’ve got to learn how to ‘live and perform with a cold”. 

Winter Holidays

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     The winter holidays are a notorious time for coming down with something.  Heavier foods and less physical activity increases the amount of toxins in our system.  After a while, our bodies will clean house by producing mucus.  So, find a way to stay physically active between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and watch that third piece of pie.

Stress

     Stress, of all the causes of illness, is number one.  Juggling work or school with rehearsals and gigs, eating on the run with zero sleep, disrupts metabolism and forces the body to run on adrenaline.  Anxiety saps vitamins, dehydrates, and leaves you vulnerable to whatever is around.  That’s why colds always arrive right as your preparing for the big recording or showcase/concert.  Yes, you should be well rehearsed, but there comes a point where the push becomes counter-productive.  Rest, like hydration, is an in-separable component of vocal ability.  It’s important to remember that stress is 100 percent internal, and is always reduced by saying the word, “no.”  So, for your voice’s sake, open up your schedule, and chill. 

      I know it seems un-cool to worry about health, but ask anyone who has gotten sick and could not perform for their final performance/concert—getting sick stinks.  It is possible that you may not catch a cold throughout the school year as long as you take care of yourself. Hold firm to a belief that you will not get sick.  If it’s too late for this season, then for next.  Adopting healthy habits now will pay off in the future when you’re in demand.  There is no remedy as effective as prevention and preventative maintenance.  I’m sure your mother already told you most of these things, but that was so you wouldn’t miss school.  I’m telling you so you won’t miss a performance.  BIG DIFFERENCE! 

Everyone is needed for a production to be totally successful! When a choir, vocal ensemble, show choir, musical theatre group is missing one, two, three people, there is a 'gap' in the production, an empty hole where someone once stood, a vocal part that is now weaker because one person is missing, or there is members of the choir who are less confident because the one person they depended on is not present. REMEMBER, everyone is needed to complete a 'TEAM' for without the SHORT STOP, or CENTER FIELDER, or GOALEE, or Volleyball SETTER, the team has been weakened and will not perform at their very best. Everyones part in a performance or game is just as important as the person with the lead role. One for all, and all for ONE!

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SONG INTERPRETATION & AUDITION PROJECT (25 % of grade)

Now it is time to put these concepts into practice! This is your chance to get ready for a mock audition coming up! Here is your assignment:

1. Go online to YOUTUBE and pick out a musical theatre song that suits your vocal range and one that appeals to you. (Suggestion: pick out a song from the musical that you choose from your power point project. (NOTE: The song should be somewhat familiar to you) 2. Bring in the youtube video by using the instructions given to you online (click link below) click here to access document for 'how to download a youtube video'OR go to Mrs. Smith's teacher webpage ~click on General music assignments and then click on the link to access the document on 'how to download a youtube video'. 3. Using the auditioning tips, practice at home and learn the song that you have chosen. 4. Perform the song in front of the class for your grade.NOTE: For those who are not comfortable singing in front of your classmates, you may choose the following instead;a. Partner up! Get another classmate to sing with you for moral support. b. 'Rap' the song along with the recorded accompaniment. c. Create a dance to the musical song of choice for your audition instead~(song must be school appropriate!) 5. (50%) Write a one page/one sided SONG INTERPRETATION. Your written interpretation should include the following information:a) Title of song, Title of Musical it is from, composer of song, Year song was written with the year the musical was completed. b) What character(s) in the musical sing the song. Explain what the song is telling the audience, tell how the song promotes the storyline within the musical, what is the emotional feelings of those singing it? What is the outcome after the song has been sung in the musical? c) Why did you choose this musical and this song particularly? d) Write any online opinions about the song and cite the author of those opinions. e) Include any interesting facts about the song.

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA: Your audition must be MEMORIZED and well prepared. Your audition must be somewhere between 2 to 3 1/2 minutes in length. Your audition must include the music accompaniment on FLASH DRIVE, I-POD, MP-3, CD-R/music, or original CD store bought. NO DVD's and NO CD-RW's !

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Students must dress the part of the character in the musical! Convince the judge that you ARE that character by your dress, hair, movements, and voice! The more you know about the musical and the character, the better your audition! GOOD LUCK!

Mrs. Smith's suggested songs & links for auditions:

I would encourage you to choose a song from the musical that you did your power point project on. If not, here are some suggestions and links to the direct YOUTUBE link to find the karaoke versions.

BOYS:   'King of New York' from the musical "NEWSIES" click here to access youtube karaoke to King of New York'Zip A Dee Doo Dah' from the Songs of the South" click here to access youtube video of Zip A Dee Doo Dah'Under the Sea' from the disney movie/musical, "THE LITTLE MERMAID"click here to acces karaoke youtube for 'Under the Sea''Bare Necessities' from the disney movie/musical, 'JUNGLE BOOK" click here for karaoke track youtube for Bare Necessities

GIRLS:'Maybe" from the musical "ANNIE" click here to access youtube karaoke video of MAYBE ''Spoonful of Sugar' from the Disney movie, "MARY POPPINS" click to access youtube karaoke to 'Spoonful of Sugar"'I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair' from "SOUTH PACIFIC" click here to access karaoke youtube link to Wash That Man outta hair'My Favorite Things' from the musical, "THE SOUND OF MUSIC" click here to access youtube karaoke track for My Favorite things"Castle On A Cloud" from the musical, 'PHANTOM OF THE OPERA' click here for karaoke youtube to 'Castle on a Cloud'