Nerves during an audition? Singing with the piano...?

Question

I will be auditioning for my high school's production of the Sound of Music within the next couple of weeks. The first portion is dancing, which I am quite comfortable with (I have already been made dance captain).

My main problem is the singing portion. I will be singing "Sixteen Going on Seventeen," which I know very well. I tend to get very nervous while singing at auditions, especially singing with a piano. I speed up or miss entrances, even if I practice with the karaoke version on the computer.

I would really appreciate any tips on how to calm my nerves and perform to the best of my ability. This is my senior year, and I really want to get a good role.

Thank you!

Answer 1

If your problem is that you go off beat when you are nervous, then your goal should be to make rhythm an instinct. What you should do is this:



First, listen to the instrumental of 16 going on 17. Do not sing with it, just find its "pace" by means of tapping your finger. For instance, with this particular song i think you would be tapping your finger on I...sixteen...go(ing)...sev(enteen)... etc. Then, keep that pace, and without music try to sing the song. keep tapping your finger. this will train your brain to more easily pick up the natural beat that you need to follow. Next try with music and keep tapping your finger. you can even nod your head with the tapping of your finger, that helps me. do both these steps about 5 times in a row to train yourself. then try without tapping your finger to the music. Hope this helps! :)

Answer 2

In other words.. YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO SING.. which seems strange to me since you say you are a dancer and dancers use TIMING more than most otehr performers. Have you never heard of a METRONOME that you can use to LEARN TIMING and RHYTHM? Anyway.. here are some songs, after that you're on your own.

A BRAND NEW DRESS... Coco

A FOGGY DAY IN LONDON TOWN. Dmsel in Distres

A JOURNEY TO A STAR.. The Gang's all Here

A NEW LIFE... Jekyll and Hyde\

A WHOLE LOTTA SUNLIGHT... Raisin

ACID QUEEN.. The Who's Tommy

ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE.. Brigadoon

ANOTHER HUNDRED PEOPLE.. Company

APPLAUSE... Applause

ARKANSAS... Big River

AS LONG AS HE NEEDS ME.. Oliver

BACK TO BASE... Closer than Ever

BACK TO BEFORE.. Ragtime

BACKWOODS BARBIE.. 9 to 5

BE MY HOST.. Fanny

BE ON YOUR OWN... Nine

BIG SPENDER... Sweet Charity

BILL... Show Boat

BLESS THE LORD.. Can Do

BLUE MOON.. Manhattan Melodrama

BOUNCE ME BROTHER.. Swing

BOY WANTED... Primrose

BREATH... In the Heights

BUENOS AIRES... Evita

CAFÉ CONTINENTAL... Big

CANDLE IN THE WATER.. Pete's Dragon

C'EST MAGNAFIQUE... Can Can

CABARET.. Cabaret

DANCE 10, LOOKS 3... A Chorus Line

DAY BY DAY.. Godspell

DIVA'S LAMENT.. Spamalot

DO I HEAR A WALTZ.. Do I hear a Waltz

DON'T STOP BELIEVIN.. Rock of Ages

EASY TERMS.. Blood Brothers

EASY TO BE HARD.. Hair

ESCAPE... Escape

EVERYTHING ELSE.. Next to Normal

FALLING IN LOVE WITH LOVE.. Boys from Syracuse

FEELINGS YOU'VE GOT TO HIDE... Sideshow

FIFTY PERCENT.. Ballroom

FOLLOW YOUR HEART... Urintown

GIMME LOVE.. Kiss of the Spider Woman

GLITTER AND BE GAY ... Candide

GREEN FINCH AND LINET BIRD.. Sweeney todd

GRAND AVENUE... Flower Drum Song

GRIZABELLA THE GLAMOUR CAT... Cats

GROWING UP CATHOLIC.. Nonsense

HAIL THE HAPPY COUPLE... Pardon my English

HAPPY EASTER... Easter Parade

HELL NO.. The Color Purple

HOLDING ON.. Secret Garden

HOLDING TO THE GROUND... Falsettoland

HONEY, HONEY.. Momma Mia

HOPELESSLY DEVOTED TO YOU.. Grease

HOW LUCKY CAN YOU GET.. Funny Lady

I AIN'T GOT TIME.. Zanna Don't

I DON'T KNOW HIS NAME... She Likes Me

I GOT RHYTHM... Girl Crazy

I HAD A BALL... I had a ball

I HATE MUSICALS... Ruthless

I LIKE THE LOOK OF LOVE... Oh Calcutta

I LOVE YOU PORGY... Porgy and Bewss

I MIGHT GROW FOND OF YOU.. Sunny

I NEVER SAID I LOVE YOU... Dear World

I WANT IT ALL.. Baby

I WAS WAY AHEAD AND SEESAW.. Seesaw

IF MOMMA WERE MARRIED... Gypsy

I'M A WOMAN... Smokey Joe's Café

INSIDE YOUR HEART.. Bad Boy

IT MIGHT AS WELL BE SPRING... State Fair

IT'S A LOVELY DAY... Call me Madam

IT'S NEVER ENTERED MY MIND..Higher and Higher

JUST YOU WAIT... My Fair Lady

JUST WILD ABOUT HARRY.. Big Deal

KEYS .. Passing Strange

LAY DOWN YOUR HEAD.. Violet

LIGHT... The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

LITTLE GIRL BLUE.. Jumbo

LOOK FOR A SILVER LINING. Till the Clouds roll by

LOOK TO THE RAINBOW... Finian's Rainbow

LOSING MY MIND.. Fossee

LOVE... Love me Tonight

LOVE MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND.. Carnival

LOVE'S NEVER EASY... Bombay Dreams

LULLABY OF BROADWAY... 42nd Street

MACAROONS... Acorn Antiques

MELTING MOGGY... Honk

MISTER RIGHT... Love Life

MY FUNNY VALENTINE... Babes in Arms

MY OWN MORNING... Halleelujah Baby

NAPOLEON... Jamaica

NINE PEOPLE'S FAVORITE THING.. Title of Show

NO OTHER LOVE.. Me and Juliet

NOBODY'S SIDE... Chess

NOT SINCE NINEVEH... Kismet

100 WAYS TO LOSE A MAN.. Wonderful Town

OOH! MY FEET... The most happy fella

ONCE UPON A DECEMBER.... Anastasia\

ONE DAY I'LL FLY AWAY.. Moulin Rouge

ONE NIGHT ONLY.. Dream Girls

PARIS BY NIGHT.. Victor Victoria

PURLIE... Purlie

RAGS... Rags

RAIN ON THE ROOF.. The Wild Party

RAINING IN MY HEART.. Dames at Sea

ROLL IN THE HAY.. The Young Frankenstein

SECOND STAR TO THE RIGHT... Peter Pan

SHINE... Billy Elliot

SEPTEMBER SONG... Lovemusik

SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES... Robertta

SOME DAY.. The Wedding Singer

STARS & THE MOON.. Songs fora new World

SUGAR DADDY.. Hedwick and the angry inch

T'AINT NOBODY'S BUSINESS.. Black and Blue

THANK GOD I'M OLD... Barnum

THE BARE NECESSITIES... The Jungle Book

THE CALLING.. Altar Boyz

THE GARDEN RAM... Two by Two

THE MAN I LOVE.. Strike up the Band

TO KEEP MY LOVE ALIVE.. Connecticut Yankee

TOO MANY RINGS AROUND ROSIE.. No, No Nanette

UNDER THE TREE.. Celebration

YOU TOOK ADVANTAGE of me.. On Your Toes

WA

Answer 3

Okay, first of all, getting the piano part down pat is key. Practice with a metronome. Once you've gotten that, sing and play the piano with the metronome.



Once you've really gotten that part, play and sing without the metronome.



If it's still a bit difficult, go back to practicing with the metronome.



And remember, the more you practice, the better you'll be. You'll be confident in your playing, because you'll know the song very well.



Goodluck!

Answer 4

if you practice with a track and then audition with something else, like piano, that can mess you up. when you practice you need to find a way to practice EXACTLY how you are going to audition. I mean exactly. Get it burned in your brain, then when you go up to audition you know exactly what to expect and just ignore the judges. The more you pay attention to who's judging, the more you'll be nervous.

Answer 5

I would say deep breathing is the key. The type of breath where your chest doesn't really move but your stomach rises and falls with each breath. There is a good video on YouTube called "The Endless Now" which I use a lot for a calming exercise. Check it out:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNidw4McvEA

Answer 6

uhm ... well if your really nevors your not going to get the park bc if the teacher see you nevors with singing and if she gave you the part .. you will be nervos singing and acting infrot of the ancance !