acting through song for non singers
If you’re not someone who has grown up belting out show tunes or warbling your way through a shower then you might find the idea of singing in an audition a slightly daunting or perhaps entirely terrifying event.
Alas, this will not be a blog post about how to make your singing voice sound better but rather how you can navigate your way through the audition process and show yourself off to the best of your ability.
Singing well, like honing any other skill, takes practise. And if you’re asked to sing in an audition in a few days or weeks then the likelihood of you getting your voice to a high standard through practise wouldn’t be realistic. Instead try to focus on the things below that will get you singing and performing to the best of your ability with the voice you already have and help you gain some confidence in your current ability along the way. Enjoy!
ask why
It sounds a bit strange but once you get instructions to sing in the audition, ask yourself the question ‘why is the casting director/drama school/audition panel actually asking me to sing?’ There could be various reasons but the most common are:
there is singing in the show so they want to see your current level
the panel want to see you shift your acting ability from spoken word to singing. Whether you can retain the element of acting but through a sung medium
how open, committed, comfortable and truthful you can be in such an exposing medium
Once you have the answers to these questions, you can then cater your approach to your preparation to fit with these outcomes.
choose wisely
If you are a non singer then it would be wise to choose a song that doesn’t stretch you technically. Nothing that will test your range too much or that has unfamiliar time signatures and beats or is in a language that you don’t know - these are massive hurdles that will really trip you once once you are under to pressure and nerves of a live audition. Choose something that sits comfortably in your own range that you don’t have to strain for for most of the song, simple tune or melody and in your native language or language you will be auditioning with.
choose character over technical
Choose a song that gives you something to act through. Something that has an opinion, a story, a dilemma, a moment of clarity, a shift in thoughts etc. Something that you can recognise from an acting perspective as something you could bring to life. You are an actor so regardless of the medium you are performing in, your job is to act so make sure you choose a song that makes it easy to do so. it will also help to give you something to focus on from a place fo strength instead of focusing on your voice.
breakdown the text
Just like you would do for a scene or a monologue in any other audition. Go through your new text (the song) and do your character development, text analysis and breakdown. Add into this if there are any repeated lines, pauses, long notes, fluctuation in speed, range, dynamic etc - these are all clues and evidence in your text for you to make imaginative and artistic choices. Figure out what your objective is for the song and who you are singing to. Treat it like any other audition.
don’t sing with broadway
If you are doing a song from a musical or even a pop/rock/folk etc song - don’t listen to the artist or original cast recording to learn or go over your song. The artists will likely shift and changes things ever so slightly that will be true to their unique take and performance. You should be rehearsing free from someone else’s voice so that you can have your own interpretation of the song. You wouldn’t copy someone else’s MacBeth beat by beat so don’t copy someone singing a song.
a cappella or backing track
If you are going to be singing a cappella (unaccompanied) then make sure you learn the tune and then concentrate on rehearsing without an accompaniment. Because you won’t have that in the audition, work to get away from having the accompaniment helping you out. Concentrate on your tuning as you won’t have anyone giving you your notes.
If you are going to be singing with accompaniment i.e a pianist then rehearse with piano accompaniments online. Youtube have a whole host of songs that are entirely instrumental. This will really help you keep the tempo and know where and when your intros and interludes are.
do a vocal warm up
So perhaps your voice isn’t to the west end musical standard but it will still sound better after a vocal warm up. Much like running a 5k will be significantly more pleasant if you’ve stretched and done a brisk walk beforehand. Try doing light humming, sirens, lip trills, tough twisters, scales - anything that will limber up your vocal chords, lips, tongue and face. Do this before each rehearsal in the run up to the audition and on the big day.
hydrate
Drinking water cures so many things including helping your voice to perform better. Make sure you are well hydrated before and during your rehearsals as well as on the day of the audition. Its a little habit to get into that will be the gift that just keeps on giving.
get a singing lesson
If you’ve got a bit of money to spend, I highly recommend getting a singing lesson in preparation to your audition. No, it won’t change your voice in an hour but working with a professional will help you with tuning, breath work, vocal placement, understanding the music and so so much more. I had a singing lesson for my last singing audition and it made the world of difference. I ended up feeling so much more confident with the material and my own capability once it was done. Also, if you ask very nicely, they will play the piano accompaniment whilst you record it on your phone so you can practise at home! How cool is that!
In the end, it isn’t going to benefit you going into a singing audition and hating the entire experience because you didn't take any steps to make it more accessible or manageable. Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can - Arthur Ashe. You have skills that you can use in this situation so get up and get started!