Here is the handout from the first presentation:
A
Holistic Approach to Preparing for YAP Auditions
William
Florescu
I.
What
are the “Building Blocks”?
a. Vocal
technique
b. Languages
c. Correct
repertoire
d. Musicality/musical
accuracy - these are not the same
thing, but you need both!
e. Selling
the piece
1. A
sense of your body
2. Dramatic
intent
3. A
sense of the room
f. Knowing
when you are ready to audition, knowing who can give you the best advice
1. Teacher?
2. Coach?
3. Director?
4. Administrator?
5. Peer
group?
6. All
or some combination of the above?
II.
The
“Hard Goods”
a. The
resume
1. What
to put on? – what’s relevant
2. What
to leave off? – what’s “filler”
b. The
photo
1. Many
more options than there used to be
2. Cardinal
rule – make sure it looks like you, so the person hiring has another aid in
remembering you!
c. The
recording
1. Mp3s
are becoming more popular (i.e. YAP Tracker)
2. CDs
– if you burn a cd make sure that it works in all machines – a common problem are
cd s that only play on a computer
3. Make
sure the acoustics on different pieces don’t drastically change the quality of
your voice.
4. Particularly
early in your career, there should not be large lapses in time between
recordings, because the voice can change quickly – make sure you are giving a
snapshot of you now.
III.
Applying
a. Pay
to Sing or not Pay to Sing?
1. Research
pay to sings carefully – some are worthwhile, while others are strictly money
takers
2. Year
round programs – when you are done with grad school or when you take a hiatus.
3. Summer
programs – some are tiered for different level singers.
b. Delivery
system – more and more companies are using YAP tracker, but check to see - many resources are available now –
Classical Singer, Opera America Career Guide, etc.
c. Age?
– This varies from program to program but you can reasonably expect that 35
will be the upper end of eligibility, with some programs having lower limits.
IV.
Auditioning
a. Dress
1. Classy,
but don’t draw attention to the outfit – it’s you that should be
remembered!
2. Keep
your hair out of your face!
b. Scores
– have your scores accompanist ready with cuts, page turns, etc. – this is a problem OFTEN!
c. Entering
the Room – confident, friendly, eye contact – are you aware that the audition
has already begun??
d. Pronounce
the titles of your pieces correctly – again, this is an issue far more often
than you might imagine.
e. Assume
you will only get to sing one piece – pick one that gives the most complete
snapshot of you as a performer
V.
What
we (or at least I) are/am looking for
Simply - The complete package!
a. Yes,
first and front and center, a fine voice, but…
b. Confident
delivery, dramatically true
c. An
“individual” artistry – not a sense of mimicry
d. A
desire to communicate – not a “defensive” audition – which is all about not
making mistakes, but really saying something through your performance
e. Command
of linguistics – diction, pronunciation, inflection
f. A
sense of preparedness and professionalism – in performance, dress, speaking,
etc. – these are all harbingers of whether or not you will be a good colleague
VI.
After
the Audition – feedback?
a. Try
to find out the company’s policy before approaching.
b. Begin
any written request for feedback by thanking the auditioner for taking the time
to do so.
c. Don’t
overweight any advice you are given, but rather add it to other advice you are
given, and try to find commonalities that can help you in your development.
No comments:
Post a Comment