Ever felt like, with so much riding on auditions and so many amazing songs out there, it’s impossible to decide what music to put in your audition book? The material you select for an audition is a powerful tool that can help you stand out from the crowd. You need songs that are right for a particular show, theatre, or college program, but having to locate and learn a new song for every audition can leave you feeling frazzled and less than confident.

One of the best things about my career is that I get to work with some really talented and successful musical theatre artists.  So…if you’d like some insider tips that I’ve gathered from Broadway’s most successful performers and music directors, keep reading.

Let’s start with the first five songs you should get in your book NOW.

#1. An “I Want” or “I Am” song –  This is an empowering song that has a clear emotional journey. It can come from any style or period, but it should show off both your voice and your personality. It is a song you can always count on, and you know you will feel great when singing it. It’s your “first choice” song for every audition.

P.S. This “I Want/I Am” song is a little like picking out ice cream. When you go with your tried-and-true favorite, you might be afraid that you’re missing out on some new scrumptious flavor. But if you try something new on a whim, it can let you down and leave you wishing you had stayed with the one that never fails to satisfy you!

#2. and #3.  One ballad and one uptempo song selected from the categories below. I’ve listed a handful of composers in each category to help you get started.

• Jazz Standard (Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Duke Ellington, Jerome Kern)
• Traditional Musical Theatre (Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe, Jerry Herman, Jule Styne)
• Comedy – hint: if it makes people laugh out loud, you nailed it! (writers like Noel Coward, Cole Porter, Comden and Green, Marcy Heisler, Kerrigan and Lowdermilk)
• Contemporary Theatre (Stephen Schwartz, Maltby and Shire, Kander and Ebb, Ahrens and Flaherty, Andrew Lippa, Jeanine Tesori, Bobby Lopez, Alan Menken)

Not sure how to find songs like these? Hop on Spotify and queue up some singers like Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. Do a search of musical theatre composers and listen your way through the soundtracks of their musicals. Make a list of only the songs that capture your attention or that you connect with emotionally.

#4. and #5. Two contrasting rock/pop songs chosen from the categories below (you’re not gonna use songs from a rock/pop musical)

• ‘50s and ‘60s rock and roll and Motown (think Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Buddy Holly, Bobby Darin, Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Dusty Springfield, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross and the Supremes)
• ‘70s rock/folk (think Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Elton John, Meatloaf)
• ‘70s – ‘80s disco (think Olivia Newton-John, Donna Summer, the Bee Gees, Kool and the Gang)
• ‘80s rock and pop (think Billy Joel, Heart, Whitney Houston, Cyndi Lauper, Pat Benatar, Hall and Oates, Kenny Loggins)
• ‘90s rock and pop (think Red Hot Chili Peppers, No Doubt, Maroon 5)
• 21st century rock, including grunge, alt, indie, punk, emo and folk
• blues, country, or gospel

Not sure where to start your rock/pop song quest?

• Google the following:
  • Hit songs of…[type in the era or year]
  • Top 100 songs of…[type in the era or year]
  • Top songwriters of…[type in the era or year]
• Already have a favorite group or artist in one of the categories? Search for their greatest hits.
• Get back on Spotify and set up some playlists for your favorite artists in each of the categories. Keep a running list of the songs that grab your attention or that you connect with emotionally.

Once you decide on what to put in your book, you can go to musicnotes.com to purchase and download the sheet music. Stay tuned for my next blog post where I’ll share some secrets about how to cut songs into mini-stories that I guarantee will help you get noticed.

When you’re done, you’ll have five new songs in your book, and one of them is sure to be right for almost any kind of audition! I bet you’ll not only have a great time discovering some fantastic music that you didn’t know before — you’ll also be really excited about learning new material that’s gonna show the people behind the table who you are and what you can do. Download this free checklist to track your progress.

If you found these tips helpful, I’d love for you to share them with someone else who could use them. We’re all creating a life for ourselves in the arts, and I believe the more we help each other, the more opportunities there are for everyone.

Question: Have you ever auditioned with a song you really connected with? How did that feel compared to a time you weren’t particularly inspired by your audition material? Share your story in the comments below or on the AuditionCutPro Facebook page. And remember to read my next post where I’ll talk about how to condense that great song into a great cut.

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