Audition (for show) when accompanist messes up

vivalaben2012
Mon, 11 Mar 2013 21:22:37 +0000

I actually had this happen to me at two of my college auditions this year:

The first actually happened during my CMU audition. I was singing the standard “Maria” from West Side Story when all of a sudden the accompanist just stopped playing. Since it wasn’t a matter of tempo I decided to just keep going since the part that was left was the iconic “the most beautiful sound I ever heard; Maria”. It was strange because it was properly marked and that had never happened any other time it had been played especially with such a good accompanist.

Which brings me to my next situation at my Point Park audition. It was a young accompanist, I believe a just graduated student. I was doing “Giants in the Sky” which I know is an audition “no-no” and I had even before I showed him saying I had my book with me if he didn’t want to play Sondheim which I wouldn’t blame him but I believe he might have taken it as an insult. The tempo was all over the place but I sang through it and believed I had recovered with my second piece (once again “Maria” which he played with no problem) and monologue.

I’m still waiting to hear from both of these schools so I’m hoping for the best but prepared for the worst.