Music for Unifieds

doctorjohn
Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:46:42 +0000

Kitkatt:



I know I need to bring my sheet music in a binder, but should I have 16-bar, 32-bar and full song copies of each song in there separately, or just have the cuts marked within the music?



Actually, it’s better if you have separate pieces of music. Put the music appropriate to the particular school up front for each audition, so that the accompanist can go straight from your first to your second piece without having to flip through pages.



Should I hand them my sheet music when I walk in the room or should I wait for them to ask for it?



Be prepared to do either. They’ll tell you. They’ll say something like, “Please take your music to the accompanist” or instead they’ll say something like, “Come on over here and talk to us.” Otterbein will do the latter.



Is it safer to use a CD and boombox or an amplified ipod? (I’m bringing both in case something malfunctions!)



Either will work. We’d prefer a CD, so that we can put it in *our *boom box; that way you don’t have to worry about pushing buttons. Bringing both a boombox and an ipod is not a bad idea. Murphy’s Law is in full effect at the Unifieds, and affects us as much as actors. I speak from experience… :)



If I put the songs on a CD, should I put each song on a different track or just dead space between each song on the same track? Should I put each song on separate CDs completely? And how much time should I allow before the music actually begins?



I think Pohsmom has given you good advice about how to handle the CD. You can use one CD, but do lay down separate tracks. Just keep a list: BU is tracks 1 and 2, Otterbein is tracks 3 and 4, etc. Allow about 5 seconds of silence (lead time) on each track before the recording starts. It’ll give you time to get set without rushing, and it’s not so long that you’re left standing there with nothing to do. Because of Murphy’s Law, burn two copies and have someone else carry the backup.



When I walk in the room, should I expect to plug in my boombox/amplified ipod myself and then be expected to start and stop it myself and then head to the spot they want me to sing at (therefore needing more silence at the beginning?) Or do they want you to let them handle that, and they’ll start and stop it for you?



Again, they’ll tell you. At Otterbein, we’ll handle the CD. Other schools may ask you to set up your own player, and they’ll give you directions. No one expects you to be psychic. People do expect you to be able to handle the situation; that’s part of acting, and frankly, almost any job. Practice breathing and smiling and walking into a room and looking at who’s there. It’s about beginning a relationship, kitkatt, much more than demonstrating that you’re trying to do everything right.



On my 32 bar song, I’m only singing 32 bars, but I have a two measure intro and a two measure ending, making it 36 bars total… will any school be against this? Also on my ipod, my minute long songs say that they last 1:15 because there is a five second intro of silence, and a ten second ending of silence, do any schools want the track to specifically be a minute to ensure I’m not going overtime?



I wouldn’t worry about 36 bars, or about silence between tracks.



On some schools (such as Otterbein) they say that your two song selections and monologue should not exceed three minutes… does this include transition time?



We’ll give you as much time as you need to make transitions between pieces.



Do these schools expect you to automatically transition from song to song to monologue without them asking? Or will they ask for things and discuss them with between each selection?



It could be different at different schools. But at Otterbein, we ask you to announce your name, where you’re from, and all of the pieces you’re about to do. Then you can do them in whatever order you please. Announcing the pieces in advance also allows you to make transitions without breaking your concentration.

It’s also better not to go straight from one piece to another without a transition. You need to give yourself time for something quite critical to the success of your audition, what Michael Shurtleff called “The Moment Before." (It’s Guidepost #3 in his book Audition.)

Finally, Ninnynoddle asked,

What do you do when you’re done with your piece?! Especially monologues. I usually look awkward and nod a little bit. But I definitely look awkward. What’s appropriate? And then I don’t know what to do and say after I nod, “Okay…um…my next song is ____”.



After you finish each piece, give yourself a moment to think the last thought in silence. It’s like the final rest in a piece of music. Then give yourself the “moment before” and go on to your next piece. When you’re done with all of your pieces, after you’ve taken the last moment, look at us, smile and say, “Thank you.” You’d be amazed at the positive effect of this tactic, and conversely the negative impact when actors do the opposite, and walk off dejectedly.

Finally, kat, I’ll repeat what I’ve written to you before:



I know that it’s hard not to want to know everything in advance, but it’s not practical, it’s not possible, and in some sense it’s not wise. There’s a limit. You can wind yourself tighter than the proverbial clock spring if you’re not careful, when what you really need to do in the audition is breathe… Walk into the audition with stuff you love to do, and then love doing it. We’ll love just about anything done that way.



I look forward to seeing you next week.