Musical Theatre Audition Songs

On the 4th day of our 2014 Vocal Workshop, we focused on a familiar, yet oh-so-important topic for all singers:

Our co-director Kevin Shields spoke from his extensive experience as a musical director and audition accompanist. He talked about how to dress, how to act, and covered a great list of “Dos and Don’ts” of an audition. Students asked lots of questions about what to expect in high school auditions, community theatre, and professional playhouses. Kevin also handed out a great list of songs that you should avoid during an audition. As you can see from that Google search link, there are many websites out there with lists of overdone audition songs.

But what about finding that perfect

16 or 32 bar audition piece?

Kevin’s presentation got me thinking about expanding our studio’s Vocal Library. We have a huge shelf of vocal books, but it can sometimes be difficult to find that perfect audition piece. In my search for more musical theatre anthologies, I stumbled across a number of audition-oriented materials.

Most voice teachers are well acquainted with the Singers Musical Theatre Anthology series, but did you know that they offered 16-32 bar audition books? Side note: I have SO many of the regular anthologies that I started using their master song list whenever I need to find a particular piece. It beats having to search through each anthology! Just load it up to your computer or iPad and you’ve got a master list at your finger tips.

The Broadway Presents books even come with accompaniment CDs for practicing purposes and those occasions when you might need to provide a CD during an audition. These are especially nice for younger singers who might need extra assistance while practicing.

Here are just a few that I’ve added to my Wishlist:

Of course, you’ll still have to search through these books to find “that perfect piece” for your particular audition needs, but professional musicians and editors have already done the job of selecting 16 or 32 bar sections. These books would be perfect for those students who are always auditioning for something!

All of these books are available through Amazon and Sheet Music Plus. If you’re interested in these books, please consider buying them through the links provided – if you do, our affiliate accounts will get a small reward, and that will help us expand our library!

Amazon.com Audition Book Links:

• Sara’s Music Studio Amazon Store

SheetMusicPlus.com Audition Book Links:

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