<p>I keep running into a problem. My ballad is "Lying there" from edges. I'm trying to cut it for auditions and I keep ending up with 17 bars, or 33. There's no way really to cut it less, is one bar over a huge deal?</p>
<p>No one is going to be hovering over your music counting the measures. 16 or 32 bar cuts are the standard length, but some songs can't be conveniently cut that way. You won't be penalized for an extra bar if you need it to make a logical cut.</p>
<p>thanks :) Does that include the into? or do they mean 16 bars of singing?</p>
<p>A school typically refers to a 16 bars and 32 bars of actual singing; the intro should really be cut back to a minimum of a few notes however, not a whole bunch of bars. Remember they are not auditioning the accompanist :D, but you!</p>
<p>The 16 or 32 bar requirement does refer to the actual amount of music being sung by the auditioner; however, I disagree about the length of an introduction. An introduction should generally be between 2 and 4 bars depending on the song and what works - there should be enough time for the singer to be "in the moment" and have an acting moment before they start actually singing, and 2-4 bars also provides enough time for both the singer and whoever is watching the audition to settle into the music.</p>
<p>Keep your intro short, but allow enough time to adjust to the rhythm and tempo the pianist is giving you. Don't forget, you are going to be working with a new accompanist -- the music may sound different from what you're accustomed to. It's better to give yourself a few bars to adjust BEFORE you sing.</p>
<p>:D I should probably point out that I meant a few bars instead of a few notes for the introduction, oops! As actormcfacmous and onstage also point out, you need to be "ready to sing", and an introduction certainly helps to "center yourself".</p>
<p>I didn't know where to place this but, I really like the song Not A Day Goes By from Merrily We Roll Along but it is most commonly performed by women and has since the Original Broadway Cast performed in the show by a woman BUT the original was a man and song by the character Frank soo.....does this present a dilemna? What are thoughts on songs like this and On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever) and so many others that were originated by men but popularized by women?</p>
<p>If the song is sung by a character that you could REALISTICALLY be cast in, you're okay. If the character is a woman and you're a guy -- it's unlikely that you're going to be cast as that character. If the song must be sung by an African-American character and you are Caucasian -- it's unlikely that you'll be cast as that character. For example: white men should not audition for college by singing "Summertime" -- even though many white men have recorded that song. I have found it's best to be conservative in your choices when auditioning for college programs. If you want to push the envelope, wait till you get out in the real world.</p>