<p>Okay, there's no such thing as a stupid question - but I'm gonna try for it. How in the world do you make a 16 bar cut in a song? Just quit in the middle of a phrase? Keep going for 18 and hope they don't cut you off? Or just look for songs that lend themselves to that, without sounding awkward, like you've suddenly fallen offstage? I know that all of you w/ MT kids who've done the college auditions know the answer. Help me out, please?</p>
<p>generally speaking start at the end of the song and count backwards. If you hold the final note for a few measures, you can start with the measure where you begin to hold the final note and count backwards from that point. If the 16-bars starts in the middle of a phrase it is acceptable to add a few measures in order to start in a logical place in the music.</p>
<p>It’s often easier to do a 16-bar cut with an older MT song --the classic composers tended to write in 8 or 16-bar phrases. Some modern songs are very difficult to cut, and just don’t lend themselves to this kind of phrasing. You definitely don’t want to end in the middle of a phrase!</p>
<p>In my experience, a request for 16 bars is more of a general guideline – an 18-bar phrase would probably fit the guideline, but a 32-bar phrase would not. The audition panel isn’t sitting there counting the bars – but they may be looking at the clock.</p>
<p>There is actually a series of books with 16 Bar cuts in it for all ranges.</p>
<p>I believe that it is called 16 Bar Audition Books</p>
<p>Britbrat is right about the audition books, However, almost all of them in the books follow KatMT’s advice above, of starting at the end and counting back - and following onstage’s comment about older songs. Typically, 16 will be from the bridge to the end. (BA of an AABA song)</p>
<p>Also - I would consider the audition books as a source similar to monologue books - not a bad source for exposure to a bunch of repertoire, but if you find one you like, you really should find the entire song, and work on the whole thing, even if you think you will only be asked for 16.</p>
<p>If you want to know the real trick, it actually does not require any counting at all.</p>
<p>Something people don’t really learn until later in the college education or after college is that a 16 bar cut is actually just to mean a minute of music. 16 bars in the more Broadway legit songs usually just happened to take up a minute, which is why it would be 16 bar cuts. But basically, 16 bars is kind of just the starting point. Look for one good phrase in the music that shows off range, and that you can tell some kind of story with and you’ll be fine. Most people won’t cut you off unless they feel like you’re taking too long. </p>
<p>Now, for combined auditions, different story. Really for the extreme timed auditions, it would be better to look for 45 second cuts, usually 8 to 16 bar cuts. </p>
<p>This is a rule of thumb for even professional auditions. Although Broadway is now looking to do 8 bar cuts more often now.</p>
<p>Ah-ha! Thanks. Are you in fact acting at OCU?</p>
<p>ActingatOCU is incorrect (sorry, Acting!) - 16 bars is generally closer to 30 seconds of music, NOT a minute (unless the tempo of the song is very slow). More importantly, many people for whom you audition (both at colleges and in the professional world) know almost all of the songs that are sung (even if they are “obscure”) and will know if you’ve far exceeded your measure limit. Onstage is correct - they won’t be counting measures - but they will either know with certainty whether you’ve sung far beyond 16 bars (because they know the sung) or they will know “this feels longer than a 16”. Counting measures is still your best bet.</p>
<p>I agree with Coach C. I know that 16 bars seems like a ridiculously short chance to prove yourself, but honestly, 16 bars is really all the time it will take for you to show the people behind the table what you’re capable of. Anything beyond that would probably be lovely, but not show them anything you haven’t shown in the initial 16 bars. Hard to believe, but true!</p>
<p>I am indeed acting at OCU! And I have actually heard both 30 seconds and a minute for 16 bars. I’ve been told to always just go for the minute, and then just accept that you will get cut off no matter what. Then if you get cut off because they just want 8 bars, you’re ready. I’ve actually done a couple auditions just this year where I did an exact 16 bars that I counted out, and they felt it was too short. Granted it worked in my favor, because they wanted to hear another selection then. There are always two sides to everything, and that’s what I have to offer!</p>
<p>Each school is different, but some specific exactly 16 bars, and even specify how many pick up measures…it is usually not a good idea to start with just a bell tone since it is difficult to get into character that way, and they most definitely will cut you off, or atleast be disappointed if you don’t adhere to the rules. As for timed auditions, when the clock hits the time the timekeeper cuts you off even if you are just shy of the “money note”. It is not difficult to follow the rules and it can only hurt you if you don’t. Remember this is a very competitive field, why start out with a mark against you.
Good luck…</p>
<p>As a director, when I am at an audition, I hate it when I have to cut off someone’s audition song. Plus – as a performer, you should end with your money note – and if you never get that far in the song, it’s to your disadvantage. Much better to make your audition on the short side – then they can ask you for more!</p>
<p>I personally think it is best to avoid being cut off. As onstage says, it means you might miss out on being able to perform your money notes (and in any audition, I would think you want to show those off!) and you put the auditors in an awkward position of cutting you off. Plus, it shows the auditors that you can’t follow simple instructions.</p>
<p>I would just like to offer another opinion about “money notes”. If a “money note” means you end the 16 measures screaming the highest note you have… I would reconsider that approach. I have sat in many professional auditions (as many others here have as well) The audition becomes one person after the other coming in and singing really loud. It becomes a little numbing. I like it when the “money note” is something lovely. I like it when a singer is connected to the material and communicating something in the 16 measures. If the auditors want to hear the highest, loudest note they will ask. Connecting and communicating is always more interesting.</p>
<p>I agree that the “money note” is not necessarily your highest note – it should be the note that shows off your voice to its best advantage. That is what I meant by the phrase. And you don’t want to risk losing your best note by getting cut off at an audition.</p>
<p>One of my D’s most effective audition pieces is one where she demonstrates that she is “in control” of her voice. It actually does not show off her highest notes at all. It is just really a pleasant and refreshing cut that illustrates what her range might be. Quite frequently she is then asked to run some scales, or sing another song where they will ask for something specific (“can you sing a legit ballad, a belty uptempo, a pop/rock song etc.?”).</p>
<p>I think that it is most important that you are comfortable with the songs you are singing and the different cuts, knowing them inside out.</p>