<p>bwayjunkie...really try hard to find an alternative. Having the melody played with broken chords is a very distracting type of accompaniment. It would possibly indicate to an adjudicator that you couldn't follow the regular accompaniment and needed the melody line played out. If it is a video audition maybe you could use background tracks since the video is of you and not the accompanist. Otherwise perhaps you can call any good local piano teacher and ask if they have any advanced students (or themselves) to hire for a short time to play your pieces.</p>
<p>KesaMorito -- some 18-year-olds can realistically portray a 23-year-old character. You can expand your age range by going in the other direction. Definitely consider monologues by younger characters -- within reason.</p>
<p>bwayjunkie- Someone posted this website on a thread yesterday - you can send your sheet music and they will send you back the accompaniment as an MP3 (which you can then put on a CD) - it looks like a pretty reasonable and fast way to get your music recorded:</p>
<p>My</a> Rehearsal Pianist</p>
<p>i cannot thank you all enough for those excellent suggestions!!! :)</p>
<p>MTMama: i checked out My Rehearsal Pianist and in the terms and conditions it stated that </p>
<p>"You may not use a sound recording of the products to be used in whole or part at auditions or on any visual presentation medium including film and/or videotape."</p>
<p>so i guess i can't really use it for my recordings but it is really helpful for learning new music :D</p>
<p>I'm not sure if I should use one of my monologues. It's a good monologue, it contrasts nicely with my other piece, and I do it well. Problem is, it's by a girl who is talking about basically, that she doesn't like gay people. Everyone will hate the character I'm portraying-but I'm not sure if that's a bad thing. I'm afraid that some of that will spill onto me, or something. But does anyone have any thoughts on this?</p>
<p>I know this has been said, but I wanted to post a little reminder from the other side of the table.</p>
<p>I read many posts on this forum asking about "overdone" songs. Please, please try not to get too caught up in searching for an obscure song. I could post a list of the songs that we have already heard multiple times this year, but I won't...because it doesn't matter... at all. If you sing the song beautifully and have an honest connection to the piece it won't matter if we've heard it 50 times. We are listening to YOUR voice and focusing on YOUR performance. I think that every song that has been mentioned, I have seen a student be admitted after using it.</p>
<p>I was talking with an admitted student a couple of years ago about this topic and she had done one of the songs frequently mentioned. She commented that she chose it because she loved it even though she knew it was popular. That showed in her performance.</p>
<p>Of course pay attention to school's "do not do" lists, but above all choose material you love.</p>
<p>Best wishes to those auditioning this year and those starting to do research for next year!</p>
<p>Michele</p>
<p>Audition song suggestions for "Seussical?" D has a broad range and could sing either Gertrude or Mayzie. Would appreciate song suggestions for either part.</p>
<p>Try something from "Lucky Stiff" by the same composers. There are songs that correspond to both Gertrude and Maysie.</p>
<p>this is my first post! hi everyone! i've just been reading and loving this thread. funny the person before me posted something about lucky stiff, b/c i sang "times like this" for an intensive last year. anyway, i just want to know what people think of these contrasting songs for another upcoming intensive next month(Broadway Artists Alliance).</p>
<p>Falling Out of Love Can Be Fun- miss liberty
The Boy Next Door- meet me in st. louis- i know this song might be overdone sometimes, but i'm singing the part at the end ("someday soon he'll be strolling by, he'll glance up never knowing why, etc-to the end) this part seems to be sung much less in auditions, and i was wondering what you guys think? i usually have a pretty good snse of whats overdone, but i'm not sure here.</p>
<p>I like your choices.</p>
<p>i haven't really found a ballad i'm in love with yet. if anyone has any recommendations, i would really appreciate it! i would love to show off my lower range (and i mean lower), but i can't think of anything for that.</p>
<p>i was thinking of using "wherever he ain't" from mack and mabel because it sits near perfect in my voice. is this appropriate? thanks so much for anyone who helps. i really appreciate it! :DD</p>
<p>Morgasborg -- without knowing you, your voice, or your "type" it is difficult to suggest material.</p>
<p>"Wherever He Ain't" is a good uptempo.</p>
<p>As far as low ballads... off the top of my head, and with no context of what may be right for you :)... </p>
<p>"With Every Breath I Take" from City of Angels (although if your song has a pre-1960 or 1965 requirement it would not be a good fit with "Wherever He Ain't")</p>
<p>"As Long as He Needs Me" from Oliver</p>
<p>"What Does He Want of Me" from Man of LaMancha (not super low.... but mezzo range)</p>
<p>"My Big Mistake" from Will Rogers Follies (again.... not from pre-1960 or 1965)</p>
<p>Do you have a voice teacher, choir director, or coach who knows you who might be able to make suggestions?</p>
<p>Sarahamazing - without knowing it is impossible to comment on whether or not those are good choices for you... but in general I think those are both very good audition songs.</p>
<p>Break a leg on upcoming auditions! :)</p>
<p>Great site. Thanks to all for your posts. My D will be at NY Unifieds and has a monolgue question. My guess is the answer will be: "It depends on the school." But here goes. When performing a monologue, do they want you to give a summary about the character/scene before you start the monologue? Thanks</p>
<p>xatty....welcome. No, they do not want you to give a summary about the character and the scene. Your D should just announce the play her monologue is from and the name of her character and then begin. That's it. However, she should have read the entire play and be prepared if they ask her any questions about it. Tell her to break a leg!</p>
<p>Thanks soozievt. She's read the plays.</p>
<p>Thought I would give everyone a laugh. A director friend of my daughter's said that once he was auditioning a girl for a part, she said she would be playing such-and-such a character from such-and-such a play "by Samuel French." :)</p>
<p>Is the play Teach Me How To Cry overdone? I did it a conference once and nobody had heard of it, but plays are never really done up here, not even Shakespeare.</p>
<p>We are beginning the process for next year. One thing I have found is that there is a wealth of material out there. You really can find songs that fulfill the criteria schools are looking for. I have found I-tunes a helpful source.<br>
Just remember, you may not love a song initially, but just like a new CD from a pop artist, Once you listen to it often enough and get to know the material you love it. Our focus will be finding contrast in the two pieces, legit vs. belt, funny vs. sad etc.
Good Luck to everyone, and remember you may have a harder time narrowing your choices down once you begin looking.</p>
<p>I'm thinking of doing a monologue from Jake's Women (character of Julie), by Neil Simon. I keep reading that his monologues are very overdone - but my classical monologue is Isabella from Women Beware Women, which I think is quite unusual. What do you think - would this be ok, on balance, or should I keep looking?</p>
<p>Is "A Trip To The Library" from She Loves Me considered overdone?</p>