<p>I've read through hours and hours of posts dating all the way back to 2005 and I'm really having a hard time figuring out the differences in these categories.</p>
<p>The list posted by CCM seems to be the "gold standard" of rules and is the only one I can find on any college website that has specifics in regard to "forbidden" material and the pretty clear direction to avoid anything that's been on Broadway or National Tour in the last 5 years. One can at least research that information for any given show.</p>
<p>But even CCM, along with many other college websites, gets into very murky territory with the statement, "DO avoid overly familiar material, songs that are performed continuously."</p>
<p>The question is, how is the average High School Junior (and their parents) supposed to know what songs and monologues fall into that category? Also, when does material begin to fall OUT OF that category? It sort of seems that the category of "overdone" material just keeps growing and growing! I almost never see anyone say that something USED TO BE overdone but it's not anymore. </p>
<p>I see kids and their parents asking about specific songs on this forum all the time and the response is almost ALWAYS, "That's overdone." I'm beginning to come to the conclusion that if the "average High School MT student with "average" familiarity of MT literature has ever even heard of a song (at least one that's age-appropriate), it's probably overdone! There was a lot of advice about specific songs NOT to use back in 2005. That was SIX YEARS ago! (I know you can all do that math, but I'm just emphasizing!) Is all of that material still overdone??? And how is one supposed to know?</p>
<p>I really don't mean to sound like I'm ranting! I'm just very puzzled by all of this as we are just beginning the journey with our Junior!</p>
<p>My daughter attended a Broadway Artists Alliance (BAA) audition masterclass with a rep from one of the major casting companies in NYC a year or so ago. This CD announced that “On My Own” was off of her “do not use” list because she hadn’t heard it in “forever”! (For college auditions, however, it may pay to keep it on that do not use list.)
If you can manage it, the programs by BAA, Broadway Theatre Project and elsewhere (see the big summer list) can educate your student about what not to sing/act. If your child has any theatre friends who are directors at community theatres or even directors of high school drama programs, they can certainly give you an earful about what they are sick of hearing. If it’s old, it’s probably good, so do everything you can to help educate your kid about the golden oldies from the 40’s-50’s. (I purchased collections of movies from the past that featured characters sort of like my D.) My D is all about Sondheim and it annoyed her at first to go digging through other songs from other eras but now it’s great because she has some terrific audition songs that did well for her, as well as a better appreciation for the great music of the past. You are right; most teens only know the current material which is off limits so it’s important to go digging. Best wishes. We’re almost done. (!)</p>
<p>A well known Broadway vocal coach once told my S that it isn’t necessary to get caught up in what NOT to do…you can sing the most commonly used, overdone song for any audition as long as you sing it better than anyone else!</p>
<p>That said, you should check each school’s website thoroughly for what their audition requirements are and make sure you follow the guidelines. You DON’T want to be singing a pop/rock song when they have asked for classic MT. Good luck! :)</p>
<p>We are fortunate to be in a position to be able to both send our D to a summer program AND hire a coach, BUT my point is, what if we couldn’t?</p>
<p>While college websites do state the " nothing current/last 5 years" rule, there really is no way for the average high schooler to know that, say, “My White Knight” or “I Could Have Danced All Night” or “Vanilla Ice Cream” are overdone. They clearly follow the “rules,” but from what I read here, are overdone. Or for that matter, “I Know the Truth” or “Not For the Life of Me,” both of which are from shows that closed in 2004, clearly following the “rules” but again are considered “audition suicide.”</p>
<p>That’s my frustration. It just sort of seems like there are so many hidden traps that a student can fall into and it really doesn’t seem fair that the only way someone can avoid them is to pay for coaching or attend an expensive summer program. (Both of which we personally are happily doing, both because we can afford it and because it will make the process less stressful for all of us).</p>
<p>That’s all. I guess I’m just whining after all. Sigh. I hate to be that whiny person but I really feel the need to stick up for the “average Joe” who isn’t in a position to pay for all these additional services.</p>
<p>thx tracyvp for sticking up for the “average Joe” because that is the decision I am going to make over this summer whether to send her to a program next summer or hire a coach.</p>
<p>So I am going to go out on a limb here and give MOST college auditors the benefit of the doubt. I think they can tell when they have the “average” high school student who didn’t have coaching and didn’t go to the big summer programs and comes from a background where some of this information isn’t readily available to them and they take that into consideration when they are going through the audition process. At least that’s my hope.</p>
<p>I have to believe that if you are a student wanting to pursue MT at the college level that you have to spent at least a little time on the internet searching out schools. It’s not like every school offers an MT degree. And if you did that, you have come across some of this information. Go search Yahoo for “musical theatre colleges” and the FIRST match you get is right here. So even if you can’t get a coach or do a big summer program you can research and apply what you learn to your own search.</p>
<p>I agree with sandkmom that if you go in and own the song - or the monologue - those auditors are not going to simply throw up their hands in disgust because it is some “OMG don’t sing this song ever for a college audition” list and reject you right then and there. If there is a college rep or an audition coach who disagrees please let me know.</p>
<p>I think if you follow the general guidelines: </p>
<p>No Sondheim,
No JRB or other new/young composers
Stay voice and age appropriate
Stay away from current or recent shows
Stay away from the mega musicals
The obvious standards</p>
<p>You should probably be OK. I think it’s really common sense given the above framework.</p>
<p>^^See, this is EXACTLY what I mean!
While “Obvious standards” and “Mega Musicals” and “Young, new composers” is very clear to you, it may not mean anything at all to someone who is perhaps just now realizing they want to major in MT and who might be IMMENSELY talented and capable. These buzz words that we all accept as gospel just aren’t really that helpful to a lot of folks. </p>
<p>It would be SO much better if somewhere there were a clear list of what actual monologues and songs are “obvious standards” and probably will be off limits forever. This is really not something that everyone is in a position to know. And yes, if you do as I did and literally spend 15+hours reading all the old threads here at CC, you will see songs that over the years people have said are overdone, but have no way to know if they’re still overdone. </p>
<p>Maybe each audition season we could start with a list (similar to the “big lists” preferably with input from the auditors who post here) of what songs from just last year were overdone so the students have a better idea.</p>
<p>Tracy - I don’t understand this either, at all. I heard kids at unifieds doing songs that seem overdone to me. If it’s done well, I don’t know why it matters and seeing a-thousand students I realy doubt that there are many songs these pros have never heard before. Why do they even care as long as you are awesome. I suppose it would show some deeper understanding of the field not to go in singing something from “Wicked”, but beyond that it seems to me that good is good and some kids could sing the phone book and sound amazing. Does song selection really make that much of a difference? And why? Can someone please explain?</p>
<p>From the best I can tell this “don’t sing” thing came about due to the auditioners being sick of hearing the same popular songs over and over. There are always going to be the songs that everyone loves and wants to sing from the big/favorite musicals. The auditioners wanted to be surprised by something different and fresh. Also the “auditionees” became aware of the auditioners being sick and tired of hearing the same things over and over and wanting to stand out from the crowd, began looking for something not oft heard and different. I guess what I am saying this has become a customary thing.</p>
<p>In MT when you are auditioning for a specific show you never sing anything from the show, but try to find a selection that is similar for a role you may want in the show and then if you are called back you sing something from the show. In VP/opera you ALWAYS sing something from the show from a role you may be cast in.</p>
<p>I believe in the past more schools did have “don’t sing” lists, but I believe only one or two have them now.</p>
<p>As far as singing something from a real or implied don’t sing list, you do take a chance.
What person wants to start off and see the panel roll their eyes with that “here we go again” look. As far as singing something so well that it doesn’t matter what you sing, of course that happens. I guess you need to be really confident of where you stand with in the competing talent pool.</p>
<p>I completely understand your frustration. I was there 5 years ago with my son. We/he knew NOTHING about this process, I found CC very late a few weeks before the first audition. I tried to get him to change some of his songs, for the most part they were all over-sung songs. He did get some eye rolls and cut short, and he heard very clearly “great, not that again” at least once.</p>
<p>So can you sing whatever you want (with in the general requirements) yes, just understand the possible risks.</p>
<p>Hee. Just a few weeks ago my dad (who is now on board and totally behind our D - about a year into the process but hey, I’ll take it) was coming up with some ideas for what songs she could use in her auditions!!</p>
<p>You know, that one from South Pacific!! About I’m gonna wash that man right out of my hair…etc.</p>
<p>If someone who has probably only seen the movie versions of musicals that have been running on tv for several decades now, is familiar with the song, it is probably “overdone.” There’s one hint.</p>
<p>lol.</p>
<p>(I explained to my dad about the “overdone” thing though and he did catch on to the concept right away though. grin.)</p>
<p>I don’t think you’re ever going to get a definitive list or assessment because every school is different and has different preferences. If you have access to a coach, even for just a few sessions over Skype, they can help you choose songs that show off your student’s voice and are appropriate for their voice part and style, while still not straying into the “overdone” category. I agree that there are some overdone songs that are obvious, because they are so familiar that everyone knows them. I wouldn’t sing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” or anything from “Sound of Music” for example. But even when you get to more obscure musicals sometimes the schools have personal preferences that they publish. Maybe “Wash that Man” is too cheesy, but I’ve heard several students sing “This Nearly was Mine” from South Pacific so well that it brings tears to your eyes.</p>
<p>One funny story is that one of my son’s songs was “Anyone Can Whistle” which is an older song that is well-known and could go either way on someone’s list. One of the most respected schools he auditioned for LOVED that he sang it and complimented his choice, while we noticed later on another smaller school’s materials that it was one of only a handful of songs that they said “absolutely do NOT choose.” You’re never going to know completely. And a song that is TOO obscure can be really distracting if it’s not straightforward. </p>
<p>My son ended up with 16 and 32-bar cuts of 10-12 songs that he knew well and could pick at a moment’s notice depending on the school and whether there was an accompanist or he was using his own tracks. That is another thing to consider. Often one of the biggest drawbacks for more modern composers such as Adam Guettel or Jason Robert Brown is that the accompaniments are so challenging that only the most skilled accompanist can play them effectively and not detract from the audition. That would be the worst thing. So maybe its ok to sing Jason Robert Brown if you’re using a track, but don’t if it’s a live accompanist. At Chicago Unifieds my son even heard from another student as she came out of a particular school’s audition that the accompanist “sucked” and so my son changed his song to another of his choices only 5 minutes before walking through the door. But because he was so familiar with ALL of his repetoire songs he wasn’t rattled a bit.</p>
<p>On another note, many Sondheim or Guettel songs are so difficult and/or discordant that its not always clear if the student is singing them correctly. That can be distracting too. Bottom line is make sure your student chooses a varietly of ballads and upbeat songs that show off his/her voice to the utmost (in range and emotion) and that they feel 100% comfortable with. If they do that, even if the auditor has heard it many times, your student will still shine and be rewarded for their artistry! Good luck!</p>
<p>CalDad, I think you hit the nail on the head. BE PREPARED. going into any audition with only 2-4 songs prepared is very risky! You should have several prepared from all categories.
AND you should be so familiar with these songs you could sing any/all at a moments notice.
Being very well prepared will give a student confidence and shows good work ethic (which is HUGE) and shows respect to the accompanist and the audition panel. </p>
<p>BTW make sure you have your sheet music properly prepared.</p>
(For college auditions, however, it may pay to keep it on that do not use list.)