<p>Hi there-
I am looking for help for D in choosing an audition piece for Thespian Festival and going into college auditions. She is a mezzo soprano and wants to showcase her vocals without doing a song that is heard frequently. She is also looking for something upbeat- any ideas?
Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>The best idea is not the easiest… song choice is very personal, from how any particular song “feels” in your voice, as well as finding something you have a deep personal connection with from an acting standpoint. You might gain a list of songs to look at from this post, but your D may well be better-served in the long run to start checking out OBC’s from the library, or listening to clips on the internet. Does she have an affinity for a performer whose range is similar to hers? Search through their body of work for places to start. Are there songs she loves, but fears are overdone, because they are in one of the popular anthologies? Check out out songs from the same shows, for the same character.</p>
<p>One problem with finding a song that isn’t heard frequently – as soon as someone posts that hidden gem, there is a good chance that many others will say - good idea, and do it as well, turning something on the obscure side to a most popular choice.</p>
<p>The experience of doing the search herself will stand her in good stead if she is accepted to an MT program - it’s a skill that if you don’t have when you go in, you most assuredly will need to learn it quickly.</p>
<p>It is really close to impossible for people who do not know your daughter and have never heard her sing or seen her act to recommend songs for her. Her best bet is to begin the search by listening to lots and lots of scores of musicals, both old and new, and seeing what appeals to her. Does she have a singing/voice teacher? If so, this teacher will undoubtedly be able to recommend songs, too.</p>
<p>All the points above are truly wise. There will be songs that your daughter can pull off that someone flat out better will not do as well, so song selection is key. I also think that researching songs can be a lot of fun, like looking in an old attic for overlooked treasure. </p>
<p>As the protagonist in High Fidelity observes about selecting music … “there are a lot of rules.” An audition needs a standout song, yet not overly done, that gets the listener to be concentrating on the singer versus the song selection, yet complements the singer’s range versus raising questions about her range, yet doesn’t play it too safe and allows the singer to show a sense how they could grab a stage and hold it, yet doesn’t stereotype someone as another Liza, Babs … sounds easy doesn’t it. ;)</p>
<p>Another treasure trove is albums by mezzo-soprano singers. Sometimes, they will select a song originally written for a male that can be a terrific cross-over song. Another possibility is to listen to some favorite countertenors as this can be a treasure trove of songs that could be cross-over selections. </p>
<p>I’ll PM you with a truly upbeat song that truly fits the mezzo-soprano range that comes to mind. It’s from an available cast album but the musical was never on Broadway. Really upbeat, stage taking number of a song, that the theatre crowd will have heard, but not often. It is at least a conversation starter with your daughter as she makes her own selection.</p>