Choosing the Right Song with Stacy Karyn
1. Find your vocal type.
Before picking any songs, you should do a quick test to find out your vocal type. All you’ll need for this is a keyboard and an online article. It could also be helpful to grab a second opinion from a trusted voice teacher. From there, make sure to only choose songs that are within your vocal range!2. Don’t push it.
If there are a few notes that are hard for you to hit in your chosen song, it might not be the perfect choice for you, at least not yet. It’s much more impressive to show restraint and self-awareness in choosing a song that you can totally rock from start to finish.3. Use your personality!
One of the greatest parts about acting is that we can try on new personalities. However, it might do you more favors to pick out a song that feels like you, especially for an audition. Are you a bit on the shy side? Maybe go for a ballad or a quirky song. Are you a natural comic? Make sure to showcase that!4. Don’t go for the most obvious choice.
Just because your favorite musical is Hamilton, don’t sing “Burn” at every possible opportunity. Dig a bit deeper. Consider your 7th, 8th, and 9th favorite shows – and try out a song from one of those! Or even better, start discovering other musicals that aren’t as widely talked about. 5. Do some research.
If you do choose a song from a show you are unfamiliar with, make sure to get to know the character and the musical before performing. It’s going to be helpful to understand why this song is being sung in the first place. 6. Give a bit of consideration to age.
While it’s not necessary to sing a song by a character who is the same age as you, it can definitely be beneficial to do so. An older performer singing a teenager’s song can come across as unusual, while a younger performer singing a more mature song can come across as inexperienced. So do a quick background check on the character’s age before moving forward.7. Play around with gender.
If you love a song that was written for a gender or vocal type that you don’t identify with, you can always play around with singing it in different keys. Just use the “transpose” feature on your favorite sheet music websites to find a key that fits your voice range!8. Be careful with adult content.
I would suggest staying away from choosing songs with adult content, just to stay on the safe side. This is especially advisable for auditions or for showcase performances where kids may be present. If you are unsure of whether your song may be inappropriate, you can always check in and ask your contact person.9. Consider the piano part.
If you are thinking about singing a song that’s either very fast, rock and roll in nature, or written by a notoriously difficult composer (like JRB or Sondheim), check with your accompanist first on whether or not they are okay with your choice. Or even better, use PianoTrax to make sure your accompaniment is perfect every time! 10. Err on the side of positivity.
Yes, it’s nice to show off your acting skills in your audition or performance, but I would suggest staying away from any “woe is me” type of songs when you are trying to showcase your talent. This might be the first and only impression you make on your listeners. That said, if you don’t want to go with a happy song, you can always go for something dramatic, angry, or complex. But laments can be a bit risky.
