It may sound obvious, but if you want the gig, dress for the part, know your lyrics, and know your tunes perfectly. Rehearse your songs and, if you can’t accompany yourself, hire an accompanist. Test your charts, make sure they are in the right key, and, most importantly, sing the “meat” of the song. Don’t start your tune with a 16 bar piano intro—the “judges” care about you, not the pianist. If you don’t have perfect pitch, have a pick up but keep it short.

Find out as much as possible about the audition: What? Who? When? Where? Do I bring an accompanist? Will there be an accompanist? Will there be a CD Player or an iPod input? If you want to bring a backing track, make sure that it starts and ends where you need it to. Garage Band is perfect if you want to edit your tracks.

Try to record your rehearsals and videotape yourself—you will see and hear exactly what you need to work on. Remember: auditions are short and you need to go straight to the point. You have to perform your song and sell it—but don’t over do it. Videotaping yourself or working in front of a mirror will do the trick. When you audition for live shows, think of your stage as a triptych—left, center and right— and address all three areas when you perform. It’s very important to show the “judges” that you own the stage.

If you are well prepared, you will feel less nervous. If you still experience high levels of stress, picture yourself in a safe and stress free environment, such as your rehearsal space, your bedroom, the beach—wherever you associate with calm and serenity. Focus on your interpretation, your tune, the words that you are singing, and your emotion—and just act the part! Sometimes stress overpowers your performance and your technique is all that you have left, so remember to add emotion to your song. Picture yourself in a positive environment and you will be able to focus on your interpretation.

You have to act confident. If you mess up your lyrics, improvise and keep on smiling! There is a good chance nobody will notice. At the end of your tune, even if you think that you completely messed up, don’t look upset. Smile and leave unless you are asked a question or being given helpful advice. Keep in mind that there are no excuses. If you are late don’t start babbling about traffic or your hair, try to be as professional as possible. Keep your act together, stay positive and most importantly—have fun!

Find out more at berkleemusic.com or contact a Student Advisor:
1-866-BERKLEE (USA) | +1 617 747 2146 (Intl) | advisors@berkleemusic.com

Being a vocalist, vocal coach and a Berklee Alumni, I can speak from experience when I say that most singers are not always “respected” in a musicians’ world. A common belief is to think that all there is to being a vocalist is singing a melody line and reciting lyrics. Wrong! We are as gifted musically as any other instrumentalist. It is up to us to take our musicianship to the next level, not just to sing along but live our music, understand it, and interpret it like a trumpet player or a piano player would perform their tunes. Yes, your voice is an instrument and a powerful one, so use it right!

Our Specialist Certificate in Voice Technique and Musicianship is a collection of three courses. It will not only take your vocal and technical skills to an advanced level, but your musicianship as well. Add to it your talent and your dedication and it is the recipe to success for a respected and a trusted vocalist. Let’s take a look at the courses included in my favorite certificate.

Music Theory 101 is the key to understanding pulse, meter, triads, basic chord progressions, music notation and its relationship to a comping instrument: the piano. You will learn how to read, write, and notate music. It is extremely important especially when you have to prepare for an audition or for a rehearsal. It is best to know what the lead sheet you are giving your accompanist is about. Finding out as you are performing for the audition of the year that the song you’ve dedicated so much time to is in a different key, that you are out of tune since there was no intro and you didn’t know where to start is mortifying (yes, I’m speaking from experience).

Basic Ear Training 1 will teach you how to identify different parts of a song, rhythm, key signatures, intervals, and major/minor tonics and triads. You will find it especially useful to get your sight-singing skills up to speed and you will love the fact that you can finally hear harmony parts in a song, find your melody line without hearing the backing track, and start to arrange vocal parts for your background vocalists.

Voice Technique 101 is the icing on the cake. You will get rid of bad habits, polish your breathing technique, you will turn into a healthy singer with daily practice routines, you will feel your range expanding fast and your voice sound more powerful in no time. Getting rid of bad habits is hard, especially when you’ve been singing “the wrong way” for years. Starting fresh with an excellent foundation and no preconceived ideas is the best thing you can do when it comes to mastering such a delicate and fragile instrument in contemporary music.

I highly recommend this certificate to every inspiring or advanced vocalist out there. No matter what your goal is: whether it is towards your career or your personal growth, the most important thing is to approach it as an art and reach for perfection.