Online Auditioning | Things I didn't think about
Hey friends!
If you've been following my socials, you'll know that I participated in Fort Worth Opera's Virtual Audition Panel with Jennifer Rowley! I can always use some audition practice and this was such a great experience! As much as I prepared for the audition, there were still things I realized I needed to know. This is a longer blog post, but hopefully extensive enough to help!
At the bottom of this post, I copied my list of lists for the day as well as my tech. I also vlogged the entire week leading up to it, so keep your eyes peeled for that video on my YouTube Channel! Here we go!
Practice with friends.
THIS! Get on a Zoom call with a few friends and sing your rep for each other! This can serve so many different purposes and help you troubleshoot things you didn't expect, which is a big part of where this list came from.
Check the volume differences between tracks.
This is definitely something I didn't think about until I listened back on a practice video. All I had to do was put my piano track into iMovie and brought up the volume. Easy fix! If you have Windows, I know there is software to do this but I'm not familiar.
Files at the ready.
Make sure that all of your files are up and ready to go for easy access. While you're at it, store them in two different formats in case something goes wrong (which it WILL). For me, my laptop offloads things that hasn't been in use for 24 hours to save on storage, so I always have to re-download it. To combat something wonky happening with that, I also had my tracks available on Google Drive.
HOWEVER.
When it came time to audition, I had both formats ready and downloaded. I was having wifi trouble and ended up not being able to pull up Google Drive. So I quickly had to go to the other file.
Airplane Mode.
If you are using a phone and/or apps for your tracks, make sure it's on airplane mode. Do Not Disturb will still interrupt your track. You can use Accompanist App on Airplane mode! :)
The OG Sound.
Make sure that your Zoom original sound is on. This is something you have to check on a desktop, but worth it in case your sound levels change.
Write down your timestamps.
In my audition, they asked for part of Deh per questo for the 2nd aria. Luckily, I found a good spot in a short amount of time, but it will save time for more singing in the audition if you already have it written down. If you have any long arias, arias with two verses, or cavatina/cabalettas , write down any possible time stamps and refer to it during the audition.
Get an ethernet chord or wifi boosting, just in case.
Just do it. My wifi has been fine for all of my lessons and test runs, but of course, the day of the audition, my wifi caused my video to be pixelated and wonky.
It does not feel like a normal audition
Maybe this is because I generally don't like making video recordings. (See: Your Mindset for Making a Great Recording) For normal auditions, I'm at a place where I come in and do my thing. Doing it on camera is so strange to me. It feels like a completely different event. It's alright if you're more nervous than usual. (Also, my mom decided to stand at the side and film me, so yeah, not a normal audition. LOL.)
There are so many learning curves for us right now, what have you learned? Let me know below or on Instagram! @thescrappymezzo
Instagram: @thescrappymezzo
---List of Lists ---
Materials
Laptop, aux chord/ adapter, speaker, iPhone, charger (phone, laptop, speaker), iPad, tripod, Shure MV88+ Video Kit , iPad stand, headphones, extension chords, music, pencils)
Set up & Location Reminders
Where to put furniture and which lighting I needed, TURN OFF THE LANDLINE PHONES, Turn off other wifi sources that could interfere
During the Audition / Things to tell the judges
Phone set to airplane mode, 5 arias, equipment, and a note that I can't hear them without my headphones (this is specific to Shure MV88+ users)
Tech (click the link to see on Amazon):
Shure Mv88+ Video Kit, Bluetooth Speaker (I used a chord and not the bluetooth), and filmed on my iPad. (note: you DO NOT NEED a laptop, phone, and iPad for your audition. You only need 2 of these for the Shure Video Kit.)
Music
I began with Sein wir wieder gut from Accompanist App on my iPhone, and then moved my speaker and plugged into my laptop for the rest of my pre-recorded tracks. Part of Deh per questo was requested for the 2nd aria.
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