BWW Blog: Tools to Help you Conquer College Auditions

College auditions can be one of the most stressful, crazy, and exciting time in a young performer's life. Years of training, months of auditions, travel all over the country, all on top of regular college applications and senior year. After completing my first year in a musical theater program, I reflected back on some of the things that were most helpful during the audition season!

Belt Box

This is a great tool that muffles and quiets your sound so you can warm up and practice your songs anywhere. Whether in hotel rooms, stairwells, or in an empty room, this allows vocalization without the fear of disturbing others. This also ends up being a great device when you don't want to wake up your entire freshman dorm before an early voice class! Note that it doesn't mute all sound so it shouldn't be used right in the middle of a crowded space or hallway.

Warmup Routine

This may sound silly, but there is so much uncertainty during the audition process, having a set warmup routine is something you can always rely on. A vocal warm up can be recorded by a voice teacher so that you always have it to use. There are some generic online ones, however one that is constructed specifically for you is most beneficial as your teacher knows your vocal needs. A physical warm up is also important before acting/singing auditions as you use your whole body. Before a dance call, figure out what stretches and warm ups work best for you. Don't worry about showing off your flexibility to the other auditionees, but do what will actually help you prepare yourself!

MyPurMist

This personal steamer is a pricier item, but it is definitely worth the investment. It heats up almost instantly, doesn't get hot in use, and cleans itself afterwards. Steaming is a key step that can help hydrate your vocal folds before an audition. Drinking water is great for hydration, but it takes a few hours for water to effectively hydrate your vocal folds. Steam passes directly over your vocal folds to hydrate them. Both the wired and wireless versions work well, make sure you always use distilled water!

Humidifier

This is an essential tool to help you stay hydrated, especially overnight. These come in all shapes and sizes, even small travel-size ones that you can put a water bottle into (although these aren't always the sturdiest option). Especially when staying in hotels, or places where you don't know how humid or dry the air will be, a humidifier relieves worries and makes sure your voice is not dry in the morning.

Lozenges

Vocal lozenges are great to provide some extra vocal lubrication before an audition. There are regular store brands, as well as ones specifically formulated for singers. The most important thing is that they contain pectin, which aids in lubrication, and not menthol. Luden's is a great store brand that has contains pectin and has a wide variety of flavors!

Grab and Go Snacks

Audition days can be crazy, and you may not always be able to eat a whole meal in the middle of the day, due to nerves, time constraints or both. Having some healthy grab and go snacks can be essential to help keep your energy up throughout the day. Trail mix, fruits, protein/granola bars are all great options. If you know that dairy or chocolate create extra phlegm for you, try to avoid eating those things right before auditions and save them for a post- audition snack!

It is guaranteed be a crazy audition season this year during these unprecedented times and even with online auditions, these tools can help you stay focused, prepared and on track for a fantastic audition season!

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