What is an Audition Book?

An audition book is the singer’s lifeline, especially in the world of theatre. The audition book is a binder with all of your go-to songs that you use for auditions. Every professional singer/actor has one - if I am ever confused as to where the entrance to an audition is, I simply follow the binders!

Everyone is different, but I always like to have at least 2 songs in each genre - meaning 2 uptempo contemporary songs, 2 uptempo Golden Age songs, 2 contemporary ballads, 2 Golden Age ballads, and 2 pop songs. Currently, I have cuts of all of these as well as a select few full songs, just in case I am asked to perform a whole song. The reason for having selections from each genre and tempo is that auditors can ask you for something other than the song you bring in - they may say, “Thank you, that was great, but do you have something that shows your soprano range?” or they could say, “Great! Now can we hear something a bit more contemporary.” It is almost always a good sign if they want you to sing more, but if you have to say, “No, I don’t have anything else,” you risk looking unprepared, which is never a good sign to the auditors.

Your audition book should consist of songs and/or cuts (meaning a 16-32 measure excerpt from a song) which highlight the very best aspects of your vocal and acting ability. These should be songs you love to sing and songs you know like the back of your hand. As I mentioned earlier, if you get asked to sing something in addition to what you planned, you better know it and know it well! The more prepared you are, the less nervous you’ll feel and the better you will come across to the auditors.

The whole idea behind an audition book is to have songs ready to go at a moment’s notice. This way, when an audition pops up, you don’t have to ask yourself, “Do I even have any songs that fit that show?” Because if you’ve done the work, you should have something for just about any show.

Ideally, your book should be clean and organized. You don’t want the music director having to worry about pages falling out or losing his/her place while you are auditioning. I recommend including a table of contents, that way, when you are asked for something else, you don’t have to turn every page to find it; you can look at your list of songs and flip right to it. This also makes you look more professional to those considering hiring you.

Your book will change and mature right along with you - songs that were perfect for you in college may no longer fit your look or your voice. I personally have gained significant range since my college years and have added songs to my book to make the most of that. Loving and knowing your songs is essential, but don’t be afraid to branch out every once in a while - you may find a song you adore!

Lastly, keep your audition book accessible - mine is usually in my car! You never know when you’ll hear of an amazing opportunity. Plus, there is much less chance of leaving your book at home if it is already in the car!

Audition books can be tricky when you are first putting them together, please comment below or shoot me an email if you have any questions!