Acting in auditions

Some students have expressed interest in hearing more about auditions.

Below is a response to a comment posted by a brilliant and insightful audition pianist, Michael Baitzer.

"I don't understand why classical singers think "being an actor" is more important in an audition than the singing is.... You are in this career because people want to hear your voice. If you sing terribly, who [cares] if you can't act?

1. Bel canto is (among other things) acting with the voice 2. While there is a dearth of acting training and awareness for voice students, we don’t need to compensate for that by overacting. 3. Relaxation and freedom of movement are integral to vocal technique. From there you are free to move or not but you don’t appear awkward and stiff in your audition, which is just as bad as overacting; and both of which hurt your singing. 4. Acting is integrated into your performance. (Thank you, Joe L.) 5. Many of the U.S. regional companies want to see a performance. If you know that’s what they want, you can just dial up that drama – that integrated acting. For further reading: The Singing and Acting Handbook: Games and Exercises for the Performer - Paperback (Dec. 1999) by Thomas De Mallet Burgess and Nicholas Skilbeck and the Wolftrap Opera Blog. http://wolftrapopera.blogspot.com/

Other comments from the thread:

- The point should be as a young professional or professional you should be able to integrate both without sacrificing the other. It's sad that at this level we would have to think of them as separate and not equal. - Joe L.

- Joe-- I basically agree but I still think singing takes first... Acting can be learned.... If the goods aren't there, why spend all the money??

- If you don't know how to sing what the music is supposed to be saying, all the 'acting' in the world is pointless. Thank you, Michael

How about your comments?