Prepare your mind and body for an audition just like you prepare your music.
Your heart is pounding. You are in a room full of people. You know you are about to be judged and compared to other strangers. It’s audition season.
When it comes to auditioning, conditioning and preparing your body are of the utmost importance, just like conditioning and preparing for performance season. Having an audition ritual is one of the ways to get ready and feel relaxed during what can otherwise be a stressful situation.
Sleep
Traveling and sleeping in hotel beds or crashing on a friend’s couch is often part of the audition ritual; unfortunately, this situation does not always make for a wonderful night’s sleep. Finding travel pillows that allow you to bring a bit of extra comfort with you to the audition experience is always a plus. The night before, make sure to get plenty of rest. Do something to relax your mind and body, and do not overthink your audition. Perhaps take a bath or play a piece of music just for fun.
Eat
Eating foods that are a normal part of your diet is also important. Eating weird food can make you feel off balance, unsettled or bloated. Feeling your best is key to having a good audition. Some athletes and dancers have traditional things that they eat before performances, so find something that works for you—maybe it’s carbs, maybe it’s something rich in protein, maybe it’s a piece of cake. Whatever it is, enjoy it.
Warm Up
Before you perform, make sure to warm up and stretch. I suggest bringing a small bag with you to carry extra clothes to warm up in before you perform. Pick a few exercises that you need and some that you like and do them in a set sequence and make them part of your performance routine. This way you will not have to think about warming up— you will just do it. I have seen plenty of people get so distracted during auditions that they forget how to warm up.
Remember, having the mental and performance tools at your fingertips is just as important as packing your suitcase and remembering your instrument. At the end of the day, knowing that you did your absolute best is almost as good as seeing your name on the list. Happy auditioning and good luck!
