So sometimes we have heaps of time to prepare for an audition. Sometimes we hear about it a week in advance – if that! That can make our time to prepare very very small. Is there a way we can make ourselves more ready for a quick work up of a song? I think so. Here are some ideas that might work for you.

1. Keep yourself Healthy – There’s no way your song will be at its best if you are not. That means if you are serious about being ready for a performance at any time you have to keep your body (and voice) in tip top shape. That means staying hydrated, sleeping well, eating well and exercising and stretching your body so it is healthy and capable of creating good sound. This includes keeping your stress under control too. Know what you need to do to keep yourself ready for anything.
2. Keep your voice in good shape – regular scales and warm ups are very important for maintaining your range and skills. And that means warming up your entire range. You may be singing regularly in a choir as a soprano and suddenly you hear about an audition that requires you to access your lower range and find it’s not what you thought it was. Always warm up and improve on your entire range and be mindful of what skills you want to have in your tool belt. Keep those skill sin practice. You never know when you might need them.
3. Keep a running repertoire – Have a folder of some of your best songs. Songs that demonstrate your ability and could be useful for you at any time if you don’t have time to pick the perfect song. And here’s the important bit, make sure you stay familiar with them! Give them a sing through every now and then and update them when you can. Perhaps make up a playlist of the backing tracks you can sing through in the car every now and then.
4. Keep an Ear out – heard a rumour a part you really want might be coming up soon but nothing is official yet? Do some early prep. If it turns out the show isn’t happening you’ve still prepped something that might be useful down the line. Actively look for information about upcoming shows and auditions and be on email lists for updates. The earlier you can find out about the audition, the more time you will have to prepare.
5. Be Prepared – Is there a role you have always dreamed of on your list? What would you do if you found out auditions were in three days and you had a shot at it just not enough time? Don’t put yourself in that situation. If there are some roles you really want to play some day think about what you might need to have ready should an opportunity suddenly prop up. It’s worth knowing some songs that would apply to auditioning for some of those dream roles and being familiar with the songs from those shows in general (which I’m sure you are if it’s something you really want to do). And remember to revisit and update as your repertoire changes and evolves.
6. Do auditions! – The best way to be ready for auditions themselves is to keep yourself in practise. The scariest part of an audition is not the prep it’s the day itself. So make sure you familiarise yourself with the process and go for it as often as you can. Then the thought of only having a week to prepare will seem a whole lot less scary.