Top 10 Tuesday – Headshots

It’s been awhile!  A duel list to make up your Top 10!    

Top 5 indicators that it’s time to get new headshots:     

1.  You only have negatives – no digital shots besides what you scanned on your own     

2.  You only have black and whites (The industry standard now is trending towards color now).  Let’s look at the comparison of two photos with the same sort of mood.  With the black and white, although great, doesn’t look as “accessible” as the color one does. 

Black and White

 

Color

 

3.  The casting director does a double take because they don’t recognize you (now I have to interject that I still looked like my headshots but I’m sure we’ve all heard of someone’s headshots that were many, many, (many) years younger than the person standing before them)     

4.  You’ve run out (does this EVER HAPPEN?)     

5.  You have finally saved up enough money     

Top 5 things to do when getting new headshots:     

1.   Research your photographer!  The photographer I chose is fabulous but I took the time to talk with people who have used her before.  What clinched it for me with Kristen is that she was not only recommended, but her photos were shown in a course I was taking at the Walnut Street Theatre as an example of what casting directors like to see in terms of quality and lighting.     

2.  Research your Production House.  Money (or lack thereof) shouldn’t be the only decided factor (also, see #1 above) in determining who you choose to produce your headshots.  The reproduction house I chose was, again, recommended and since your photos are you “face forward” I had to have high-quality photos produced.  There are many out there and probably perfectly good ones with even better pricing.  Call them and ask for a sample.  They should be happy to send that to you.     

3.  Take advantage of re-touching services.  Keep in mind that re-touching should not be treated as MAJOR AIRBRUSHING AND ALTERATION!  Casting directors want you to look real in your photos and really look like you. I loved the re-touching option because I was able to get rid of or fix stray hairs, take out dark circles under eyes, brighten the teeth and remove stains and wrinkles from clothing, etc.  This is worth the money!    

Let’s compare two photos:    

Before

 

After

 

As you can see, the second photo still looks like me with some minor adjustments – can you tell what was done?   

4.  At the photoshoot:  Opt-in for hair/make up services.  This is worth the money, I promise you!    

5.  SLEEP and drink plenty of water three days before your shoot.  I did this, and cut caffeine and I looked so refreshed.  Maybe I should do those things all of the time, no? 

Blogging from the Train – like a really long Tweet, and a Tuesday Top 10

Hey everyone! I’ve just finished the last rehearsal before the final day-of-the-concert-rehearsal on Thursday and I have to say that I am pleased. First off, it’s the first concert that I’m singing that David Hayes is conducting us and it’s great – I feel extremely safe under his watch. It’s going to be really good as long as too much adrenaline doesn’t kick in to make you sing sharp. See my post before this one for details. Secondly, the music is challenging!

In other news – allergies are epic right now and I’m not sure why. Thus a Top 10 Tuesday for you – Top 10 Reasons Why You Want To End Your Life Because Your Allergies are So Bad:

1. You sound like you smoke 10 packs a day

2. You can sing Baritone even when you’re a soprano

3. You call your mom and she thinks it’s your husband calling

4. The mounds and mounds of mucus

5. You spend half your grocery budget on tissue

6. Save on home repairs – just sneeze on the wall

7. Your nostrils are like your kidneys – you really only need one side anyway

8. Your nose is so stuffed that you almost suffocate while brushing your teeth

9. Your Neti Pot wants overtime pay

10. Did I mention mucus?

I will work on a post about what to do about said allergies! Goodnight!

Top 10 Tuesdays

Top 10 things to to say (or not to say) in an audition.

1.  DON’T say you’re sorry.  At the most frustrating of auditions, this can almost seem unbearable to not do, but don’t do it!  Most of the things you thought were issues or mistakes may not even have been picked up.

2.  DO say “thank you” – You can say this no matter how unhappy you were with the audition.  I say, “Thank you for hearing me”

3.  DON’T make excuses - Walking in to an audition and starting with, “Wow, I’m really tired right now or ”I’ve got a cold” - is not the way to go.  As hard as this may be, this is not a good idea.  Don’t make excuses for your performance before you even have begun.

4.  DON’T break focus – you’ve all seen it in open auditions where someone forgets the words and they roll their eyes – my heart breaks for them when I see this in the audience and I’m instantly uncomfortable.  Just keep going.  I remember a departmental I did in school where I was singing Caro mio ben and forgot the words half way through.  I sang gibberish until I got back on track.  I actually received a comment from another coach.  Don’t lose your cool.

5.  DON’T shake hands! – don’t make them feel uncomfortable by walking right up and shaking hands with everyone UNLESS they are standing up and approaching you first which, if they are that happy to see you – that would be so cool!!

6.  DON’T look them in the eye when you are singing.  Ever.  That is all.

7. DO thank your pianist.  I can’t say this enough.  Here is a little something I do.  I put a smiley face and a “thank you” in the music at the end of my song cut.  In the audition I just had last week, the pianist stopped me as I was leaving and thanked me for that notation.  Know that in auditions, the person playing piano could be the music director.  This has happened many times with me.

Top 10 Tuesdays – Physical Preparations for an Audition

I’ve always read that the most successful athletics have a ritual that they follow to the letter before every competition.  A ritual that ever changes.  I’ve actually watched Tiger Woods do this when preparing for a put.  One of my goals this year is to develop one of my own rituals before every audition, and in general.  After reading this, I would love  your feedback on what you do!  Today I’m focusing on the physical aspects of preparation.  This is still a work in my process, but I give you my:

Top 10 things (Physical) to do in general and before an audition:

1.  Hydrate.  I am guilty of this myself because I also suffer “nervous bladder,” but it is important to hydrate.  What you are feeling right now as you read this post is a result of what you drank 24 hours ago.  If you start to hydrate a few hours before an audition – that’s great, but you won’t feel the full affects until much too late.  So – 24 hours before an audition, kick up the fluids and cut back on (gulp! ) the coffee.  I KNOW!  Hydration not only helps the vocal folds but the entire body.

2.  Decaf Tea with Lemon and Honey – this works for me, especially during allergy season when my vocal chords are thick.  It also helps break up the phlegm.  Medications for allergies are very drying so use with care.

3.  Here was a big shocker for me – working out the day of the audition.  Working out, for me, actually helped warm up my chords simply because of the increase blood flow, which was a suprise to me.  A light workout will also helpful in releasing body tension and reduce stress.

4.  The breathing exercise that I mention here.  Personally, I’m going to try this throughout the day of the audition and again right before.

5.  Don’t eat spicy foods! – Keep spicey foods out for the 4 hours before an audition if not the whole day.  It increases acid reflux, which can reek havoc on your entire system.

6.  No spirits.  I’m sure we have all heard stories of singers that may have a little something before a performance.  Alcohol is dehydrating, and – just don’t do it.  Now afterwards!….

7.  You may not want to talk too much just before.  For me, I’m a nervous chatter just before an audition and I need to stop doing that.  After you have warmed up, it’s good to give it a rest.  Also, along those lines, whispering, which a lot of people might be doing while they wait for an audition, is like screaming to your chords.

8.  Don’t be afraid of the dumbells.  Contrary to what people might say, singing is athletic.  In more demanding performances, I’ve lost several pounds from not only the running around, which is part of it, but the singing itself.  As you know, it is important to be strong and have a strong core for breathing and holding your body in place for the practice of singing.

9.  Visualize – this is a new thing that I’ve been experimenting with that I never did before.  I will actually sit and visualize the entire audition from start to finish; not only the words and notes but every focal point and acting transition that I will be using, physical gestures, everything.

10.  Don’t be afraid – and go for it!  OK, this isn’t an actual physical item but I’ll hark on attitude until I’m blue in the face.

I would love to hear some of the things you do!

Top 10 Tuesdays – Your Songbook

I’m bringing back the Top 10 Tuesdays, people!  Partially because it is kind of cool, but also because, coincidentally, our Day #2 Task to the “31-Days to a Better Blog was to create a list post.  How convenient for me!

Top 10 tips when creating your audition songbook.  I got a lot of these great ideas through either courses that I took or personal trial and error.  Please feel free to comment and share some of your best ideas!

1.  Cut and Paste vs. Markups.  Unless it’s a really short cut, I tend to pull out the scissors and cut and paste parts of songs together when creating the 32-bar and 16-bar cuts.  My goal is to make it easy on the pianist. 

2.  Include all cuts from smallest to largest.  When creating my songbook, I included each cut as a stand-alone piece of the same song.  The 16-bar and the 32-bar versions are included.  As you know, audition notices can come up so quickly, leaving you little time to prepare the cuts you need.  It’s great to be able to pull out what you need.

3.  After the cut versions – include the song in its entirety.  Have you gone in to an audition yet and have been asked to, “what the hell – why don’t we hear the whole song instead of the cut since we have some time.” ? – If it hasn’t happened yet – don’t worry – it will.  Be prepared for anything to happen.  They might want to hear the whole song, so have it on hand – just in case.

4.  Create a Table of Contents with corresponding tabs.  You are nervous in an audition.  The last thing you want is your nervous and shaky fingers flipping, flipping, flipping through your song book to try and find the song.  In my songbook, I have a TOC in the very front with numbers (for each cut version and full songs) and tabs within the book so I can flip right to what I want.

5.  Another note on tabs.  Be sure that the tabs (after music is inserted into the slip sheets (See #6) can be seen when you close the book.  If you can’t see them sticking out - they are of no use to you.  I discovered this HALF way through my book and I almost cried.  I ended up having to change all of the tabs to the top of each song instead of to the side.  From the top, I could easily see the tabs.

6.  Music slip sheets.  I use no-glare slipsheets to keep the music from getting scuffed, to make it easier for the pianist to navigate (i.e. flip) and to see with the no glare factor.  Your Pianist is your friend.

7.  Duplex vs. One side – the jury is still out on this one for me.  For instance, if your song is only 2 pages long – do you just duplex it in one sheet (the pianist will have to flip it) – or do 2 facing pages so the pianist doesn’t have to flip.  I guess the objective is that you want the pianist’s fingers on the keys as much as possible.  What are your thoughts on this one?

8.  This is corny, but I don’t care.  I put a smiley face and a “Thank You” at the end of every piece.  A lot of times, the person playing the piano for you is the music director.  Kindess goes a long way.

9.  Group songs together – I group songs from the same production together.  This is probably a no-brainer for most people, but at first, I wasn’t doing this.  This, of course, works wonders when you are going in for a role and you have them all together and can act like a waiter, “well, we have the “If I Were a Bell, or the “I’ll Know” or cuts from “Marry the Man Today”, which looks good today…

10.  Put contact information inside if the songbook.  Do most people do this and I was just late to the party?  I was leaving a Bucks County Playhouse Audition and drove a few hundred feet before I realized my songbook was on the top of my car.  I had only brought enough resumes and headshots for this audition and had nothing inside that would have clued anyone in as to who I was.

Top 10 Tuesday – Music and Christmas

Because I’m feeling generous and also Christmasy today, I have two Top 10 Lists!

Top 10 Favorite Classical Music Movements, excerpts, Recordings, etc.  No surprises here:

10.  Debussy Nocturnes – in general 

9.  Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 – NOT the choral movement but the Scherzo – 2nd movement.

8. Con te Partiro - Trumpet Solo – Chris Botti.

7. Nessun Dorma – ONLY the Pavarotti recording will do.  I cry EVERY single time I play this.

6. Gounod’s Faust.  There is so much beautiful music in this opera that it’s hard to distinguish what I like.  I’m bias as this was the first professional performance that I was in.

5. Debussy’s Clair de lune – I don’t know why but this piece just gets to me.  The entire piece feels like a resolution that is so complete that it reminds me of exhaling.

4. Orff’s Carmina Burana – what a shocker, right?  Who doesn’t love to sing this one?  I can sing it in my sleep at this point.

3.Dido and Aeneas – When I am Laid to Rest – Act 3.  I don’t particularly like Purcell.  But I must say that this is the most haunting and beautiful piece.  I am a sucker for explicit composition and the fact that the entire solo is accompanied with a descending line (as when being laid to rest, of course) wins me over.

2. Rachmaninoff – Piano Concerto No. 3 – Oh, how I love this entire piece.  I have a difficult time figuring out if I like the Allegro, the Intermezzo, or the Finale best.  I’m leaning towards the Intermezzo for its lush melody.  I also have a thing for minor key/major key shifting.

1.  Verdi’s Requiem – the entire work. – I mean, I like everything.  Vienna Philharmonic with Sutherland, Horne, Pavarotti, and Solti.  However, if you want to get really specific about this, I particularly love the Trumpets in the Tuba Mirum (#3).

Top 10 things I like about Christmas:

10.  Playing Vince Guaraldi’s Trio – A Charlie Brown Christmas, until my cubical neighbors want to jump out their window

9.  Decorating the tree while drinking Bailey’s Irish Cream

8.  Christmas Brunch

7.  Opening presents

6.  Watching Christmas Specials on TV

5. Seeing New York City at Christmas

4. Seeing old Ornaments from Christmas past.

3.  First opening your eyes on Christmas morning but not yet getting out of bed

2. Knowing that Ski Season has started

1.  Did I mention presents?