Picking songs for college musical theater auditions can feel like the hardest part of the whole process. You've got a few minutes in the room (or a few minutes of video for a prescreen) to show a program who you are, and the songs you choose do a lot of that talking for you.
There's no single perfect song list. There are some guidelines that will keep you from making the most common mistakes, though.
Start with each school's requirements
Before you fall in love with a song, read every program's audition requirements carefully. Schools often ask for two contrasting songs, and many specify what "contrasting" means. A common version is one song from before a certain year (often a classic, legit-leaning piece) and one contemporary song. Some want a specific cut length, like 16 or 32 bars. Some have a list of songs they'd rather not hear.
Make a simple chart of each school's requirements. You'll likely find a core set of songs that works for most of your list, with a few adjustments here and there.
Choose songs that show your strengths
Your audition is not the place to prove you can do something you're still working on. Pick songs that sit in the strongest part of your voice and let you sound your best on a nervous day, not just your best day.
Ask yourself whether the song shows off your range in a comfortable way, whether you can act it fully, and whether it still sounds good when you're tired.
Pick characters you could play now
Programs are casting you as you are at 17 or 18, not as you might be at 40. Look for characters close to your age and type, or songs where the situation makes sense for a young performer. A middle-aged character singing about a lifetime of regret usually reads as a stretch.
Be careful with overdone songs
Some songs get sung over and over at college auditions. That doesn't make them off limits, but it does mean the panel has heard them done many times, sometimes beautifully. If you choose a popular song, you'd better have something specific to bring to it. Often the smarter move is a lesser-known song by a composer you love.
Make clean, smart cuts
A good cut has a clear beginning, a moment where something changes, and a strong ending. You want the panel to hear your voice and see your acting choices without sitting through a long intro. Clearly marked sheet music in a binder, in the key you sing it in, is a must for in-person auditions so the accompanist can play it well.
Act the song before you sing it
The panel wants to see a person, not a vocal exercise. Know who you're singing to, what you want from them, and what changes by the end of the cut. Speak the lyrics as a monologue a few times. When the acting is clear, the singing tends to follow.
Start early
Prescreen deadlines tend to come up fast in the fall of senior year. Give yourself time to choose material, build cuts, polish it in lessons, and record. Rushing song choice in October usually shows on the video.
Get help building your book
I attended Christopher Newport University for musical theater and performed professionally, so I've been on the other side of this process. If you're in the Richmond area preparing for college auditions, I can help you choose songs, build cuts, and prepare for prescreens and callbacks through my musical theater voice lessons.
