Feeling Confident at an Audition, has a lot to do with Knowing What to Expect Before You walk in. Learn the Top 10 Music Terms You’ll Hear at an Audition

One of the most embarrassing things can happen when you step into a professional setting, super confident and hoping to impress, until you begin to hear music terms you are not familiar with.

This can strip your confidence pretty quickly and make you feel like they’re speaking another language. These types of situations can be known to leave a scar, even on the most talented singers.

Whether you’re auditioning for the local musical or auditioning for the finest arts school in the country, it is important to know the music terms the auditioners will use. Why? Because how can you be at your absolute best if you have no idea what they’re talking about. Are you hip to the music terms already? Let’s see!

The Top 10 Music Terms You should Learn Before Your Audition

1. Accompanist: a piano player that is hired to accompany you during your audition to play your music.
2. Sight reading: reading sheet music on the spot without practice
3. 8-bars, 16-bars, or 32-bars: a requirement that limits you to sing only a segment of time corresponding to a specific number of beats of music.
4. A cappella: singing your song with just your voice, no music.
5. Catch breath: a quick breath, usually taken in between song lyrics.
6. Diction: the clear articulation of words. Some styles of music require more or less of this.
7. Resonance: Projection that occurs naturally when you are lifting your singing muscles properly and your tongue is rounded and down, which helps your soft palate act like an amplifier for your voice.
8. Call back: an invitation to return for a second audition or interview.
9. Intonation: Refers to pitch. If he or she has “bad intonation,” they sing either flat or sharp.
10. Repertoire: The songs a singer knows well and can perform. In broadway, repertoire may also refer to the characters a singer knows well.

Written by: Airis Kemp (Instagram: @loveairisstyle)