Today marks the final audition for season 11 of American Idol.  ELEVEN SEASONS!  That’s probably why it feels like we’ve never known a world without American Idol.  And eleven seasons has brought literally millions of singing hopefuls through the doors of stadiums across the country for their chance at the coveted title of American Idol.

So many of you have shared your personal stories of auditioning and I thought you might appreciate a look back at a few notable auditions that make Entertainment Weekly’s Best 15 American Idol Auditions list:

See Entertainment Weekly’s complete list (no videos) here. 

What Did They Miss?

What are your favorites? 

What song did you audition with? 

What songs do you think are over done? 

Spill it all below.  It’s already time to start preparing for Season TWELVE!

Ready to take your voice to the next level? Check out online training at The Voice Club Academy

Shout Outs for Encouraging Singers

If there’s one core reason I do what I do it’s to encourage other singers.  So in this episode of The Voice Club Podcast I give a special shout out to some of you who keep encouraging others on the blog.  This is by no means a complete list, so if you’re leaving comments to support others BIG THANKS TO YOU!  Also, thanks to: Bryan Keith, Melvin, Emily, Angie Jason E Jones, and Angelica for jumping in there and slappin’ up some high fives for your fellow musicians.

In This Episode

…I’m answering some of the most commonly asked audition questions I get, including:

• Which song should I do?
• Should I pick an old song or a new one?
• Should I sing an original or a cover?
• How do I stand out in a huge competition like The Voice, X-Factor, American Idol or The Sing Off?

In our Quick Start Tip, we have a super fast and effective vocal warm-up you can do 15 seconds before you stand in front of the judges.  [see audio]  And also in this episode…

Something Special Just for You

There’s just so much that goes into preparing the perfect audition that it was impossible to squeeze into a blog post or podcast, as I found out when I started compiling it all.  All that writing has become a resource that I want you to have BEFORE your competition. It includes over 30 pages of in-depth, behind the audition information INCLUDING a TWO PAGE CUSTOM AUDITION PLAN that you can print and use every time you audition to really chart your progress.

The Killer Audition Cheat Sheet e-book will go on sale September 1st, but not for YOU.   I’m going to pre-release what my research is proving to be the most comprehensive singing audition guide out there two weeks early to my subscribers.  When you register to be notified of the early release I’m also going to give you IMMEDIATE, FREE ACCESS to another e-book I’ve written just for you, “Audtion Don’ts You Should Never Do”.   This offer will end in just a few days, so GET ON THE LIST by clicking here.

Now get out there and AUDITION!

Ready to take your voice to the next level? Check out online training at The Voice Club Academy

The increasing amount of TV talent show auditions drawing massive crowds is a great thing.  We love to see who makes it, who doesn’t and root for our family, friends or just tv favorites.  But before their debut on stage these singers have to get through a grueling audition process.  There are hours…DAYS of standing in line in all kinds of weather.  Then there are the calls from the producer for an hour or so of crowd cheers and screams and of course, the constant temptation to sing along with your line mates at the top of your lungs.  It’s part of the experience, right?  Sure.  Have a blast.  It’s the least you deserve after all your efforts just to get in the door.  But before you get carried away, don’t forget why you’re there: to show off the best of what your voice has to offer.

Here’s how to make sure your voice is at it’s best by the time you get to the front of the line:

1.  Cheer with your hands, not your screams. If you’re a purest (and I am but I don’t expect you to be) cheer with fist pumps and not your voice and, if you’re not, keep it to “whooo’s”, not screams.  Screaming can cause swelling in the tissues around the vocal cords leaving them susceptible to damage, especially when you’re already sleep deprived.  A good rule of thumb is to cheer at no more of a level than you would in a group of say five or ten, not thousands.  Dance, jump, wave your arms…but protect your voice.  It’s why you’re there.

2.  Get and Stay hydrated. This is my weak point.  I NEED coffee when I’m up before dawn to stand in line, but it does dry you out.  Drink plenty of water while you’re in line.  Nominate a ‘line keeper’ (like a designated driver) to hold your place while you take the necessary potty breaks.  Yes, it’s a pain.  But when your body is hydrated your cords connect and abduct (open and close) much more smoothly, resulting in more notes that you nail to the wall.  And THAT’S always worth it.  If you’re not sure if you’re getting enough pick up one of these great water bottles.  Fill it up once – it’s all you need for a full day.

3.  Warm up…all the way. It’s as hard on your voice as it is for your body to be freezing or sweating in line for hours.  Remember that if your body is hotter or colder than usual when you get inside that affects your voice too.  This is when vocally warming up becomes absolutely essential.  I don’t mean singing through your song in the corner of the hallway either.  You want to do a warmup that gets all of the muscle groups surrounding the vocal cords up and running.  The bubble is the perfect warmup (more about the bubble here) because it warms up all of the facial plus the vocal muscles at the same time, but a good warmup can be as simple as humming on a low note and sliding it up, then down lower than the first note and higher than your first high notes.  Don’t skip the warmup.  Athlete’s don’t.  And you’ve just stepped into an arena filled with them.

4.  Don’t gunk up your throat. Ah the typical arena fair; french fries, fried fish, hamburgers.  Tasty?  Yes.  Ok to eat before what could be the most important audition of your lifetime?  NO.  Greasy food adds, well, grease to the back of your throat which can get in the way of the epiglottis (the ‘door’ that opens and closes between your windpipe where your vocal cords are and the food pipe where you think it’s all going).  Spicy food can cause acid in the throat that can irritate the voice or indigestion that will irritate everything else in your body.  Again, not a safe bet.  The best thing in the world to eat before an audition?  Fresh apples.  They’ve been known to cut down on excessive saliva and cut through natural gunk that can sit in the back of the throat.  Unfortunately you can’t sneak one in.  But look for them in the vendor areas.  You might luck out.  If you want to be on the safe side, bring along Thayers throat lozenges.  They have the double kicker of slippery elm (better than it sounds ) and licorice root, two knockout natural sources for curing a dry or gunky throat.  If you love the taste of black licorice you can also try what my moma fed us; Throat Discs. I can’t believe they still make them but they’re super yummy and do the job.

Follow these simple tips and you’ll have the best chance at showing them all that you can do.  Now just get out there, look ‘em in the eye and let your voice do the rest.

Have an audition experience?  Share it below.  You know we wanna know.

Ready to take your voice to the next level? Check out online training at The Voice Club Academy

Auditions for The X Factor kick off in March with Los Angeles on the 27th.  Other dates haven’t been announced as of this posting but auditions are scheduled for cities including Chicago, New York, Miami, Dallas and Seattle.  All you have to do to get on the list is to register online.  No doubt open calls will help fill out a line around the block but it’s always a good idea to get registered online as early as possible even if you’re only considering auditioning.  Why?  Well though I can’t speak to the audition process on X Factor I discovered that my early online registration to audition for The Voice locked me in a specific audition time.  So while the line forms down the block I can go to the front of the line at my scheduled time.  Priceless.

So the question remains: Should you audition for The X Factor?  How do you know if it’s worth it?  Sure there’s the 5 million dollar recording contract with Sony Records for the winner, but let’s be honest; TV talent contests are 95% TV show and 5% talent focused.  I’m not dissing them.  They serve a purpose and can give an artist great exposure, but if you believe the only thing you can get out of them is top prize then you’ll miss the other benefits opportunities like these can bring you.  So let’s break it down.

SHOULD YOU AUDITION?

1. Can you sing? Seems like an obvious question but think this one through before you get on a plane and book a hotel.  You don’t  have to be the best singer in the world.  We’ve all seen some crazy stuff on TV talent shows but to have a realistic chance you have to consider a few things: Are you beyond just holding down the notes?  Do you have performing experience?  Have audiences reacted favorably to what you’ve done in public?  Ask someone who will be honest if you’re not sure.  This rules out parents and best friends.
2. Do you have a compelling story? Remember, this IS entertainment tv.  I’ve known several great singers who didn’t make it past the 2nd round (locally) while much less qualified singers with interesting back stories breezed right through.  The more unique a story you have the better, but be warned: don’t fabricate your story.  They will do research!  If you have a story to tell and a voice to follow it up you should think very seriously about auditioning.
3. Are you available? Would you quit your job to free up time for a chance at fame and fortune?  Well don’t send in your notice just yet.  In this economy there can be little to no chance you can get that job, or even another one back once your tv dream ends.  So think through how you will take increments of time off should you progress and DON’T quit your job before the first audition!
4. What will be the benefit to you? Take out the stardom and recording contract.  Heck, take out the chance to even be in the final 50.  Is there still value to you?  There should be.  (Read what I mean on my post on NBS’s The Voice) But if there isn’t you need to weigh if the value is worth your time and financial investment in the audition process.
5. Are you really ready to be judged? This is an important question to answer.  It’s one thing to assume the judges will be wrong (and they really are sometimes) and it won’t hurt your feelings, but some times some of them will be right and you may not be willing to hear it.  What are the two or three things someone you look up to could say about your singing that could crush you?  Even Christine Aguilera got ticked when reporters questioned her performance backstage before the Superbowl (but that’s a whole other post!)

I hope you noticed that none of the questions above was ‘Do you want to be a star?’.   The truth is that many people who audition for TV talent shows are really only there for that one reason; the chance to be a star.  If that is your only, or even your main goal DO NOT AUDITION.  Sure, you could be the next William Hung, but more likely you’ll end up as one of those weepy eyed or violent auditioners whose whole world has collapsed on national TV.  It hurts us to see that happen to you.  Don’t go there.

That said, there are incredible benefits to the process of auditioning regardless of the ‘prize’.  Read them here. TV talent shows can not only give you a shot at the kind of exposure it’s next to impossible to get elsewhere but can lead to opportunities you would’ve never been approached with if it weren’t for the chance you took.

Will you be auditioning for X Factor this spring?  If you can say yes to the five things above, you should be!  Get out there.  Take a chance.  Gain more experience.  You might be surprised and what you might learn regardless of how far you do or don’t go on the show.  So do it!  Then post a reply and tell us your experience.

Ready to take your voice to the next level? Check out online training at The Voice Club Academy

Get your Simon fix while you can.  Season 9 of American will be one of your last chances to see the brutally honest Britt as a judge on American Idol.  That’s because Brittan’s own X-Factor is coming to the states in fall of 2011.

Sure it’s a bit to wait, but the it will be worth it when you consider the differences between the two reality show styled talent contests.

Rumor has it Paula Abdul might be back for this one, but either way the show format that has launched European stars like Leona Lewis is sure to make a dent in the Idol audience and the talent pool.

So if you thought you couldn’t get a shot at your dream because of your age or because you’re not a solo act, now’s the time to ramp up your training and get out there and perform as much as humanly possible.  This is your last chance workout!  Oh wait, that’s another reality show.

Ready to take your voice to the next level? Check out online training at The Voice Club Academy

None of us wants to be the bad singer who doesn’t really know how bad we are.  And one thing many bad singers have in common is overconfidence without perspective.  But not even the best singers always start out great.  They had to train, gain experience and grow.  So how do we know if we were born to sing or if we should just save ourselves the embarrassment?

To find out if you have the potential to be an American Idol contestant or to go for your dream of a recording contract you really need the opinion of a qualified third party.  By qualified I’m referring to someone who has worked professionally in music who can assess if your skills could qualify for the area of the business you’re interested in.
If you don’t agree with the assessment, get a second.  If you’re seeking qualified opinions there should be common threads between them.  Consider the similarities and don’t be discouraged if you didn’t hear what you wanted to.

The most overlooked reality of the music business is that is it a business.  So you should also ask yourself, ‘Is this business really for me?’  Find out what it takes.  You might discover that all the years of hard work with little to no pay and being away from loved ones for long times is just not your cup of tea. There are many incredibly talented people that would be much happier as session singers, singing in musicals, creating their own music for personal satisfaction, leading worship or inspiring other singers in a choir.

The joy of singing comes not from being nationally known as a singer, but from being a part of something beautiful, something that rocks, or something that just moves people.  If you want to learn to sing well publicly seek the guidance of a good vocal instructor. Good vocal training will not only improve your ability, it will build your confidence and help you define your musical options.

So if you’re serious about singing publicly, be willing to listen to qualified opinions, seek opportunities to gain experience and always be willing to learn.  After all, there can only be one William Hung.  Let’s hope.

Ready to take your voice to the next level? Check out online training at The Voice Club Academy