Solo Auditions

I am definitely the biggest worrier I know, so auditioning for a solo (or singing alone in front of anyone, for that matter) is a nerve-wracking experience for me. When I was younger, I used to have really bad panic attacks right before auditioning, and as a result, I never actually tried out for a solo until 8th grade. My aunt is a therapist, and when she learned of my stressing out over solos, she gave me some tips to help myself collect my thoughts before an audition. One of her tactics is what I call the "Scary Clown Smile". To do the "Scary Clown Smile", you grin as wide as you can, as hard as you can; your goal is to touch the edges of your mouth to your ears. This helps relive stress in your facial muscles and throat, though I wouldn't recommend doing it in public. I usually do it when I'm waiting for the bus the day of the audition (I'm the only person at my bus stop, so only the cars driving by see what I'm doing. I can only hope that they find me amusing and not creepy.). Another tactic my aunt taught me was deep breathing, as well as imaging your happy place. Believe it or not, deep, slow breaths while sitting up straight really help to calm you down; I usually perform deep breaths a couple minutes before an audition. Imaging my happy place is something that's like a final preparation before auditioning. I briefly close my eyes and block out all of the noises around me, concentrating only on one sound (usually it's whatever song I have stuck in my head). That helps me collect my final thoughts and screw up the courage to raise my hand and volunteer. I'm of the mentality that practice makes perfect, and though I've tried out for several solos this year and haven't gotten any, I don't really mind. I'm not disappointed when I don't get the solo because I know that I tried my best at the audition, and that makes me happy. For now, I'm fine with just practicing not fainting when I sing in front of other people; every time I audition and am proud of how I sound, that's another victory for me in my battle against stage fright... one that I'm pretty sure I'm winning.