Have you ever felt like you weren’t prepared for an audition or performance? Like it came up too fast or just came out of nowhere? Been there. That’s my least favorite feeling.
In this article, I’m going to be talking about everything I’ve done since those unprepared days to never feel that terrible feeling ever again.
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1.) Do Your Work Every Single Day.
Did I lose you? Yeah, this one is super frustrating to me as a chronic procrastinator. But it gets results!
I used to wait until the very last day before the audition to practice, and then wonder why I was so stressed and having mental breakdowns. Just 30 minutes a day working on your audition will make a drastic change to your performance and your attitude about it. I started blocking out my practices so that they would actually happen; 10:30-11:00 practice Audition #1, 11:00-11:30 have lunch, 11:30-12:00 practice Audition #2, yada yada. If you set a time to practice like you set the times you go to class, you’re less likely to blow it off.
Eventually, you can schedule two 30 minute sessions per audition piece if it’s becoming a habit. Then 3, then 4, then so on. User’s choice!
For actual performances, again, I used to wait so long through the rehearsal process to actually start practicing on my own, that by the time the show came I was a nervous wreck because I knew I didn’t put in enough effort.
Here’s what I started to do: before rehearsal every day, I would practice my vocal exercises (20 min), then practice whatever material was on the rehearsal schedule if they noted it (30-60 min). I note the minutes because the only way I didn’t forget to practice was by setting alarms, counting back from the time when I was supposed to leave for rehearsal. Also, I’d like to add that if the rehearsal schedule doesn’t say what you’re doing that day, literally just run through everything you’ve learned already or were told to look over. Usually just once, but twice if it’s not sticking in your head.
Soon enough it’s going to be a habit even on rehearsal-free days and then you’re going to have an amazing backbone of work behind all your performances. Amazing!
2.) Take a Little Bit of Time to Relax.
This one is so hard for me. Stress is a killer, people. Get too stressed and your body will make you take a break. And it won’t be a fun one, because you’ll be sniffly and fatigued and have a headache the entire time.
If it’s difficult for you to schedule time for yourself like it is for me, start small and build your way up. Difficulty Level: Easy is an hour a week. You can do it. Here, have a little challenge:
- Difficulty Level: Easy – an hour a week
- Difficulty Level: Medium – 30 minutes, 3x a week
- Difficulty Level: Hard – 45 minutes, 4x a week
- Difficulty Level: Master – 1 hour, 5x a week
Basically, schedule time for yourself. Put it in your phone calendar. Light some candles, read a good book, journal a little, take a nice bath, maybe just take a nap, play some cards, etc.
3.) Stay on Top of Your Classes.
There’s nothing worse than getting a musical theater audition the week after you canceled your singing lesson.
Having additional help with your auditions and performances is always going to bump you up to the next level and make you more confident going in. But in general, if you’re taking lessons every week even when you don’t have an audition or a performance coming up, then you’re bumping yourself even further up the ladder!
So, if your field pertains to singing, why not be the best singer that you can be? I highly recommend lessons that have to do with what you’re doing professionally. You’re an actor/actress? Acting classes are super fun and so helpful! It builds up that backbone that we were talking about earlier.
Classes really changed my life and my career, and I would actually be nothing without them.
4.) Stay on Top of Your Health.
I used to consistently get sick the week of my shows. It was stress, it was not enough sleep, it was bad food because I didn’t have time to make good food.
Take your vitamins, people. Drink loads of water. Reference number 2 of this list. Have an orange a day. Eat your veggies. Commit to maintaining the health of your body. In the future, I’m going to go more in depth on this subject, so keep an eye out for that post.
When you’re feeling good, you’re going to perform better. That’s the plain truth. You’ll also enjoy it a whole lot more, and that’s the point of acting!
5.) Restock Your Headshots and Resumes Often and On-Time.
You only have one headshot and resume left? You’re playing a risky game. Once you get down to around ten left, order/print more. You really never know how many auditions you’re going to get that week, so might as well be prepared.
That’s that, folks!
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