3 Things to Double Check Before Your BFA Audition
BFA auditions can be a stressful process. Not only can they decide whether or not you get into the college of your dreams but also how much scholarship money you'll receive. So the pressure can feel enormous. That's why everything needs to be perfect when you enter that room.
Of course you're prepared and have gone over your audition selections numerous times, but often there are things that get overlooked right before you enter that room. While they might be minuscule, forgetting to double check them, might bring down your entire audition.
Here are three that stand out.
Confirm What the Auditions Require
Not every college is the same, so they may not be looking for the same thing from you. While some might want one song and one monologue, others might want two of each with certain styles. So make sure to double check what they want from you before you walk in the room. Asking about what types of monologues or songs (16 or 32 bars) won't make you look bad. The last thing you want to have happen is walk in and audition with the wrong type of material.
Make Sure Your Bluetooth Speakers are Working
This is somewhat of a new issue but in many cases, especially Unified auditions, they ask that you bring in a speaker to play your accompaniment rather than have a pianist in the room. This actually solves a lot of the issues you would have with a traditional accompanist. You can have the exact cut of music you want, timed the way you want, in the key you're comfortable with. Just make sure the technology is working.
If you only have a couple of minutes in the room, the last thing you want is to spend a portion of that time, trying to reconnect the Bluetooth signal with your speakers. So make sure everything is working right before you walk into the room. It will make the audition seamless and this way, those watching you can concentrate on your talents rather than your tech saviness.
Know What College You're Auditioning For
This might seem obvious, but you'd be surprised how often this mistake happens. During Unified auditions, you're often auditioning for 6-10 schools in a single day, usually running from one room to another. Given everything else you're concentrating on, it's possible that the one thing you forget is what college is in the room with you.
I had one student recently come in the room gushing that this was her dream college only to realize after that she was referring to another school, not the one that was about to see her audition. So it's always good to check the signs, make sure you know what each college offers and you're in the right room.