10 Simple Ways to Improve Your Audition Book

An actor’s audition book contains all the music you take with you to auditions, the same way a model or designer brings a portfolio to interviews.

My audition binder is filled with ready-to-go sheet music, ordered by genre and era, all suiting my personality and my type as an actress.

Does your audition book need a facelift? Are you tired of singing the same thing over and over again? Are there holes in your book from genres you’re missing that you need to fill?

Here are some valuable tips and inspiration to get the ball rolling.

1. Identify actors/actresses similar to you.

Is there a performer out there that you really connect with? What else did (insert actor/actress's name here) sing on Broadway? Off-broadway? Regionally? Cabarets? Youtube is your best friend. This is the perfect way to find new material that suits your type.

2. Research songs from popular summer stock shows.

If you're auditioning in the year 2024, you'll probably come across Mamma Mia, Beautiful, Jersey Boys, Newsies, A Chorus Line etc. Do you have songs in your audition book that work for those auditions? It'd be smart to find music that suits these shows.

3. Identify and fill in the gaps.

Take a good look at your audition book. What eras of music are you missing? Genres?

If you had an audition for an 90's Pop Rock operetta today like Rent, a traditional Rodgers and Hammerstein musical tomorrow like Oklahoma, a contemporary musical theatre audition next week like Mean Girls and a new Disney musical that same day, would you be ready with music to cover all the bases?

4. Embrace the most popular composers of each era.

Rodgers and Hammerstein, Sondheim, Lerner and Loewe, Bock and Harnick, Cole Porter, Alan Menken, Andrew Lippa, Ahrens and Flaherty, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, Pasek and Paul... you'll always be in good hands with classics by the most popular composers in musical theatre.

5. Solidify clear Audition cuts for the pianist.

Whether its 32 bars, 16 bars, 8 bars, or the full song, make sure that puppy is clean and ready-to-go at any moment. This is the golden rule in my book, but often forgotten by young actors.

If you made a cut, make sure the title of the song is written legibly at the top. Highlight music if necessary. Run the cut with a pianist before bringing it to an audition.

Leave little room for human error!

6. Make a Spotify playlist.

Spotify is perfect for browsing original Broadway cast recordings, revivals, covers, etc. Make two playlists, one for the songs that you have currently in your book, and one with songs you are interested in adding to your book.

7. Find your money song.

This is the song you absolutely love to sing. You feel great when you perform it, you sing it in your sleep, you can't get enough of it. This song fits you like a glove and showcases you in your best light.

More often than not, this song will be your go-to song for auditions!

8. Digitize your book.

You'll thank me later when you leave your audition binder full of precious music on the subway and its lost forever. Take some time to scan your music and upload it to your computer through iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.

The sooner, the better. Even if you misplace your book, you’ll have a backup on your computer!

9. Get rid of the unnecessary

Do yourself a favor and don't wait until the last minute. Eliminate 1) the songs you despise and 2) the songs you haven't sung in years. These especially won't serve you when the creative team asks for them and you can't remember the lyrics. Set yourself up for success!

10. Create a Table Of Contents.

In the front of your audition book, you should have a Table of Contents that lists every song in your binder.

I like to organize my songs by genre…. Contemporary Musical Theatre, Traditional Musical Theatre, Old Broadway, and Pop/Rock.

You can easily replace your Table of Contents and update it every time you add new stuff or throw away old stuff.

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Find this helpful? Be sure to check out the Actor Aesthetic podcast.

Happy auditioning!