I have an audition/performance in four days and I have the song that I know really well and I also sing well as well. I also have another song but I don’t know it as well and I’m just wondering if I should stick with the one I know best or not?
-Sarah
Hey Sarah,
I’ve gotten really backed up on answering questions, so I apologize for not answering soon enough to help with your audition/performance. But, hopefully this will help give you some insight for the future.
My answer is – it depends. You always want to go into an audition feeling comfortable and confident. If you would be overly stressed going into an audition because you were singing a new song that’s not as familiar to you, then I’d suggest singing the one you’re familiar with.
However, there is a flip side to that coin. Sometimes, when you’ve sang a song for a long time, it gets to the point that it looses meaning and almost becomes mechanical. If this is the case, I’d retire that song for a bit and work on other ones. Also, you don’t want to sing the same song for everything you do.
So yeah, it depends. But as a rule, if the newer song is shaky, I’d opt for the more familiar one. If not, play with something new. You’ll always learn new things about yourself when you experiment with new things.
I hope this helps!
Best,
Ken