Guest Blogger Micah Livesay

So, I'm coming to the end of my college auditions and wanted to share a few of the things I've learned through this process (so far).

1. Be yourself. Whether you're filming a prescreen video in which the program requires you to answer questions, or you're at a live interview for a school, it can be tempting to show the interviewer or program a personality different from your own. You might feel inclined to act more refined, outgoing, or intelligent than you normally would. Stop. As a naturally laid-back and pretty quiet person, I found myself trying to seem more extroverted or unnaturally friendly in these situations. Just remember that these interviews are the program's attempts to get to know you as an individual. By truly having a typical conversation (with a person or a camera), you'll find that it will be easier to stay calm, and the interviewer will probably like you better.

2. Try to get everything completed as early in the process as you can. If you don't, you will be so stressed out that you'll consider quitting musical theatre and becoming a mime.

3. If you have access to a college counselor at your school, get to know them. They can be incredibly helpful during this process. Mine came to see my productions and wrote me a great recommendation for my applications.

4. Know what to wear to auditions/dance calls.

5. Don't be rude. Be as nice as you can to EVERYONE (but don't be fake).

6. Don't be crazy at dance calls. In other words, don't be a show off because the auditors can see right through that. Don't speak while the choreographer is teaching, NEVER lean on the barres or walls when you're waiting or standing. Be aware of the people around you, and if you're not a great dancer, don't stand in the front. You will get your chance to show what you can do for the auditors, so don't hog the front row the whole time. Also, don't yawn if you value your life.

7. Develop a ritual you do before auditions. I like to listen to classical music, drink lots of water, and do jumping jacks privately before I perform.

8. If the location you're auditioning in has practice rooms, use them.

9. Go with your parent, friend, or take yourself to get coffee/ice cream/chicken nuggets/or something else you like after you audition. Our tradition became stopping at a Starbucks afterward.

10. Remember that if you don't get in somewhere, it's just not the right program/school for you. It might not be that you weren't talented enough. There's a good chance that you're just not the type of person they're looking for, which is okay.

Break a leg and don't be extra.