I Need advice for what songs to sing at a singing competition

[bitter linden]

I want to audition for my schools singing competition and don’t want to get kicked out first round, (I’m saving songs I’m really good at for later if I feel like I’m going to get kicked out) “Lovers Rock” is all that’s in my mind so I want advice on how to best sing it for the audition!

(or someone could suggest a different song bc I’m better at putting emotion and conviction in my voice with vibrato and being loud which is everything lovers rock is not, so it feels a bit like it’s not the best song to showcase my voice)

UPDATE: I changed the song to “seventeen” by heathers, much better fits my voice.

Like I’ve tried enunciating my vowels, putting loudness into my voice like normal (but also I slightly think that’s bad cause lovers rock has none of that, maybe it’s just the worst song for me to sing 😅)

One song suggestion I might have already is “Poor Unfortunate Souls”

[bitter linden]

I Need advice for what songs to sing at a singing competition

[tardy knoll]

Hmm

I suggest songs from paramore

Like maybe no more exception or misery business

Or if you want more ' competition ' like song

Power of love by celine dion
Or
She used to be mine by sara bailles

[bitter linden]

YES used to be mine is a great one! Thanks!

[tardy knoll]

How's the competition lol

[uncut remnant]

i wanna know too

[abstract talon]

@bitter linden Hi, I've done a fair amount of live performing and competing, my 2 cents:

I understand the desire to save your best songs for last round but think of it this way, if everyone else uses their best songs in the first round and beat you, you'll never make it to the last round anyways. Start strong because every round could be your last.

That being said, you want songs that showcase technicality as well as an ability to emote with your voice. Technical abilities you should be trying to showcase in rough order of importance:

• Pitch accuracy
• Tone
• Musicality (phrasing, emotiveness)
• Breath Control (dynamics, held notes)
• Power (controlled volume)
• Vocal Agility (arpeggiation, runs)

Note that vocal agility is last on the list. While crazy runs can generate "wow" moments and be flashy and impressive, if you don't have everything else down pat the runs won't do you much good.

By that same dint you should** avoid** songs that have simple/repetitive melodies or limited vocal range.

1 more thing to add is that it is not impossible but it is much harder to pull off a winning performance with a sad or slow song than one that is upbeat and energetic. If all you do is stand and sing you won't get far. Remember it's a talent show and honestly the show part is more important than the talent part.

Hope this helps.

[bitter linden]

Thank you also it’s a singing competition- it’s broadcasted to the whole school 😄

[bitter linden]

Oh thanks for the interest… I haven’t submitted my audition yet…

I have to before Friday tho.

[uncut remnant]

coolll

[bitter linden]

Every happy song doesn’t really fit my style of singing hehe… I mean like the happiest songs I can do are hozier 😂😅, most upbeat songs are more higher pitched and while I have stamina to do runs I don’t sound good when I have to speak fast (I’d have to do it in one breath) I heard that the way you breathe is important in singing and I’ve been meaning to learn how to do that, since my breathing even outside of singing is terrible (like idk how to breathe properly)

What do I do

I have the song buggg but it’s a song in a language I don’t know and I don’t have time to properly sing it and articulate it so I’m going to hope that later when I want to upload the audition that a different song I know takes its place (I feel like of course the best song a singer sings is one they’re passionate about)

Is being loud/powerful voice bad? (I’m gonna be in front of a mic in a small/medium size room so I don’t want it to like do that loud feedback noise in everyone’s ear- basically- how do I control my voice to still be powerful but less louder

[faint ibex]

not at all! Some things ot keep in mind are proper warmups and space from the mic. Too close and your voice could mess up the balance with any track you use. Make sure you use your powerful skills in parts that truly need them, as using them too much can make them less special and put you at risk for damaging your voice. I think it's down to mouth shape and projection. Wide open mouth shapes (not too exagerrated) should be sufficient to have a powerful voice and vibrato, but not inherently loud

[bitter linden]

I submitted the audition

Turns out I only needed 30 seconds aka I only have 30 seconds for my audition video so I had to cut a lot of mine off

I ended up following that girls advice and sang one of my good songs ( but not my best) “Let you break my heart again” by Laufey

[bitter linden]

LOLLL I DIDNT MAKE IT INNNN

Not particularly upset tho

I understood some key points my sister gave me in the car about singing while driving to a con and I realized man the audition video may not have been the best although it didn’t suck- good range but didn’t sound clear, I could’ve saved the best lines for maybe once or twice but I used my skills the whole time which made them ‘less special’

That’s what I got from my sister in the car

(Not that she knew I was participating in the competition- while singing she just noticed I struggled to sing softly so she taught me how to open my throat to sing higher notes less pitchy

I should’ve came to her about singing in the comp- I totally forgot that she plays bass, piano, and when she was a teen she did violin, and that she also helps my cousin who is a musician with his work, also her voice is much closer to mine than my other sister who is a soprano and I’m an alto

I feel a bit bad for forgetting that hehe…

Anyways there’s always next year!

And only next year as it’ll be my last year

[tardy knoll]

Well you did your best

Good job 👍

[bitter linden]

^-^