How To Choose The Right Song for Your Reality Singing Show Competition
What happens when on a whim, someone asks you, “Sing for me!”
Do you break out in hives? Do you recoil in fear or embarrassment?
Do you rummage through your brain asking yourself, “what should I sing? What should I sing?” -- only to come up empty?
f this is you, first off I completely relate. I know what you’re probably thinking, “But Brianna, you coach singers to ALWAYS have 3-4 back pocket songs that you can pull from at any given time!”
Indeed, I do - however, this is an easy trap to fall into, because we get complacent, our music listening habits change, and/or different songs come on and off our radar. Aside from all of this, perhaps the biggest reason we draw a blank is due to our Perfectionist tendencies.
We are hyper-aware of our faults and imperfections, so when we become obsessed with choosing a pitch-perfect song, we freeze up.
News Flash! It doesn’t have to be this difficult.
When you choose songs that highlight your vocal abilities and convey a meaningful story, you alieve any fear you might be placing on yourself. This will enable you to deliver a powerful performance through a song that is perfect for you.
Let’s dive in!
3 Ways You Can Make SONG CHOICE Your New Best Friend, so you can Choose The Right Song for Your Next Reality Singing Show Competition.
Tip #1: Release The Pressure
Tell me if this conversation between you and your buddy “Song Choice” sounds familiar…
“Oh Hey Song Choice.”
“Oh Hey Brianna! Great to see you again. I hope you’re still not upset with me?”
“Yea, sorry I got frustrated with you last time. I just don’t understand why you have to be so difficult.”
“Ahhh, I see. Well, I’m sorry you feel that way, but the truth is - I’m not that difficult… is it possible that perhaps, you’re the one making things difficult?”
[End Scene]
… and the answer to this question is YES! You are making things difficult and it’s time to release the pressure and start having fun!
Song Choice is similar to Entrepreneurship: through trial and error, you make adjustments that eventually put you on the path to success. The trick is, you have to enjoy the journey and not get hung up on the mistakes or failures you have along the way.
If you’re stressed out or insecure over your song choice for an upcoming audition or performance, it will show in your delivery and when you’re not having fun, your audience isn’t having fun.
Take a deep breath, stop overanalyzing and tap into your creative intuition while you explore songs that resonate deep in your soul.
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Tip #2: Make Song Choice Plural
Song Choice implies a singular song that is the end all be all, but what if it was called “SongS Choice?”
All kidding aside, you want to focus on choosing the right “set” of songs that make up your back pocket, not simply one. I do recommend ranking those is back pocket choices from 1 to 3 (or 4), and leading with the top song that helps you shine, or better yet, the most entertaining one that enables you to shine.
It’s also important that the songs that make up your back pocket flow together cohesively.
In my first American Idol audition, my back pocket choices had no rhyme or reason and this royally confused the casting producers. Every time they’d ask, “do you have something else?” I’d sing something from a completely different genre than the previous song and ultimately this led to a “No, but you’re so close.”
I went on to audition three more times in three different cities that season before coming up with my Golden Ticket but the important takeaway here is to remember, a confused casting director cannot cast you.
A strong back pocket will showcase your strengths, range, and artistic vibe while demonstrating all you’re capable of.
Tip #3: Get Real with Your Bestie
Who are you trying to fool?
If you want to make Song Choice your Bestie, you have to be Authentic, and being Authentic requires you to get real and align with your truth.
Specifically, your truth as an artist or the artist you want to be.
Choose songs that not only align with your vocal ability, but with your vocal style and the unique brand message you desire to share. When you can relate to the songs you’re singing, you become more believable and belief inspires connection.
Choosing songs that don’t suit you, simply for the sake of singing something popular will not only feel wrong to your core but will fall flat in translation. If you want to showcase something current, or even a song outside your genre, consider a workaround to make it your own.
Being crystal clear on your vocal style and artist brand has its benefits. In the case of a reality singing show audition, you can always take a recent radio hit, infuse your unique, creative license and deliver an entirely different spin on a song we all love.
A word of caution if you do this: don’t make the song so unrecognizable that it’s confusing or distracts from your talent. You want the casting producer to be focused on you, versus trying to dissect your lyrics in order to come up with a song title.
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So to recap on 3 Ways You Can Make SONG CHOICE Your New Best Friend, so you can Choose The Right Song for Your Next Reality Singing Show Competition.:
Release The Pressure
Make Song Choice Plural
Get Real with Your Bestie
Remember, you create music because you love it. Enjoy the journey.
Rooting for you always!
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Brianna Ruelas is a Dallas Based Strategy Consultant for Performing Artists, Reality TV Music Coach, Singer-Songwriter and Best Selling Author to Make Reality TV Your Reality: Crush Your Reality Singing Show Audition & Ignite Your Music Career. Most recently, Brianna produced the one and only, Reality Singing Show Summit. As a singer and performer for thirty years, Brianna has studied internationally and performed all genres, from jazz to rock to pop, received a BA in Theatre Arts from Pepperdine University, and spent years honing her musical theatre chops. After graduating college, Brianna departed from the theatre to pursue music as a solo artist and also worked as a commercial voiceover actor. Brianna has fronted her own rock band and experienced the reality television craze in its early days, as a Top 100 finalist on American Idol, Season 4. Brianna's expertise and background as a Singer/Songwriter, Vocal & Performance Coach and Small Business Owner, led her to mentor and consult with indie artists and bands, to help them realize successful careers in music. She is passionate about encouraging others on their journey and aligning them with the Big Picture of their Music Business! Seeking solutions is part of Brianna's DNA. Brianna is a proud Wife and Mother, Creator of the Female Performing Artist Connection & Every Mom’s Story Blog and works alongside her husband managing the operations and marketing for their Dallas family restaurant, Victor Hugo’s. Follow her on Instagram & Facebook @briannaruelasmusic |
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