Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Before Simon scowls, read this advice
You practiced your song. You waited in line. You better read this
Roanoke voice coach Susan Braden once trained a student for an open "Idol" tryout.
About Susan Braden
- Mother of two
- Teaches classical and theater singing
- Member of Big Lick Conspiracy
- Music director for Mill Mountain Theatre
"American Idol": Season 7
- 8 p.m. tonight and Wednesday
- WFXR/WWCW (Channel 21/27)
Related blog
There are usually two types of singers who appear on the first episodes of "American Idol," the hugely popular Fox TV show that begins its seventh season tonight.
The serious vocalists ace their auditions, go on to future episodes and win over fans. Their names fill a million iPods: Clay Aiken, Carrie Underwood, Daughtry.
Then there are the singers who are going to embarrass themselves. They are the tone-deaf dreamers who butcher a pop song, amuse the judges and circulate the Internet for years.
And in between fall an endless line of hopefuls, neither terrific nor terrifically bad, who never get a second of screen time.
"The audition thing is a huge cattle call," said Susan Braden, a veteran voice coach from Roanoke. A few years ago, she trained a student for one of the open "Idol" tryouts.
"She was really good but didn't get through," Braden said. "It's a shot in the dark."
So how do you avoid rejection? And a withering look from Simon Cowell, the chilly British judge? Braden recently sat through a screening of past "Idol" flops and had this advice for contestants.
Drink a cup of coffee
Braden suggests some caffeine before an audition -- she has been through more than 50 by her count -- to keep energy and courage up. "To physically be confident and open makes people want to listen to you," she said. Also, smile.
No fake vibrato
Listen for phony vibrato, that slight shake in a singing voice, on tonight's auditions. Think of a bad opera singer or the soprano in a church choir who wiggles around the high notes. Vibrato should happen naturally, rather than be forced or imitated.
Stick to your natural range
Some of the best "Idol" bloopers show Viking-sized men singing in falsetto. Braden advises them to sing in their natural range -- if you're not sure what that is, listen to your speaking voice. "If it feels uncomfortable in your voice, it's not a good thing," she said.
Choose the right song
Does it take a conga line and a brass section to make a song work? Then it's probably not right for an a cappella tryout.
Don't mimic the stars
It's the downfall of the untrained singer: Memorize the song, practice with the CD and imitate the pop stars. Judges will be more impressed by contestants with their own sound -- the Ruben Studdards and Clay Aikens -- than a second-rate imitation of the Top 40.
Find a reliable audience
Avoid national humiliation by testing your material on a music pro, not just your mom. "You need an objective opinion, or you get used as comic relief," Braden said.
