How to Handle Audition Failures

The “F” Word. Failure! Audition Failures! Inside this video I’m going to talk about how to handle audition failures. Please join me.

 

 

We all experience it. Some more than others. Here’s my latest experience with failure.

 

In my previous video I shared with you my audition song for the role of Fagin in the show Oliver. In that video I said I was feeling optimistic.

 

Then, after two nights of call backs I was CONFIDENT!

 

My positive experience with this theater and this production team added to my confidence.  I had worked successfully with everyone on the production team.  I knew I had a definite edge to be cast.

 

I awoke the morning after callbacks trying to figure out who the other Fagin would be. This theater double casts.

 

But the call never came. Instead I received an email thanking me and letting me know they’d cast someone else.  

 

I was shocked, surprised and shaken.  

 

Shocked that I wasn’t cast.

 

Surprised that I was so wrong about my chances.

 

Shaken that my perceptions were so distorted… so wrong…that I was so out of touch with the reality of my performance and the performances of the others.  

 

That my perception that I’d “nailed it” was not shared by the directors and producers.

 

A Flood of Self Doubts

 

Am I completely self deceived? Am I living in a distorted reality of myself?  Are there major flaws about me to which I’m utterly blind?  How could I be so blind to the strengths of the other actors?

 

This shakes me as much as anything, that my perception of myself was so different from the reality of the situation.  

 

I’m not upset that I flubbed the audition. I’m shaken by the fact that I didn’t perceive it, sense it,  or see it from the director’s perspective.

 

What was there about my singing, or response to direction, or my acting that disqualified me from the role?

 

Am I deceived about my own talents and abilities? Maybe I’m not as good as I think. Maybe I don’t sing, act or take direction as well as I thought. Maybe my choices weren’t strong enough.

 

Am I blind to the truth about myself, my weaknesses or my strengths?

 

Am I out of touch with reality…with the truth of my life? Is my perception about everything in my life distorted? Am I completely self-deceived?  Is my view of myself remotely accurate?

 

FULL DISCLOSURE: The following was written a few days after the initial shock.

 

How do we deal with self doubts that flood our thinking….especially when you’re flying high and then get shot out of the sky!

 

How to Handle Audition Failures

 

Let’s talk about how to handle Audition Failures.

 

1. It’s ok and normal to be disappointed. Be disappointed for a while and then move on.
2. It’s only failure if we stop working at it, stop trying, and fail to learn and improve.
3. We all see everything through our own mental and emotional filters. That colors everything. That means we see things with distortion. It means our perception may not be reality. Our perception is likely different from everyone else’s.
4. We must continually work to improve our singing, acting and dancing.
5. Be thankful for the learning and growth “failure” provides.
6. Be more humble.
7. Control what we can control and don’t obsess about the rest.
8. Not everyone is going to like your stuff. That’s reality. That’s life. That’s OK! Don’t be surprised and don’t take it personal….well… try not to take it too personal.
9. “Another day, another show.”  There’ll be more shows and opportunities. We’ll be cast in some of them if we keep working at it.
10. Each director has a vision of the role and the show. We may or may not fit that vision no matter how good we auditioned.

 

I think the truth is  I’m not deeply flawed…just a little flawed.  It’s my perception that’s deeply flawed and distorted.

 

Being aware of that may be the first vital step to changing and improving.

 

I can improve not only my singing and acting, I can improve my perception of how I see everything and everyone.

 

Your Perception of Your Vocal Type

 

What’s your perception of your singing voice?

 

Do you know what your voice does as you sing higher into your upper range? Do you reach, strain, break, go breathy, or flip into falsetto? Mix?

 

What your voice does as you sing higher describes your vocal type.

 

To discover your vocal type, go to PowerToSing.com and take the vocal test which I call the PowerTest. Take the quiz and discover your vocal type. Then visit the Knowledge Center and watch the videos about your vocal type. Download the free exercises and start improving your voice immediately.

 

If you liked this video give it a thumbs up. Be sure to subscribe and share it with a friend.

 

I’m Chuck Gilmore with Power To Sing. You can sing higher with beauty, confidence and power.

 

I’ll see you inside the next video.

 

Epilogue:

The director of the show cast Fagin with actors 20-25 years younger than me.

 

So I did not fit the director’s vision of a younger Fagin.  

 

That actually makes me feel a lot better….well, a little better.