Auditions are a nerve-racking experience for anyone. Perhaps that is why there are hundreds of blogs written on "how to deal with audition anxiety" for singers.
But there's not much information out there about how we, as chorus directors, can help ease audition anxiety for potential new singers. And shouldn't we want to do this?! By putting the singer at ease, their vocal abilities will shine and they'll immediately feel "at-home" with the chorus. That's exactly the environment that I want to create when recruiting new singers!
Here are some helpful tips on creating an inviting environment for your auditions (in GIFs, because why not?):
Look for someone with a welcoming personality, who responds to audition inquiries immediately, stays organized with audition requests, and engages with your potential new singers.
If the volunteer looks too eager^, avoid at all costs.
Please don't make anyone sing on stage; only Rachel Berry can pull that off!
Also, please don't invite Simon Cowell.
Some people don't like singing alone, but that doesn't mean they aren't a good fit for choir!
On the other hand, some people are WAY too comfortable singing alone.
Hopefully they aren't as slow though.
You probably want to avoid that face too.
If they are struggling, help them! Instead of making them suffer through their sight reading exercise, help them fix their mistake so they can move on. If they are finding a vocal exercise challenging, maybe try another one.
Throw them a frickin' bone, man!
Got other tips? Let us know in the comments!