Choosing songs to practice is different than choosing songs for an audition. You want to practice songs that expand and challenge your vocal technique. But songs for the audition need to highlight your strengths and accomplishments from all those hours of practice.
When you audition, you need a variety of stories and acting choices, as well as multiple vocal colors and good range. You also need to research the audition so you know who and what you’re auditioning. You can then highlight your strengths appropriately.
The hardest part of auditioning is choosing the songs to sing. Choosing songs that are perfect for you and that show off your talents is an art. This artful skill takes time to develop, so keep looking at songs to continue expanding your book of audition songs.
If you can, find out what kind of song is appropriate for your audition. If you’re auditioning for musical theater in a big city, for example, the ad for the audition may tell you what kind of song to prepare.
Sometimes the ad tells you to sing something from the show you’re auditioning for; sometimes it tells you not to sing something from the show. You want to choose a song that’s similar to the show you’re auditioning for and similar to the character you want to play.
Having a variety of song choices ready gives you a chance to choose something on the spot when you’re asked for a contrasting song.