The following audition tips for singers are a little different from what you will often read.

They were inspired by a question from a singer who had created a video demo in order to apply for an audition set up by FOX news.

After he explained that the local Fox news channel had called for a Local audition in the Houston area, he added that the benefits would include free hotel accommodations as well as a free pass to audition before the Dallas X-Factor producers and judges like Simon Cowell.

In his email, he expressed his concerns regarding the stress that people who auditioned were put through, particularly older singers.

In response, I agreed that these kinds of auditions bring on a different variety of stress for more mature singers.

Older singers, especially those who have been in the singing game for a long time, can begin to feel unworthy. They may secretly think: “I still have not made it after all these years… I’m not good enough.”

They may persist in seeking out opportunities to show what they can do, but often feel that nothing will ever work out. They continue because they cannot stop trying. They become professional auditioners.

I think that judges can pick up on that energy and use it against them.

So the first of my audition tips for singers would be:

Step One:

Find genuine ways to shore up your confidence. Understand that when you walk into the audition, you bring with you a richness of experience that most younger singers cannot hope to equal. Be sure that you have learned how to allow that emotional depth to shine through your songs. And choose songs that allow you to show these strong abilities.

Older singers may also feel that the younger singers will laugh at their efforts, – that they will be ridiculed.

Unfortunately, this is also a real possibility. Young people can be quite brutal, particularly since they have probably witnessed lots of mean-spirited talk from Simon Cowell himself.

But so what?

Ask yourself if you could see the value in what older people had to offer when you were a teenager or a twenty-something. It is unlikely, but you have lived to know better, and so has the viewing audience.

Audiences who watch these shows tend to be a diverse bunch. Some of them are older, too. And they seem to derive great pleasure from seeing an unlikely person step up to the audition plate and bowl them over.

Judges know this. They have lived through the success of Susan Boyle and Paul Potts. By now, they must be tuned in to the possibility that an older singer – with a certain something – could win the day.

Older singers also have less fragile egos. They know that if they do not win this audition, life will still go on. They have families to return to, and in all likelihood, another job. This strength can help them, in the long run, to sustain confidence, while a younger singer may shrivel.

Also, the mature singer is more likely to be clued-in to what the commentary of judges reallymeans. Sometimes, if not often, judges are speaking more to the TV camera than to the singer. You cannot take the commentary too seriously.

Step Two:

Prepare like mad for your audition, and try and enjoy every minute of it. Sing your songs for friends, relatives, and other groups of people. Get some good coaching to experiment with new ideas and/or to let go of old, stale habits.

Make your audition preparation a wonderful, creative journey. In this way, win or lose, you are always improving your abilities.

Keep in mind that the population is aging. Older viewers will also want to see, enjoy and be comforted by or entertained by people closer to their own age.

Step Three:

Always keep this in mind: There is lots of room for the older singer to shine and soar.

So by all means get out there and sing!

If you would like to learn more tips for mature singers, please visit my website at:

http://www.singing-tips-with-barbara-lewis.com/audition-tips-for-singers.html

Barbara Lewis is a singer, songwriter, and performer who has taught singing for 25 years.