They have the voice, the training, and the spark to be the next superstar.
The challenge now is to ensure your star kid keeps a strong grip on their nerves and belts out their best in the audition room.
Becoming the NBT (next big thing) of child artists, much like Justin Bieber and his rise to fame, is every young singer’s dream. However, no matter how many years of committed learning it took for your darling to hit the notes of a diva, an audition setting will always demand a little more.
With judges being blatantly honest about looking for the biggest and most disarming talent, it is not uncommon for even a prodigy to stumble under pressure.
The following tricks will have your child warm up their vocal chords with confidence to perform their best. Follow these to have them put their best foot forward during their audition and the judges will have them singing all the way to the next phase.

Have Them Stick to Their Range

Pick a song best suited to your child’s vocal ability. You will be tempted as a parent to have your child sing progressively louder and higher; however, when in a competitive environment it is always advised to stick to what you know. Parents tend to test kids too much in competitive spaces without sufficient prior practice, having them bite off more than they can chew.
Take into consideration your child’s unique technique. The ability to hit the right note is as important as singing in tempo while demonstrating great control over your voice; being unique and original fares better than imitating a set style.
Choose a song best suited to your child’s vocal range, something that showcases their abilities, but allows them to remain comfortable while performing, given the high nerves they are bound to face.  It even makes sense to invest in some voice lessons to ensure that your child’s first experience in front of professional judges isn’t squandered on easy to fix mistakes.

Pick A Familiar Song

Pave the way for a better audition experience by choosing a song your child is familiar with. Singing a song, they love and have practiced for years, something they know like the back of their hands, is likely to yield the best results.
Parents can make the mistake of becoming too experimental when trying to exhibit their child’s talents. Rather than choosing what you want to hear, form a balance between what they want to sing and what the judges might prefer listening to.
Let the child choose from options they share a strong connection with, this allows their personality to shine through as well. Singing a song with which your child shares a true connection makes for an authentic experience for the audience and the judges.

Familiarize Them With The Location & Setting

This is a trick I always follow prior to any test or competition. Hot-spotting the audition location with your kid a week or day prior to the competition helps relieve them of their ‘new space’ anxiety.
Make it a field trip, or a picnic, take a few moments to wander the audition location and let the child familiarize themselves with the place. Being comfortable with the place aids in them retain their cool and being comfortable in the moments before their performance.

Avoid Original or Iconic Songs

In a composition competition, an original song might work. However, when you have to showcase your talent, start with a popular song; advisably, from the good part.
You barely have a few seconds to lock in the attention of the judges, so make sure your child knows the song as well as the audience. This comfort will help them sing better and hit the best notes.
However, avoid iconic songs where the original was too good to follow – such as Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody or Mariah Carey’s hits from the 90’s. If the singer can’t make the song their own entirely, then it is better to perform the original as is, or not at all.

Get Them Comfortable Singing for an Audience

Having a professional voice teacher who provides timely feedback to the student helps build confidence for future public performances.
They not only build on the voice and the techniques, but also work on making sure the student is at ease when singing for an audience. Hiring a professional to help rid your child of minor conundrums, such as, stage fright, works well.
Bolster your child into performing for all kinds of audiences, to help them learn how to accept and react to all kinds of criticisms. Having them adjust to constructive criticism builds immunity towards potential meltdowns making them strong enough to tackle the highly competitive music industry.

Work On Enunciation and Voice Projection

Children tend to have cute little voices, with even cuter lisps. As a young singer, your child does not have the luxuries afforded by other children, and will have to learn to enunciate and pronounce words properly.
When performing, it is essential to phrase the words right and open your mouth wide enough to be audible. Each song has its own melody that it must be sung in. Some may need an elongation of the vowels while others may emphasize the consonants. Make sure the words are understandable by the listener, or it may take away from the experience.
Additionally, have the child avoid any food or drinks that may damage the throat or vocal chords. This entails no junk food, greasy snacks, or cold drinks for a while.
All these tips will work well in preparing your child for a successful audition. However, before undertaking these tips make sure your child is ready and willing to take part in this competition and pursue it wholeheartedly. Without the child’s own passion involved, tips and tricks can only get you so far.
Mixing a little practice with a lot of fun will have them crooning with confidence to the best of their abilities, and winning hearts on the final day. If you’re looking for voice lessons before your child’s audition, contact Lessons in Your Home. We’ll visit your home for 30-60 minutes so your child receives the one-on-one attention she or he deserves.