In this Blog I am going to walk you through my entire Experience of Auditioning for the voice. My Name is Tanner Howe and I was a contestant on this most recent season, Season 22 of the voice. I got a 3 chair turn and choose Gwen Stefani to be my coach. This Blog will describe the process of Auditioning for the Voice for those thinking of auditioning.
OPEN CALL/CALL BACKS
To start from the beginning I actually signed up to participate in their open call search which is currently online and about 6 months before any filming begins. This is where you have exactly one minute to show what you've got. No one is on the other side of the call, it is only a video screen that counts down from 3 and records you for one minute.
On this part I would recommend choosing a song that shows off your unique voice the best and skipping to the good parts. Make sure the computer you are using has pretty good audio and video features and that you have a strong internet connection, All you get its one minute and that’s it.
You can also submit singing videos directly to the voice audition website, I did both. So I guess I would say when in doubt do both.
I received an email call back the day after the open call and I was pretty surprised they got back so fast. Over the next couple months there were I believe 2 different audition processes. One was recording a 3 videos of yourself singing 3 full length songs and the other was a full length interview with one of the producers. As well as a ton of different forms to fill out. Every stage of the audition process comes with detailed procedures on what exactly needs to be done and how to do it. So just make sure to read the emailed directions carefully and follow them.
Then I received a call from one of the producers telling me that I was chosen to come to Los Angeles for the Blind Auditions. If you get to this point, you should be very proud because I was told that 200,000 people audition and being called to LA means that you are in the top 100 of those individuals.
There are a ton of zoom meetings before the trip to LA where they go over everything in detail, arrange any travel, and you meet with the different legal teams to discuss contracts. I would advise not to get too worked up about the legal stuff because most it is out of your hands. Pay attention but with it being NBCs show, you are playing by their rules. Just remember that the exposer and validation is worth it and the rules you follow are only for a limited time.
THE BLIND AUDITION
Okay, now lets jump into the actually Blind Audition process. I know this is a lot of information but again this Blog is for the people the are going to audition and want a clear picture of what to expect.
The Blind Audition process spans around 3-4 weeks, which a lot of people don’t know because on TV they make it seem like its just one day. Throughout this time you will be practicing your given Audition song, getting wardrobe and makeup approved, and having different interviews and video shoots.
The first week is mostly just the cast arriving to the hotel and getting situated in the rooms. You start meeting other contestants little by little and this was hands down one of the best parts of the show. So make friends and build relationships with the other contestants on the show, you won’t regret it.
I think most were given their blind audition song a week before arrival or the week of arriving and basically they have a list of 500 songs to choose from and you make a list of the top 10 songs you’d like to sing from that list and then you add an additional 5 song that aren’t on the list. I received my #2 song which was “Mercy” by Shawn Mendes. You have plenty of time to practice your song and work with a vocal coach and the band to get primed and ready for taping. You even get a stage rehearsal where you get to run through it on the actual blind audition stage. Everyone you work with on the show is top notch so soak in as much as you can.
For wardrobe they’ll have you bring your own clothing to choose from, look at what you have and take whatever else they may need from their large production wardrobe. They pick out three different outfits to take pictures in and the producers choose which one out of those three they want you in. Don’t take a picture in anything you don’t want to wear for the audition, its hard to change after that point. The wardrobe team is super understanding and want you to look and feel your best.
The makeup team at this point is just their to do touch ups for the girls and foundation for the guys. If you’re a guy like me who doesn’t wear makeup just let them do their thing. It may be strange at first but its meant to look good on camera, trust them. One recommendation I would give is make sure they always do your neck the same as your face if its showing.
And last the interviews, this is where you sit down in a chair in front of the lights and cameras and they ask you questions to get to know your life story. Practice if you can beforehand, especially the part of reciting the question within you answer because that can feel very unnatural at first. But don’t get to bent out of shape about the interviews because I didn’t think I did a very good job but the way they put it together in the end turned out really good.
Okay Now lets talk about the Blind Audition Week! This is the most exciting and stressful time you’ll have throughout the entire experience. For all weeks prior to audition week you are given a weekly schedule that tells you what you are doing. But on the week of auditions every night they reveal who will be auditioning the next day. So get ready for that emotional roller coaster lol. Throughout your time you are given a number and don’t get scared if you have a high number or over excited if you have a low number because from my experience on audition week the numbers don’t matter at all.
Now, even at this point there is a chance you might not get to audition. Most the time 20 to 30 of the contestants that come to LA wont even get the chance to Audition because the teams fill up. There are times that they do actually get through everyone but those chances aren’t super likely. So the earlier you can audition the better. On the day of the audition you will go through make up, wardrobe and one last interview with your family or friends that are there to support you. And then they will move you back stage to get ready to perform.
They won’t tell you when you’ll be going so be ready as early as you can. Any opportunity I had a went into a rehearsal room and practiced my song. I was in the mindset that I’d rather be over prepared rather than under prepared. Then when it is your turn they might have you do some last minute B roll video shots before you go on stage.
The nerves hit me hard right here, my heart was beating out of my chest and I tried my best to just breath through and trust that I had put in the preparation necessary to do my best.
If you havent yet seen my Audition I will link it below but I made it through with a 3 chair turn and I chose Gwen Stefani to be my coach. The next round of the competition was the battle round in which I was knocked out of. The battle Rounds and forward are a completely different beasts so that would have to be a whole other blog.
I am planning on making 2 more video around my voice experience. The first one will be my Advice you should know before auditioning and the 2nd will advice for Contestants that actually make it on the show. I have a little nuggets of advice in this blog but I wanted this one was more about giving you an idea of what the audition process looks like as a whole. Thank you for reading subscribe for more.
Comments