Brace yourselves; it's audition season! These blustery, early winter days are filled with singers lining the inside of Opera America waiting to be heard. We are met by the click of high heels, the shine of binders under fluorescent lights, and nervous feet tapping before walking in to audition rooms. It is a familiar sight for every singer during this charged time of year, which brings great triumphs and difficult disappointments. It is important for us singers to remember that your mindset is just as important, if not more important, than any other part of your package. Here are some tips on how to build your mindset this audition season.

Be aware of your environment

Humans, by nature, are beings that feed off of each other’s energy. For example, yawns are literally contagious. Have you ever left a coaching or lesson that went poorly and then continued to be in a bad mood for the rest of the day? We are beings who are connected to the energy around us. If you are surrounded by anger, resentment, or bitterness, it is likely that you will pick up on signals without even knowing it. Turn these future situations into learning opportunities. Recognize when you are entering a situation with undesirable energy, and make the choice to not engage. Try to think of something you want to happen, and focus on the positive. One way we like to avoid negativity is through the use of mantras. Keep a few in your music binder or in your wallet for easy access. Some examples include, "Don't let the people get into your head, just do the thing" and "What you reap is what you sow." 

Consider the source of your advice

Building a trusted group of colleagues and mentors that help us become the best singers we can be is highly important for growth in our careers. However, these teammates can offer an overwhelming amount of advice - some good, some bad. You get to choose what advice to take and what advice to leave. Sometimes advice can be conflicting. A coach and a teacher may disagree. In this situation, we believe the best advice is to think about the person's specific area of expertise in whatever situation you are dealing with. 

Observe your self-talk

This is a popular topic in a lot of modern mental health blogs and articles and for a good reason. Self-talk has a tendency to be critical, but understand this is not your brain working against you. All humans still function in fight or flight, which makes it our brain’s job to keep us safe. That is all your brain is trying to do - keep you safe from what it perceives as a threat. If you interrupt this system, the brain no longer sees the threat. For example, if you did not get an audition and your self-talk turns into “I must be a terrible singer,” remind your brain this is not a life or death situation. That particular company may not have had a place for you in their season.

Get in the habit of writing down your thoughts

It is so easy for us singers to get wrapped up in our emotions regarding feedback and rejection. Sometimes it is helpful to sit down and simply write out all of our thoughts as a list of facts. Sections can include pros, cons, strengths, weaknesses, etc. This is a productive way to get out all your thoughts and look at them collectively. If your feelings are written down on a page, it cannot translate to your singing or be projected onto another person. 

Give yourself credit for what you do well

It is easy to be critical of oneself and to find things that are wrong. However, we often do not give ourselves credit for what we do really well, our accomplishments, and how far we have come. What are the things you do well? Make a list and keep it close by. If that negative self-talk begins, take a look at your list.

Embrace the Process

The art of singing is something we will all study for our entire lives. Our bodies and minds change along with our voice. Everything is a process of becoming something new. If we want to get better, we must realize that it is all a process and there is no end game.

This is your year! No matter where you are at in your career, the goal is to always keep your voice, your career, and your life in perspective. Take it one day at a time and don't forget to put yourself first.