Six Key Tips To Stay Organized During Audition Season

Written by Olivia Mathis

As audition season is in full swing, it is more vital than ever to keep organized as an actor. When you’re worried about scheduling appointment slots, which self-tapes are due next, or what song to sing at your next appointment slot, it is easy to get scattered. These organizational tips are here to make sure that you can prepare for your next audition and focus on your performance without getting overwhelmed.

Keep an audition journal

This is one of my favorite tips for people attending lots of auditions. Keeping an audition journal accomplishes two main things: it allows you to note exactly what you’ve been seen for and helps you recall what happened in the room.

Write down the project, who was in the room, and what materials you performed. You can also note if they said anything to you, how you felt you did, and any other emotions that came up on the day of your audition. Organizationally, this is great because when you go in for so many projects, it can be difficult to remember who you’ve met behind the table.

Keeping an audition journal is also more than an organizational tip. On an emotional level, it allows you to go into the room, write down everything that happened, and then you can let it go and enjoy the rest of your day. I find that no matter how I did at an audition, once I leave, my mind tends to race, and deciding to write down how I did, how it felt, and everything people said allows me to let it go once I’m heading back home.

Catalog your sheet music and materials

This might seem extreme from an outside perspective, but I didn’t know I needed this until after I did it. If you find yourself, as I did, with folders and folders of sheet music stuffed in a random drawer, I would highly recommend making a catalog of your sheet music and audition materials.

First, organize your materials in a way that makes sense for you. Once you’ve done that, make a “database” (I did mine on Google Sheets) of what the song/side/monologue is called, who wrote it or what show it’s from, and where you have it stored. You can do this with your electronic copies as well, by listing a link under “where it’s stored”.

I can’t tell you how many random copies of the same song I have printed out over the years, and it helped me rediscover songs that I used to sing that I might want to bring back into my audition book. Taking the time to do this was tedious, but I already feel so much more confident in my ability to find sheet music that I need for the future.

Keep separate books

While you’re actively auditioning, it’s worth owning multiple books of sheet music. For example, I have two binders: one for my go-to audition pieces and one for songs that I’m actively learning or working on in classes and lessons. Organizationally, this helps you compartmentalize which songs are ready to go in the room and which ones need some work. Not only that, but if you’re ever in the position where you’re in the room, and the creative team wants to hear another song from you, sometimes they will just ask to see your book. This is a rare occurrence, but if you ever find yourself in that situation, you want to be sure that every single song in your audition book is something you’re comfortable singing at any time.

Organize your notes 

Similarly, keep separate notebooks for class, audition notes, and rehearsals. I find that this helps me find specific notes easier. For example, if I get a really helpful tip from a teacher and I put it in my class notebook, it makes it so much easier to find that note when I need to remember the details. If what you’re looking for is in one big notebook full of rehearsal notes and audition journaling, you have to sift through all of that just to find what I’m looking for. Plus, this gives you an excuse to buy multiple cute journals. It’s a win-win.

Log your online submissions

Making a log of which self-tapes, emails, and headshot drop-offs I’ve sent online is one of the most beneficial organizational habits I’ve stuck to as a performer. It can be challenging to remember what companies I submitted my information to last month, much less last year, so keeping track has proven to be crucial.

Not only is it helpful to track how many times you’ve submitted to a certain company, but you can also log which theatres have called you back in the past, and it helps you recall what materials you’ve already sent them. In the frenzy of audition season, this has been extremely helpful to me, as I have almost emailed the same company multiple times! The only thing stopping me was double-checking my submission log.

Figure out your scheduling tactics

Whether it’s a physical planner, Google Calendar, or a reminders or notes app, finding a scheduling tactic that works for you is vital. Managing your time can be brutal. Between self-tape deadlines, rehearsal schedules, important open call days, and appointment slots, you must find a system that works for you to organize it all. I’ve tried out all of these methods, and each has pros and cons.

Google Calendar is great, because most times that I book a voice lesson or secure an appointment, it will automatically add it to my calendar. Not only that, but it’s great to get a full picture of what your day, week, and even month overview is. I loved using this alongside my notes app (for smaller to-do list items). Although I loved using this, I wanted to steer away from having to look at my phone for my schedule. I recently started a physical planner, and I love it. It’s simple, and whenever I plan something, I get to whip out my cute planner and gel pens.

Audition season can be brutal, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming organizationally. By utilizing these tips, you’ll know what tasks to focus on next, and you can be prepared for anything.