HIGH SCHOOL SING OFF!
WOMEN ROCK is coming to your city, and we want you to be a part of this amazing concert experience! We’re hoping to find the next Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder, Carole King or Mick Jagger. Here’s your chance to be discovered!
The WOMEN ROCK Sing Off, a special event offered at select WOMEN ROCK symphonic concerts, invites high school students to audition for a chance to perform as part of the live symphonic concert WOMEN ROCK, a full-evening event celebrating the powerful female singers and songwriters who changed Pop and Rock & Roll forever. The show features the music of Carole King, Holly Knight, Tina Turner, Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, Pat Benatar, Minnie Riperton, Heart, and other famed singers and songwriters. Featured songs include “I Feel The Earth Move,” “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” “Freeway of Love,” “Proud Mary,” “Piece Of My Heart,” “Dancing In The Street,” “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” “I Love Rock n’ Roll” and “You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman.”
HOW TO AUDITION:
- Prospective contestants are encouraged to read the Audition Resources, Requirements & FAQ sections below.
- Visit the Audition Forms page to take note of the contest’s timeline, including the submission deadline and live concert date.
- Select your favorite song from the repertoire list, and take advantage of our links to sources for accessing the sheet music and professional recordings of the songs.
- Once you’ve learned the song, record yourself singing to create a 3-5 minute audition video. Remember to state your full name at the beginning of your recording, and to label your video file with your full name as well.
- Once your video is ready, visit the Audition Forms page again, select your orchestra, and complete the short registration form where you will upload and submit your audition video.
- Count down to WOMEN ROCK!
ACCESS THE AUDITION FORMS HERE
HOW A WINNER IS CHOSEN:
- A panel of top New York City-based music professionals will review all audition videos, and a winner will be selected several weeks prior to the concert.
- The winner will be notified by email or phone, and will be invited to rehearse with professional musicians the week of the concert.
- The winner will be featured performing live onstage during the WOMEN ROCK concert, and will have a chance to meet the professional WOMEN ROCK vocalists.
- The winner will then have the chance to sign programs and have their picture taken post-concert with the audience in the lobby.
AUDITION RESOURCES:
Repertoire – We request that you audition by singing one of the songs on the Women Rock set list, each of which were brought to life by female singers and songwriters during the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. You can listen to the songs on our Spotify playlist below or find the recordings online to help you choose your audition song:
- “Piece of My Heart,” written by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Russell (as recorded by Janis Joplin)
- “Dancing in the Street,” written by Marvin Gaye, Ivy George Hunter and William Stevenson (as recorded by Martha Reeves)
- “So Far Away,” written by Carole King (as recorded by Carole King)
- “Flashdance . . . What a Feeling,” written by Irene Cara and Giorgio Moroder (as recorded by Irene Cara)
- “Both Sides Now,” written by Joni Mitchell (as recorded by Joni Mitchell)
- “Freeway of Love,” written by Jeffrey Cohen and Narada Michael Walden (as recorded by Aretha Franklin)
- “Up On the Roof,” written by Carole King and Gerald Goffin (as recorded by Carole King)
- “Love is a Battlefield,” written by Holly Knight and Michael Chapman (as recorded by Pat Benatar)
- “You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman,” written by Carole King, Gerald Goffin and Gerald Wexler (as recorded by Carole King)
- “Pick Up the Pieces,” written by the Average White Band (as recorded by the Average White Band)
- “I Love Rock n’ Roll,” written by Jake Hooker Richards and Allan Sachs (as recorded by Joan Jett)
- “These Dreams,” by Martin Page and Bernard Taupin (as recorded by Heart)
- “Best (Simply the Best),” written by Holly Knight and Michael Chapman (as recorded by Tina Turner)
- “I Feel the Earth Move,” written by Carole King (as recorded by Carole King)
- “You’ve Got a Friend,” written by Carole King (as recorded by Carole King)
- “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” written by Edward Schwartz (as recorded by Pat Benatar)
- “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” written by Terence Ernest Britten and Graham Hamilton Lyle (as recorded by Tina Turner)
- “Proud Mary,” written by John Cameron Fogerty (as recorded by Tina Turner)
– Full Set List –
Sheet Music – We recommend sites such as Sheet Music Direct and Musicnotes if you would like to purchase sheet music for learning your audition song. Note that “interactive” versions of sheet music are available for purchase online which allow you to transpose the key of the song. While a convenient feature, if you plan to use a pre-recorded backing track (not a requirement for eligibility), check to make sure you also have the means of transposing the backing track itself.
Backing Tracks – Backing tracks are available for purchase on Amazon’s Digital Music store, among other online sites. Use of a backing track is entirely up to the contestant and will not affect eligibility.
ACCESS THE AUDITION FORMS HERE
REQUIREMENTS & FAQ:
What are the requirements for eligibility?
You must be enrolled as a student in grades 9-12, in a public, private, home school or virtual school program. We recommend you live in the vicinity of the orchestra hosting the Sing Off, as the winner will be expected to travel to the live concert at their own expense. Contestants of all genders and gender identities are welcome!
What is the deadline for submitting my audition video?
The submission deadline is listed below the link to the Audition Form for each contest.
Is a backing track or accompaniment required for my audition video?
Not at all! The focus and feature of your audition video should be you. While you are welcome to audition using a backing track, or to have a friend or family member accompany you, your audition may also be a cappella.
When and how should I upload my audition video?
Videos must be uploaded when you complete your Audition Form, for which you will need a free, personal Gmail account. Create one here if you’re not already a Google+ or Gmail user.
Where will the audition videos be stored?
All audition videos will be saved to Schirmer Theatrical’s private Gmail account, and will not be shared with any third parties. Schirmer Theatrical, LLC, a division of the Music Sales Group, is a co-producer of WOMEN ROCK.
What are the technical requirements for the audition video?
Videos should be 3-5 minutes long. You will not be judged on the quality of your video, only on the quality of your voice, but we recommend you review YouTube’s Video Formatting Guidelines for basic tips if you’re new to recording. Note that there is a 1GB file limit for uploading your audition video.
Why am I asked to provide my phone number and email address?
Any personally identifying information you may provide, including your name, phone number and email address, will only be used to contact you regarding the Sing Off. We do not provide your information to third parties.
How and when will I know if I’ve been selected?
The winner will be notified at least two-three weeks before the live WOMEN ROCK concert date, by email or phone.
Where can I go to read the full Sing Off rules?
Click here to read Schirmer Theatrical’s official WOMEN ROCK Sing Off Competition Rules.
ACCESS THE AUDITION FORMS HERE
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Visit WOMEN ROCK in Concert on Facebook to see current event videos, photography, and upcoming contest dates!
FOR PRESENTERS & ORCHESTRAS:
- The WOMEN ROCK Sing Off is an opportunity to showcase top high school singers in your community, giving them a chance to perform with WOMEN ROCK and your orchestra.
- The goal of the WOMEN ROCK Sing Off is to build a bridge between orchestras and high school students in their communities. Even where that bridge already exists through an orchestra’s education and community engagement programs, the WOMEN ROCK Sing Off can bring students and their local orchestra together.
- The Sing Off is turn-key competition for orchestras and presenters, who only have to help us schedule a brief rehearsal for the Sing Off winner with the musicians the week before the concert.
- All aspects of the WOMEN ROCK Sing Off are handled by Schirmer Theatrical from start to finish. We distribute the contest invitations, oversee review of the audition videos, notify the winner, then coordinate celebratory, post-concert press and social media!
PAST SING OFF CONTESTS:
March 2020
Coronado Performing Arts Center: Sophie Tucker
March 2019
Mahaffey Theater Winner: Elise McGilvrey
Ruth Eckerd Hall Winner: Brilea Marie Harre
