You may have noticed that more and more college musical theater programs are asking for you to include a contemporary or pop/rock song in their audition requirements. This is not surprising considering the soaring popularity of the many Broadway musicals of that style from “Hair” to “Hamilton” and a mass of those in between.
When a college asks you to demonstrate a contemporary singing style, they are seeking an answer to the question, “Can you handle contemporary pop/rock material?”
Some of the more progressive musical theatre programs; Pace, Texas State, Wright State, CAP 21, and the Boston Conservatory are interested to know how relevant you are to that genre, since so many current shows have pop or rock-based scores. Of course, reps are still interested in your ability to perform more traditional musical theater as well. However, the recent addition of contemporary rep is worth noting.
So what does “pop/rock style” mean?
1. The ability to sit in the pocket of the music and live in the groove. This includes the beat, the rhythm, the tone, and the feel of the melody. The music should tell as much (and often times more) of the story as the lyrics.
2.
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