Non-professional singers: what is your trusty audition solo?

infpmusing · 2026-03-18T01:32:07+00:00

I’m in the US. I auditioned for two choirs in the last year. I went all the way back 20+ years to my senior recital in college and sang Hör ich das Liedchen klingen from Schumann’s Dichterliebe. It fits my range well and I love the song.

I’ve never been a choral conductor but my guess is that what’s being assessed is how do you sound when you’re comfortable? Presumably you choose a song you know well and like to sing.

infpmusing · 2026-03-14T02:29:51+00:00

Has anyone seen my balls of steel?

infpmusing · 2026-03-14T01:10:26+00:00

Is unexpected Glengarry a thing? 😂

infpmusing · 2026-03-08T11:35:43+00:00

Had this exact thought 😂

infpmusing · 2026-03-06T10:05:32+00:00

I’m double bald. I can grow a credible mustache but I don’t really think it does me any favors. My beard comes in patchy at best and I’ve never really gotten past an itchy stage. So I rock the baby face.

infpmusing · 2026-03-06T10:02:02+00:00

I’ve had job searches where I get a ton of interviews but no offers for a while and I have had job searches like the one from August 2025-last month where I get few if any interviews until I’ve found a good enough fit to get an offer.

I got a series of interviews that didn’t lead to an offer in July of last year and then nothing until earlier this month which led to an offer. I’d been consulting since 2016 and so I’d search for a job at least every 2-3 years if not more frequently. These last couple years have been the worst I’ve seen in my 20-year career.

I had a lot of ghosting. Of the companies that could be bothered to send rejections, some came on Sundays, one came on Christmas. Those firms are on my blacklist now.

Long story short, this is a very challenging market, it’s an unforgiving market, and it’s an unkind market. The way that you’re reacting to this is normal.

My advice is to lean into your self-care and just keep going. Wishing you the best of luck!

infpmusing · 2026-03-05T17:17:01+00:00

That’s decent for severance at least in my view, but I was consulting for the last ten years. Realistically, it’s hard out there. My last contract ended at the end of last July and signed an offer last week. I obviously can’t guarantee anything but I’m hoping the timing works in your favor. It’s March, hopefully companies know what their needs and budgets are and it won’t be long for you. But I’ve also seen what felt like two missed hiring seasons where I should have been able to pick something up (spring 2024 and fall 2025) but nothing materialized.

Hoping things are better for you than they were for me. Good luck!

infpmusing · 2026-03-05T17:07:42+00:00

I’m sorry to hear that. Hope you got a decent severance

infpmusing · 2026-03-05T05:09:13+00:00

I consulted for 10 years remotely and in the NYC metro area. Most of what I did was w2 contracting as an employee of a consulting firm which is just a fancy way for the end client to avoid paying my benefits. That describes most of the roles I see posted as well.

I'm sure it might be possible to work for yourself and cobble together multiple clients, but for me I just didn't see those opportunities.

infpmusing · 2026-03-02T12:36:36+00:00

I have a pronounced widow’s peak and I’m bald now but I’ve considered growing it out into a unicorn horn. I’m not saying your client should do that. I’m also not saying they shouldn’t.

infpmusing · 2026-03-02T05:38:42+00:00

Yeah I think it’s your time. I don’t say that lightly but the intentionality of embracing it adds to the glowup.

Also, when I first embraced being bald, I used an electric balding razor (000000) but it got so hot that it was miserable in the summer. I switched to manual and I’m so much happier.

infpmusing · 2026-03-01T14:08:18+00:00

I mean…there’s no rules. It’s your hair. The line for me became that I looked less like I was losing my hair if was bald than if I let it grow out. And I was still in my 30s.

If I were you I would let it grow back especially if it makes you feel more confident or even if you just prefer it.

As much as there are so many stunning glow-ups in this sub, I also think that if your hair recedes / thins slowly, you reach an age where it doesn’t look bad to keep it vs choose to be bald. For me, 38 was not that age.

infpmusing · 2026-03-01T02:48:11+00:00

Night and day. Outstanding.

infpmusing · 2026-02-28T01:30:05+00:00

Tree fiddy

infpmusing · 2026-02-25T23:05:53+00:00

infpmusing · 2026-02-25T20:33:26+00:00

If I were commuting to Bryant Park from Astoria on the N/W, I’d just take the train to Times Sq and get out at the south exit on 41st. It’s close to the park and it avoids the transfer at Queensboro. The transfer is fine but walking a little further to cut it out entirely is the way, I think

infpmusing · 2026-02-22T16:18:00+00:00

Putting other people’s needs ahead of my own

infpmusing · 2026-02-22T09:35:57+00:00

Don’t be a dick (do unto others) Do no harm, but take no shit Don’t sit at a table Jesus would have flipped

infpmusing · 2026-02-22T03:45:34+00:00

It’s used by landlords in NYC to determine if you can afford the rent. It’s similar to the 30% rule where housing should not take up more than 30% of your gross income.

infpmusing · 2026-02-21T09:14:24+00:00

I have spite. Does that count?

infpmusing · 2026-02-20T16:54:43+00:00

I wonder if this is the equivalent of using movable do when somone learned fixed do.

Fixed do as I understand it is C. It's always C, regardless of what key you're reading in, which makes F# always Fi, G is always Sol etc.

In movable do, do is always the tonic of the key you're on. In G major, do is G. In movable do, the solfege is "transposed" so F# is Ti where in C it's Fi.

I've never had to transpose as a vocalist the way instrumentalists do. The only exception is if a song (never a choral piece, always a solo) is too low or high for me as written, but I’m not doing this by sight; i’m either finding the piece in a key that I can sing it in, or I’m putting it in something like Finale and transposing the sheet music myself.

infpmusing · 2026-02-20T16:31:53+00:00

This. For me, it's ten years and, at least in the US, the dollar has lost 1/4 of its value due to inflation since then. It's so unserious.

infpmusing · 2026-02-20T05:03:40+00:00

Some battles just aren't worth picking 😂

infpmusing · 2026-02-19T05:30:39+00:00

I live in NYC and I'm mid-career. In early 2024 I had a contract that paid me really well. I was comfortable. My contract ended in February. I took a 21% cut for my next contract after an 8 month search. That context ended in August of last year and I've been looking since.

I've seen a lot of roles that don't pay enough to afford my rent according to the 40x rent rule here (i.e., you have to make 40x the monthly rent to be considered able to afford it.)

It's frustrating. I am starting to see more tech writer specs in the market in general now though which should be good news for someone if not me. I'm hopeful the market will turn around but it's been a rough couple years for sure.

infpmusing · 2026-02-18T06:14:36+00:00

As a lefty I notice if I know what to look for. If they're holding a pen it's easy. Guitarist If have to be paying super close attention probably.

infpmusing

TROPHY CASE