Professional auditions rarely provide material. A book is an actor’s collection of fully prepared songs for auditions. The concept of “The Book” can be somewhat controversial, as is not standardized. Each performer’s skill-set is different, and actors have different roles they want to be considered for. However, there are some essential factors to consider when building your book.

The physical book itself is a binder with three-hole punched, piano-vocal sheet music. It is important that your music is in the correct key and clearly marked. The most common cut in an audition is 32 measures, which usually equates to a minute and a half of singing. However, many professional venues with a high volume of auditionees require a 16- measure cut (and sometimes even 8 measures). At the start of the cut, clearly write “START” where you want the music to begin. At the end of the cut, clearly write the word “STOP” and draw a line through the remainder of the music. This will help eliminate confusion about what you are going to sing.

You should have all of your music marked, even if it is not your plan to sing it that day. The purpose of the book is to give casting the option to hear more from you once you have completed your initial song. A book makes you a versatile candidate for casting.

The actual contents of the book is controversial; however, a good baseline is to have a minimum of five songs:

• Contemporary Up-Tempo, Musical Theater – written after the year 2000 and has a
  lively feel.
• Contemporary Ballad, Musical Theater – written after 2000 and shows a more serious tone. This will often showcase a strong belt.
• Classic Up-Tempo, Musical Theater – written before 1980 and has a lively feel, in the Golden Age style.
• Classic Ballad, Musical Theater – written before 1980 and shows a more serious tone, in the Golden Age Style. This is also an opportunity to show a more legitimate sound.
• Pop/Rock– written after 2010, not from a musical, and commonly heard on the radio. This is potentially the most important song, as pop/rock is quickly becoming one of the most frequently asked for things in an audition.

Though these are the baseline requirements of a book, there are many more potential categories to add. To list a few: country, folk, jazz, opera, Disney, high-belt, and Sondheim.

It is up to you to decide how you want to be seen and what styles suit your voice best! Working with a strong vocal coach to discuss your voice and what music suits you best is extremely helpful. However, one of the most important things to consider is what brings you joy. You should be excited to sing any song in your book because it is an opportunity to showcase you and your hard work. So, whatever music you take with you, make sure you love it and enjoy singing it, and that will shine through.