Accompanist Prep 101

Singing with an accompanist is an act of spontaneous collaboration! MCA Vocal + Song Coach Justin Petersen discusses essential Do’s + Don’ts for partnering with your accompanist to have a successful live audition!

Food For Thought:

Your accompanist is your collaborator — not your enemy! They are there to help you succeed! But they can only do that, if YOU do YOUR prep work first! Always remember that YOU are responsible for giving your accompanist the right tools to support you!


Think about it this way: If someone asked YOU to sit down and sight read a bunch of MT auditions … you’d want to do your best, right? Right! But what if there were wacky page turns? What if the music wasn’t clearly marked — or if they made vocal choices that weren’t marked? What if the tempo wasn’t clearly communicated? It would be pretty hard to help them succeed …

Key Takeaways:

  • Learn your musical markings so you can communicate with your accompanist in a shared language!

  • Minimize confusion by stating the name of your piece and clearly mapping the “architecture” of your audition cut!

  • Practice giving your preferred tempo(s) and be aware of how any nerves may affect you!

  • Verbalize your preferred cue to begin your pieces!

  • Be aware of room setup, and make sure you are positioned to collaborate well with your accompanist!

  • At the end of your audition, THANK YOUR ACCOMPANIST … and don’t forget your book! :)

Additional Reminders:

  • Keep your time at the piano to about 30-45 seconds or less!

    • Pro Tip: Practice your spiel during a lesson and make sure you’re in range!

  • NEVER blame your accompanist for mishaps during your audition — verbally or with your body language. It is not a good look! Most often, mishaps are caused by mis-marked music or lack of clear communication — both things that are within YOUR ability to prep.

    • In the very rare case that an accompanist IS at fault, your auditors will be able to see that and will not hold it against you. The best thing you can do is lead with professionalism!

  • ALWAYS review your marked music with a trained accompanist before singing it in a live audition!

  • ALWAYS practice your Accompanist Prep JUST AS MUCH as you practice your pieces!


Questions about your individual prep? Please schedule a session with your MCA Song Prep Coach!