Fifteen MORE Songs You Need to Hear in 2015

1. "Centuries" by Fall Out Boy. You've probably heard it on TV at least twenty times (thank God the football season is over... it was the only song ESPN played for like, two months). This song needs to play at my funeral. "Eh eh eh eh eh, remember me for centuries!" You should also check out the song "Tom's Diner," which is the 80s song that inspired the song's infamous "do do do do do do do do" hook.
2. "Promises" by Jhene Aiko. You've probably heard "Bed Peace" by her and Childish Gambino (yes, he's the one who got me hooked on her), but this song is FIRE. Even more than "Bed Peace" is. If I had to pick between them. This song is really beautiful; the beginning is solely about her and her daughter, Namiko (Nami). After the first chorus, it switches focus to her brother, Miyagi, who died of cancer recently. "'I am in the stars, and everywhere you are'... wish that you were here now, I'm missing you right here but, I promise I'll be all right... Everything is alright, everything's in your mind, life is what you make it... anything can happen, but you just gotta flow past it... if you fall down, get back up... everything is alright, promise I'll be, promise you'll be, promise we'll be alright."
3. "Where No One Goes" by Jonsi. If you've seen How to Train Your Dragon 2, you'll recognize this song. I especially love how it mashes with John Powell's score. It's just gorgeous. 
4. "There's A Fine, Fine Line" from Avenue Q. This is the ultimate breakup song. "I guess if someone doesn't love you back, it isn't such a crime. But there's a fine, fine line between love and a waste of your time! And I don't have the time to waste on you anymore. I don't think that you even know what you're looking for!"
5. Magdalena Alberto's version of "I Dreamed A Dream." This is one of my absolute favorite versions of the song. It gets me right at 2:05. I don't know why, but the brass section here is just so beautiful.
6. "Bittersweet Tragedy" by Melanie Martinez. Last time I mentioned her, I was raving about "Dollhouse." Little did I know the entire EP is fire! "Ice cream upon a summer's day, beginning sweetness never stays. Melting through the cracks in my hands, I guess I held on for too long."
7. "I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack. 2000s nostalgia, anyone?
8. "Dead to Me" by Melanie Martinez. Like I said: the whole EP is fire. 
9. "I'm Alive" from Next to Normal. "I'm alive, I'm alive, I am SO alive!"
10. "Go Do" by Jonsi. I don't know what he's saying 90% of the time, but it's such a cute song!
11. "Munich" by The Fray. Yeah, this song is fire, too. The bassline, the guitar, the drums, Isaac's vocals... takes me back to when I first started listening to them (I was six!). My first Fray song was either "Look After You" or "How to Save a Life."
12. "Red Lotus Theme" by Jeremy Zuckerman. While this is a score from The Legend of Korra, it is still amazing without words. The beginning of the song just has this utter creepiness that lets you know that whoever the bad guys are, they're nothing Korra's faced before. And I love the string section!
13. "Don't Worry Now" by Britt Nicole. I don't like her current music (specifically "Gold"... blegh), but her debut album was FIRE. And that's not a word I use lightly. But this song, it's just full of honest feelings and emotions. I've been fortunate enough to be living with my father, but even though I can't really relate to this song, it still gets me... you know? If only I could find my copy of this album... I might have given it away. Ugh, that album was so good.
14. "When She Cries" by Britt Nicole. Wow, I really miss her first album. WHERE DID I PUT IT?!?!?
15. "Miss Missing You" by Fall Out Boy. "Centuries" got me listening to all their stuff!

More Musical Theatre Do's and Don'ts

A few more songs for your auditioning playlist...

• DO. "Manhattan Bridge" from Next Thing You Know. This song isn't too popular because it ran off-Broadway, so it isn't mainstream at all, really. Only the people casting will know what you're singing from, most likely.
• DON'T. "If You Were Gay," "Everyone's A Little Bit Racist," "The Internet is For Porn," or "It Sucks to Be Me" from Avenue Q. As much as I love "It Sucks to Be Me" (and I even recommended the first part of it: "What Do You Do With a B.A. in English"), always avoid controversial, inappropriate, or uncomfortable show tunes.
• DO. "The Way To Get a Girl" from Next Thing You Know. "The way to get a girl is to get a girl. When you're taken, they'll flock by the score! But then take it from me: the second that you're free, the girls you thought would want you don't want you anymore! It's a guaranteed get: grab a girl and you're set. They know, they know, they know. ... The way to get a girl is to get a girl. If you're spoken for, they'll line by the block. Oh yes, somehow they know, when you're somebody's beau, that's when they'll go to you sure as tick goes with tock! Although it sounds cool, it's approvable rule. I know, I know, I know!" Of course, you might want to make it obvious these aren't your actual opinions about women.
• DON'T DON'T DON'T DON'T. "No Good Deed" from Wicked. I'm singing the chant, "Eleka nahmen nahmen ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen" in my mind as I type this. This song is so difficult-- worse than "Defying Gravity," actually. If you can't show emotion well, this song will bring out that weakness. Besides, you know my opinions about Wicked. And there's no way to sing "No Good Deed" without shouting "Fiyero!" from the top of your lungs. And while you're at it, you have got to hear Willemijn Verkaik's performance here. I died at 1:03, 1:07, 1:36, 1:56 (I love the way she sweetly sings "Fiyero"), 3:03, 3:08, 3:10, and the way she says "Again" at the end. I also can't get over how she says "Let him never die!" I totally fell in love with her as Amneris, and now I'm obsessed. No fangirl goes unpunished. I only hope to one day be as good a singer as her, and maybe join the long line of Elphabas. But I can only dream of that-- each Elphie sets the bar higher and higher.
• DON'T. "Seasons of Love" from Rent. Even my sister who hates musicals knows how many minutes there are in a year because of this song.

This is all I can think of right now. Who knows-- maybe a part three is coming?

32-Bars for Musical Theatre

If you look up what songs to audition and what not to audition in theatre, the lists completely contradict each other. One website will say it's alright to use "Defying Gravity" and the other considers "Wicked" a taboo word. So, of course it's up to me to write down a list of some under-rated songs to use, and some that people may not warn you that you shouldn't use.

1. DON'T use "Defying Gravity," just to get that one out of the way. Really, using anything from Wicked is a no. I know of one judge that as soon as they heard ANYTHING from that musical, they won't even consider you. But I also read an article by one person that said that the reason many judges don't like it when people sing it is because they've heard it done badly. What's my opinion? What do you know Idina Menzel for? Yes, she is going to play a Disney queen. Yes, she was in Enchanted. But mainly, her Elphaba is the most popular Elphie there is. So, with "Defying Gravity" being a popular song among non-acting people as well, this song is kinda like, HER song. You'll constantly be compared to her. And it's not original at all. I'm sure by the end of the day, the accompanist will want to throw away your sheet music after seeing the word "Leap."
2. DO. "What Do You Do With a B.A. in English?" from Avenue Q. This song has a particular kind of performer it suits best, though. If you are a man who is in college or fresh out of college, then it'll fit you. The original singer sounds young and naïve, just like a lot of kids your age are. What do you do with a B.A. in English? / What is my life going to be? / Four years of college / and plenty of knowledge / have earned me this useless degree / I can't pay the bills yet / 'Cause I have no skills yet / The world is a big scary place / But somehow I can't shake / the feeling I might make / a difference to the human race.
3. DO. "Every Story is a Love Story (Reprise)" from Aida. This song suits a woman in the 20-30 age range who still has a fairly youthful voice (say it's obvious that you're older but you still sound like you're eighteen). From deep within the tomb, a gentle light still shone / showing me my path as I ascended to the throne / certain in my heart that ancient wars must cease / The lovers' deaths gave birth to a reign of peace / and their story / and my journey / and the lesson they provide / drew their strength and inspiration from a love that never died.
4. DO. "Sure As Sun Turns to Moon" from Tarzan. This song especially works because it is an under-rated musical (I didn't know it was ever even on Broadway until this year) and it is no longer on Broadway. You will rarely find someone else use this piece to audition. This song works best if you are of marrying age, preferably at least in your late twenties.
5. DON'T. "My Strongest Suit (Reprise)" from Aida. As much as it pains me to never be able to audition this (I actually sound pretty good when I sing this song), this song is somewhat sad. It is also a duet, and being only a minute long, shortening this would take it below 32-bars (though it could work if you were asked to audition an 8-bar). But the point is, this is not a neutral song or a happy one. Avoid sad and angry songs.
6. DO. "Two Worlds" from Tarzan. This song might be slightly over-rated, but it is gender-neutral, neither happy or sad, can be cut in several ways, and has different variations from singing loudly to quietly to sweetly. This is my audition song. Unless you live near me, you're free to do it. Hope Ezell won't be playing Amneris or Rafiki anytime soon.
7. DON'T. "Easy As Life" from Aida. This is... in a way, a somewhat angry song ("This is how the gods reward the faithful through the ages") and we want to avoid that kind of chemistry. This was going to be audition song, but then I thought, mm, maybe not.
8. DON'T. "Shadowland" from The Lion King. I can't express how I feel about this song and its original Zulu version (the live version from Hans Zimmer's album is probably my favorite though). I know just about every word from "Fahtse leso, lea halalela" through "Giza buyabo." So why wouldn't I audition this piece? It's in my vocal range, it's the song that got me into theatre, everyone who hears it falls in love with it, it can touch the coldest heart, and let's face it: It's friggin' perfect. I wouldn't audition this because it is one of the few songs that has made me tear up. Which means it's a sad song. I mean, come on. "Pride land, my land, tear-stained dry land, take this with you, fahtse leso..."
9. DON'T. "Circle of Life" from you-know-where. Even if you're auditioning to play Rafiki, you won't even be considered if you shout, "Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba" and they will NOT respond with "Sithi uhm ingonyama."
10. DON'T. "I'm Not That Girl" from Wicked. Like I said, "Wicked" is a taboo word on some websites, and this is one of them. Remember, no one mourns the wicked, and when you audition with a song from that musical, you'll be left only on your own. Wow, that was a really corny reference. This song is amazing. I could probably work this song. Heck, I could probably play Elphaba really well in this moment because, well, I know how it feels to feel that way (like, literally, the other girl had "gold hair with a gentle curl"). However, this is a sad song so it is a no-no.
11. And numerous others... can't think of them at the moment.

I should probably make a part 2 but you know me... it'll take forever IF I even remember, so no promises.

Love you, chicos!