Help your students make vocal reels that showcase their skills and wow casting directors and agents.

In the pre-Covid days a headshot and a Spotlight profile were often enough to get a budding MT performer into a first-round audition.

Nowadays, the first-round process often doesn’t take place in person. Instead, casting directors review vocal reels before deciding who to see face to face.

As Mitch Jarvis from Singing Demos, a company that makes vocal reels, explains: “Now dancers have a dancing real, actors have an acting reel, and singers have a singing reel.

“It’s a way for casting directors to see the way you perform. It’s all about getting over that first hurdle which is getting into the audition room. Once you get in there, you can be you.”

So, it’s imperative that singers have a vocal reel that showcases what they do best – and singing teachers can play a role in this.

Here are six tips from Mitch on making a good vocal reel to share with your singing students.

Keep your reel real

Going heavy on the autotune is a no-no. A reel should be an accurate reflection of what the singer sounds like in real life. After all, there’s nowhere to hide in the audition room.

Cover different genres

A reel usually includes clips from four songs, so a singer’s repertoire choices should showcase versatility. Many singers opt for one legit, one contemporary, one pop-rock and one character piece, but it all comes down to the performer’s choice.

Belt in moderation

While it’s great to show you can belt, don’t choose four belty numbers. When listened to back-to-back, four big numbers can be overwhelming. Also, look to demonstrate softness and control.

Don’t get too ambitious

A session in a professional studio will most likely last two-and-a-half hours. So, don’t pick four really tough songs if it means your voice will be in pieces after the first hour. Make sustainable repertoire choices so that the last song recorded sounds just as good as the first.

Record yourself singing

In the weeks leading up to making a reel, record yourself singing (you can do this on your phone) so you get used to listening to yourself. It’s also a great way to identify where you can improve.

Think like a casting director

Consider what type of roles you’re most likely to be cast in and choose repertoire accordingly.

Want to know more about the ins and outs of recording a vocal reel? Listen to the full-length interview with Mitch on the Singing Teachers Talk podcast.