Video Instructions

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Video Instructions

Please read the following instructions very carefully.  Failure to follow these instructions could result in student disqualification, which nobody wants.

Videos should:

• Be unedited, without zooms, pans or changing camera angles. Exception: Introductory slates may be edited in at the beginning
• Have the singer visible from at least the waist up, from a fixed camera angle.
• Include only one selection per video
• Include an introduction or slate.  This can be edited in, and can be in the form of a slide or a live introduction.
• NOT have any mention of teacher, studio, NATS chapter, or school/university.  This includes the YouTube channel name, titles, and notes.
• Have the following YouTube settings:
  • Set as Unlisted
  • Comments turned off
  • Title as follows: NATS NSA- Student name
  • Description should have the following information:
    • Title of Selection
    • Larger Work
    • Composer (and lyricist for MT)

Performances should:

• Include accompaniment.  For Musical Theater and Classical categories, this must be piano accompaniment ONLY, provided by either a live accompanist or a recorded accompaniment. If the teacher is the accompanist, they may not be visible/identifiable in the video. 
• For Commercial Music, instrumental tracks may be used, or students can accompany themselves on a limited number of selections (*see category rules). No backing vocals are permitted.
• Be memorized.  Exception: Oratorio arias in the Classical category.
• Contain the full selection. Cuts may be made in piano introductions, interludes, and postludes, but not in the vocal line.
• Be unamplified in Classical, American Spiritual, and Musical Theater Categories.  Microphone use for recording is acceptable; amplification is not.
• Commercial Music students must have a visible microphone in all video selections.

Please note, the category time limits are designed for in-person competitions. Judges will stop listening after the time limit is reached in video auditions as well, and that should be taken into consideration in repertoire selection.  However, teachers and students should not cut their selections to accommodate the time limits; this will result in students having to sing for comments only.  Teachers may mark starting selections in Auditionware with a 1 (eg. 1. Ch’il bel sogno).

Full national instructions can be found below (pdf).  

Questions? Email auditions@calwestnats.org