MARKING AUDITION CUTS
Most actors mark their cuts with scribbles, X’s, arrows, cross-outs, lines, and circles. Even when they’re neat, they still force the accompanist to decode your page in real time. And that’s not their job.
STOP MARKING — START REMOVING
Your accompanist should never have to interpret your intentions.
They should only have to read what’s in front of them.
If something is on the page, there’s always a chance it gets played.
CLARITY OVER TRADITION
Scribbles are tradition. Clean pages are strategy.
When a page is cluttered with markings, the eye hesitates.
Every moment of hesitation is a moment your support system is not fully with you.
USE A DIGITAL “ERASER”
Open your sheet music in a PDF editor. Preview, Canva, Word, Adobe Acrobat — anything that lets you annotate.
Use a shape tool. Set the fill to white. Remove or match the border.
Now you can cover anything you don’t want played. Cleanly. Completely.
WHAT THIS ACTUALLY DOES
It turns your sheet music into a forward-moving document.
The accompanist reads left to right, top to bottom, with zero guesswork.
Even if there are gaps, even if there are only a few measures per page, the path is obvious.
PROTECT THE ESSENTIALS
If you remove measures at the beginning of a system, keep the key signature intact.
That information is non-negotiable.
Without it, you’re creating a different kind of confusion.
CLEAN THE WHOLE PAGE
Don’t stop at notes.
Remove unused lyrics. Extra dynamics. Repeat signs that no longer apply.
Anything that doesn’t serve the cut should be gone.
ADD BACK WHAT’S MISSING
If something important disappears in the process, add it back intentionally.
Keep the key signature at the beginning of every staff in every system. Use a text box to clarify tempo, style, or structure.
Now the page is not just clean — it’s complete.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Your accompanist is your collaborator.
The easier your page is to read, the better they can support you.
And better support means a stronger audition.
🥜 IN A NUTSHELL
If you don’t want it played, don’t leave it on the page.
READY TO DIVE DEEPER?
Check out this video I made with all my sheet music non-negotiables and download my free checklist. Also check out how to re-copy your sheet music so accompanists can always read from left to right and never turn backwards.
