The Artist Workshop Holds First Round of Talent Auditions
The Artist Workshop held talent auditions for a select number of workshop members last Saturday in preparation for a major talent showcase this summer. Singers, songwriters, rappers, musicians, actors, models, and aspiring entertainers presented their talent in front of Artist Workshop producers and team, including program founder, Shyan Selah. Shyan, a multi-talent himself, has 20 years experience in the entertainment industry as a singer/songwriter, rapper, recording artist, actor and model.
The four hours of auditions last weekend were the first round of an ongoing series of audition events to be held in conjunction with Artist Workshop monthly events. These productions, co-presented by Brave New World and Washington’s Department of Commerce, give young aspiring professional entertainment artists, entrepreneurs, and athletes in South King County the access to established professionals in their chosen field of interest. Each month participants come to learn about various aspects of the entertainment industry including production, marketing, deal-making, and the creative process. This month’s audition was the first event that gave participating artists the stage to show their talent.
“This process will be a little different than your typical audition experience in LA or New York,” stated Shyan in his opening remarks to the Artist Workshop talent participants. Audition attendees stayed in the room and took turns standing on stage to not only showcase their talent, but also give a quick interview that included stating why they were there and what they hoped to accomplish with their artistry.
The auditions began with a variety of mostly musical acts, including solo singers and rappers who performed a mix of original songs and covers. A couple of aspiring fashion models also presented their runway walk for the judges before the attendees broke for lunch provided by Panera. Each aspiring talent was walked through a professional level audition experience including questions from the Artist Workshop staff and the audience. These questions ranged from why they picked the song they did, to what made them decide to wear what they did that day. All contestants were judged on 5 factors: Talent, Skill, Vibe, Confidence, and Passion.
“In over 20 years of outreach that includes imparting professional expertise to students from middle school to college, it’s been most beneficial to the participants when the education is combined with real professional experience from their field of interest,” says Shyan. “This has always been our style and through the Artist Workshop program we get to do that at an even greater level of impact. I’m proud of what the Artist Workshop is doing and excited for the talent in our region to have this access.”
At the end of the audition day all the talent contestants were given the opportunity to share with the Artist Workshop crew about what they thought and how they felt abut the process while receiving feedback as to what a typical audition judge or casting director would be looking for.
Overall, the first round of auditions for the Artist Workshop was a very promising start to what is expected to be an all encompassing showcase of talent to be presented to industry experts in music, theater, film, and television. These experts will come from key entertainment industry locations including Seattle, Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta this summer. Regular audition dates will be announced via theartistworkshop.org and audition contestants will have the opportunity to repeat their audition in future sessions should they choose. Event producer Candice Richardson says the main focus will be on both finding and cultivating talent with the goal that the program will be able to place aspiring talent in real-life career opportunities.
“We’ve always known how talented our young people are in the Northwest,” says Candice. “The Artist Workshop is poised to discover and nurture some truly exceptional talent in the coming months.”
