There’s been a lot of discussion lately about tidying up and organizing your life, thanks to a certain Netflix show. The philosophy behind Tidying Up with Marie Kondo is to only keep items in your life that “spark joy.” Now that you’ve folded your sock drawer and organized everything into small boxes, it’s time to look at other things that need to bring you joy: namely, your repertoire list. Are you carrying around old arias that don’t fit anymore? Is it time for you to thank these arias and put them away?

If your audition pieces don't spark joy, why are you singing them? 

• “This piece shows my coloratura in these four measures, I just don’t care for most of it.”
• “My high notes are great at the end; I just have to get through the first bit.”
• “I don’t connect to this character, but the music is pretty.”
• “I love this character, but I hate this aria.”
• “They’re doing [fill in opera here], so I guess I need to offer [fill in aria here].”

There are plenty of ways we try to talk ourselves into liking pieces that aren’t quite right for us. Sometimes even a piece that we sing well isn’t a good fit. Sometimes a piece our teacher or coach loves doesn’t grab us in the same way. It is true that pieces can grow on you, and no aria should be dismissed before it has been properly learned. However, when it comes to picking your shortlist of go-to audition music, make sure the pieces you have at the ready spark something special.

Sparking joy in your imagination

Take a little time and go through your music to see what it ignites in you. In her book and show, Marie Kondo instructs people to hold objects and to see how your body physically responds to the item. Here's one suggestion for "holding" an aria, even if the piece is still in progress. Picture yourself performing the the aria the way you want to perform it. Close your eyes and go through each beat of the piece. Hear yourself singing it in your mind. How do you feel? Passionate? Enthusiastic? Indifferent? Frustrated? Don't dismiss these feelings. If even in this imagined setting the aria still doesn't excite you, it may be time to reconsider what this piece is doing in your audition binder.

Happy little test drives

If visualizing the performance doesn't give you a connection to the piece, find ways to test drive the aria outside of auditions, lessons, and coachings. Find opportunities to perform the piece where you are able to focus on how the aria makes you feel. If there is an Opera on Tap chapter or similar informal aria nights in your area, these fun nights can be an excellent opportunity to explore new repertoire in a relatively low-stress environment. You can also get a small group together and hire a pianist for the evening to do some mock auditions. These types of performance settings are key to exploring your arias without the pressure of outside technical feedback or audition stress. You will be able to perform the piece in front of an audience, but not have to worry about what your teacher or the audition panel thinks of the piece. Listen to your own feelings about singing the aria and ignore the external feedback.

The joys of difficult arias

Even a challenging piece can be one that sparks joy. We're all tempted to throw the sheet music of tricky arias into a fire at some point during the learning process, but that frustration doesn't mean the piece will never be right for you. Try not to judge challenging arias until they are in your voice. Once you have them, pay attention to how you feel singing particularly difficult passages. If a spot in an aria causes you stress, do you feel accomplished when you get through it, or relieved that it's over? Learn to differentiate between when challenging arias make you enthusiastic to learn or just feel like homework.

Say goodbye to favorites that don't fit

Sometimes our arias are like clothing. There may be an aria that we used to love but no longer fits us. Sometimes we pick up an aria hoping that we'll fit into it soon, but it's never quite right. The music that we love but isn't right for us can be the hardest piece to part with. Here we can take another lesson directly from Marie Kondo: thank the piece for what it taught you and let it go. Even if you never performed the aria there is still a lot to learn from it. While it may be difficult to let go of music you desperately want to sing, try to leave it behind before you have a sour association with the piece. Trying to make a vocally inappropriate piece fit will most likely lead you to hate the aria in the long run.

Listen to gut instincts

Most likely, you don't need to complete a special check to know whether or not a piece makes you happy. Sometimes just the thought of one of your familiar arias brings you instant joy or dread. If you've been trying without success to "make" yourself like a piece, it may be time to let it go. Listen to how you feel about a piece. Be honest with yourself about how singing it makes you feel. Trust with your instincts and you will be so much happier with every note you perform.

This business can be tough. Singers are judged for everything from our sound, to our look, to whether our jaw shakes slightly on our highest note or if our vowels are perfectly rounded at every turn. The path to success is lined with steep competition, low pay, and knowing who you can trust to steer you in the right direction. Ultimately, no one is going to please everyone. The best thing to do is to let yourself make every moment joyful.

The bottom line is this: sing pieces that you’re excited to sing. Find music and characters that speak to something inside of you. Sometimes your “joy” may be sparked by the most depressing bit of music imaginable. It may bring out a new world you're fascinated to live in for five minutes. Find a bombastic aria that never fails to lift your spirits because you just get to blast it for a bit, and it’s always fun. Find a quiet, delicate song that feels precious and fragile. Sing music that on the worst days, when the audition is running late and it's madness just to get in the room, you’re excited to be able to perform. Find that music, and let it sing.