[soompi] Sm Audition Experience Account

Hi,

So first of all I'd like to begin with a big hug for all of us

who wish to enter the entertainment industry, wherever we are around the world!

I am quite shy in soompi so you probably won't have seen me around, at least not in the auditions section!

therefore...i shall introduce myself:

Name: Hyunji

Age: 16

Height: 5"4.5

Living in: London (but currently visiting relatives in Korea)

Ethnicity: Korean 100%

Languages: fluent in korean english french and spanish (like actually)

Auditioned for: SM ent. (singer) and will be going to JYP and YG when i'm free.

I think that should be enough...

Anyway, I'm putting my experience up as I know from experience how frustrating it can be to

find out information about auditions particularly as we all live abroad!

Plus I wanted to clear any rumours about the audition process for SM ent.

so here goes and hope this helps!

----------------------------------------------

So I had been interested in auditioning since I was around 14 or so, quite late considering how many primary

school kids in korea flock to the auditions every saturday. But even 14 was too early for me, and though I went to

Seoul to visit my relatives with my family that year, I refused to audition. Looking back, it was a shame, as I found

out from my mother this year when i told her about auditioning, that even at the tender(?) age of 16, I am rather late

in going into training and debuting as many trainees have been training for many years already.

This doesn't mean that I am TOO late, as 16 is not old (if we said that 16 was old to someone in hollywood they'd

probably snort and laugh at us...). It's just that as many of you know, the korean music industry somehow has

developed this fetish for idols and jailbait...

Still...my parents would know, (my dad is a close friend of a famous PD in korea...) and if they said that my age was

okay,

I thought I would go for it this year (16years old).

I soon found out about Sm through the internet, and decided that I didn't want to wait in line for 3-4 hours on a

saturday afternoon outside in Apgujung...so I chose to send an email in instead. (yes this is the email audition option)

I did what it told me to do on the website, I filled out my details and then I attached 3pictures, (facex2 and 1 body)

and since I didn't have a recording I just sent the email straight away to Sm ent. Oh, just for reference I used my

Daum mail account.

After 2days, I got a reply asking me to come to the 'secret' or 비공개 or non-public auditions held on Sunday.

However the date was the 28th June and this was the day that I was coming to korea so obviously I couldn't make it.

I sent another email asking to change the date to 5th July and soon after they sent another reply that told me that

that was fine.

The email also consisted of what to do in preparation for the audition which was to practice 2 songs (korean)

and that was it. (there was more info if you werent singing but I'll leave that out)

so I was happy cuz id passed the first round of auditioning!

On the 5th July (audition day)

I woke up did everything as normal, dressed and then my dad at around 1ish took me to 'Everysing' which is where

SM holds auditions, I went in and they told me to wait at the back with the rest of the auditionees.

There were 21 of us including me.

After a while at around 2pm, a lady took us down in to one of the rooms in the basement (Everysing is a karaoke

place btw) and we all waited and the lady gave us a form to fill out and told us the rules of auditioning, and then gave

us number labels.

**She told us that pop songs were not allowed. But then I asked her, as I'm much more comfortable singing in

English as I've lived abroad all my life, if I was allowed to sing a pop song and she replied yes, if that is more

comfortable for me.**

As I said there were 21 of us, and I happened to get the last one!

so she took the ppl in groups of 10 and then 5 stood outside and sung or w/e they do.

I thought the auditions were held in another room but actually its just outside in the hallway where there's a really low

stage.

Anyway you can hear what everyone is singing/judges are saying.

Most ppl just got cut off - i heard some awful off key singing....

A small girl cried cuz she was scared i think...

Anyway so when the lady came back and the ppl 1-10 left, she said

"okay so ppl from 11-20"

And i was like WTF.

because I was no.21, and so that meant that I was going to be auditioning - alone.

so basically i was freaking about that, and when they all went out, i was like hyperventilating,

just going crazy, so then i drank some water (WATER IS A MUST!!!)

and calmed down.

after they all went, she came to get me and I stood on the stage. There were two women and the lady who led me

there. One was sitting and writing notes and the other was at the camera with the lady just standing and watching.

The notes lady told me to rake my hair back and behind my ears and stand in the middle of the stage.

She told me to sing, so I sang Umbrella by Rihanna.

"You had my heart and we'll never be worlds apart...ectectect"

The notes lady (sorry; said, "Can you sing another song?"

So I sang Navi's "A broken heart" (마음이 다쳐서)

My voice is really loud, and it sort of got amplified by 100 because I was nervous so they all kind of looked shocked

at me...

i was like OTL...

anyway, so after wards she asked me a couple of questions like,

1. How long have you lived abroad?

2. So you live in London?...are you here because school's finished?

3. How long is the Summer holiday? When does it end?

So I answered them, and then she just nodded and wrote stuff down,

and then she told me she was going to start the Rhythm test.

The song was Rihanna (haha)- Disturbia

So i did my thing, shook about and pranced around on stage,

and then after my dance was over, she said "Thank you, that will be all"

"You may return back home now."

and so I left.

When i was leaving I'm sure i heard something like, "So A is definitely a yes right?"

but i don't know who she was referring to...WHO IS 'A'????

I hope that was me...but that's pretty unlikely...MEH

So I hope this was helpful,

and btw Sm does reply to email auditions, trust me.

AUDITIONS ARE FUN!!!

kekeke

ill be going to JYP next, and YG has sent me an email back so I shall be visiting there soon too!

Hopefully, I'll get in to Sm or JYP or YG!

That would be awesome!

Questions are welcome~

XOXO

Oh..you're really smart..you have private audition..cuz I straightly went to the open audition ~~~ Good luck !

o_o

you emailed YG?

how how how?!

... I mean D: what did you write on the email?

Thanks for recounting your experience! Good luck!

Btw, what do they mean by pop songs are not allowed? Is it just English songs are not allowed?

Did they contacted you after you did the private audition? Did you knew who the staff/judges were?

wow. thats awesome~ =)

im glad u got through to the private auditions through just pictures O.O

loll i hope u did well ^^

and u got an audition with YG?! woahh~ how'd u manage that? lol

Oh..you're really smart..you have private audition..cuz I straightly went to the open audition ~~~ Good luck !

Oh haha, thanks for calling me smart! and Good Luck to you too! btw, when did you audition?

o_o

you emailed YG?

how how how?!

... I mean D: what did you write on the email?

You can't email YG at the moment, I had to send a CD with my details and pictures ect, all by post to their offices, and they gave me an email back asking me to come round and audition for them! You have to write down the obvious details: name, age ect ect, then you have to have pictures and introduce yourself, why you want to be a singer ect, then you have to sing one korean song and one pop song. hope I helped

Thanks for recounting your experience! Good luck!

Btw, what do they mean by pop songs are not allowed? Is it just English songs are not allowed?

I think it's any foreign songs, as singing songs in another language other than Korean is hard to judge or something, and plus they want to see if you have an accent, as in if you live in the countryside ect.

Did they contacted you after you did the private audition? Did you knew who the staff/judges were?

no not yet and no I didn't know who the judges were...

I don't think you can~

about callbacks...it's not even been a week (I auditioned last Sunday) so I'm still hopeful.

They said they'd get in touch within a month so ya...

HOPEFULLY they will call.

wow. thats awesome~ =)

im glad u got through to the private auditions through just pictures O.O

loll i hope u did well ^^

and u got an audition with YG?! woahh~ how'd u manage that? lol

haha yeah, I was worried without any video/recordings!

and thank you~~

YG, you just have to go to their website and download the form and fill it out,

and record one pop song, and one korean song and send it to them by post.

Afterwards, if you pass, you will get a phone call/email or some form of contact asking you to stop by their offices to audition.

Hope this clears up things!

Thanks

and good luck to all of you!

XOXO

wow that great but I mean if I dont speak korean cause I am chinese how can I do? can I have a chance too??? for yg you send them an english and an korean song but like I dont speak korean do I need do sing a korean song..I can try but I mean I will be very bad at it and I didnt want cause I dont speak korean to affect my audition.

hi its me again (well I send you a PM ) thanks a lot for your answers. I just want to know that about how many dollars you paid for the mail delivery ...cause you live in london and I live in montrea, canada so it cause a lot,,,, and how heavy it is (.....g...kg....lbs)

well thanks again post news if you make it or not for yg and sm and if you want to share some demos that you make for yg and some pictures it will be nice, cause I really want to hear you sing..(if you dont want to publish it like this well you can send PM tru my box too. and I can send you by MP my demo too.

hi its me again (well I send you a PM ) thanks a lot for your answers. I just want to know that about how many dollars you paid for the mail delivery ...cause you live in london and I live in montrea, canada so it cause a lot,,,, and how heavy it is (.....g...kg....lbs)

well thanks again post news if you make it or not for yg and sm and if you want to share some demos that you make for yg and some pictures it will be nice, cause I really want to hear you sing..(if you dont want to publish it like this well you can send PM tru my box too. and I can send you by MP my demo too.

can i hera you sing too?

hehe... even though i'm a guy, i just wanna hear in general what they're looking for.

still gonna use my own spice at the auditions though

gratz on passing the 1st round! hope u make it!

Hi, if you don't mind, could you please post up a video or something of your singing? I would really appreciate it keke =) and wow, what an experience! Good luck!

Man, I wish I could go to Korea somehow. xD

Hms, if I don't speak Korean at all, would they still let me pass round 1 if I'm good enough?

Do they speak English? o______0

Or maybe..I should just try global auditions. xD

Oh haha, thanks for calling me smart! and Good Luck to you too! btw, when did you audition?

I auditioned on 27th June...haha saturday open audition!!! LEt's pray for the best!!!!!!

hi, i'm going to audition on 18th july,, ive already ask sm by email if there is audition on that saturday or not,, but i've got no relplay XD anyone know that there is weekly audition on that day,, because there sm artist concert (super junior) XD sorry stupid question but i just want to know,, because its quite expensive for me o go to seoul XDDD

thank you,,,, ^ ^

i went to a global audition in the USA

and i made a documentary style explanation video if you're interested

hi, i'm going to audition on 18th july,, ive already ask sm by email if there is audition on that saturday or not,, but i've got no relplay XD anyone know that there is weekly audition on that day,, because there sm artist concert (super junior) XD sorry stupid question but i just want to know,, because its quite expensive for me o go to seoul XDDD

thank you,,,, ^ ^

maybe there might not be auditions on that day.

you'll never know if the people that are usually judging the auditions are needed for super junior's concert, so just choose another week to go to seoul instead of this week.

good luck!

___________

@kpajamas613

i watched ur vid last year!

haha and now i'm watching it again.

i think i talked to you on youtube before O_O

i'm going to the toronto auditions though >_>

so the dates and venues came out already?

maybe there might not be auditions on that day.

you'll never know if the people that are usually judging the auditions are needed for super junior's concert, so just choose another week to go to seoul instead of this week.

good luck!

ok, thank you ^^

ooh ur so lucky!

umm.. do you think if i sent a email to sm would they tell me to like come there too?

but i live in Canada so will that work?

lol srry im a noob at this xD thanks!

hey so just making sure, you got accepted through a private audition just by sending them your pictures, as well as your application form? So you didn't send them any sort of recording at first?