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OCSA AUDITION COACHING • ORANGE COUNTY + ONLINE
OCSA Audition Preparation:
Meet the rubric. Move the room.
First, you need to meet the rubric. Then comes the lottery. Let’s build an audition that shows your skills—and gives people a reason to feel something.
Songs, monologues, and performance coaching with David Jayden Anthony: OCSA graduate, four-year former faculty member, and Berklee NYC master’s graduate. In Long Beach or online.
Free 30-minute Zoom session · Coaching + assessment · No obligation
YOUR VOICE. YOUR STORY. YOUR NEXT STEP.
OCSA graduate / 4 years teaching at OCSA / Unplugged + Montage / Berklee NYC master’s degree
START WITH WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL
The rubric is the first hurdle.
The lottery is the next step.
01
01 / Demonstrate proficiency
OCSA calls the audition a Conservatory Placement Activity. Meet your conservatory’s minimum proficiency requirement to qualify for its lottery. We’ll turn the published criteria into a focused preparation plan.
02
02 / Understand the lottery
Admission uses a public random lottery when applications exceed capacity. Coaching cannot guarantee a place or influence the drawing. A compelling performance is about showing your readiness, not buying better odds.
03
03 / Grow beyond admission
Whether you receive an offer or join a waitlist, keep developing. Build reliable technique, a thoughtful repertoire, and the confidence to audition for the next opportunity.
MAKE YOUR TALENT CLEAR
More than a polished song.
A moment worth feeling.
Your audition should reveal the whole performer: your voice, imagination, personality, and ability to tell a story. We’ll work toward your strongest audition yet through specific choices you can repeat under pressure.
Choose material that feels like you.
Discover songs with a fresh angle and enough familiarity to invite the listener in. We’ll prioritize your comfortable range, age, and storytelling strengths over a difficult song chosen only to impress.
Give every phrase a purpose.
Connect the lyric or text to a person, a need, and a change. Let the music carry a living thought. Aim for emotional specificity instead of manufactured emotion.
Practice the entire experience.
Rehearse your introduction, track cue, transitions, and recovery after a mistake. Learn to stay present, listen, and respond to direction.
A PREPARATION PLAN FOR YOUR CONSERVATORY
The right material. The right preparation.
We start with your grade, conservatory, current guidelines, and actual strengths. OCSA Musical Theatre and Acting require different material and formats.
01 / SONG SELECTION
Fresh material. A natural fit.
Find a song that reveals your voice and imagination.
How we’ll work on it
We’ll explore less overdone repertoire, test keys, and choose a cut with a clear beginning, shift, and landing. Unique does not have to mean obscure. Your connection to the material matters more than novelty.
02 / MONOLOGUES
Tell a story only you can tell.
Make the text personal while respecting the requirements.
How we’ll work on it
For OCSA Musical Theatre, we select from the school’s approved monologue list. For Acting and other schools, we find eligible, age-appropriate material with contrasting sides of your artistry. We’ll build circumstances, relationships, and playable actions.
03 / VOICE + MUSIC
Let your technique support you.
Make pitch, phrasing, and words work together.
How we’ll work on it
We’ll work on accurate notes, a comfortable key, clear diction, and expressive phrasing in your actual cut. I’ll help you hear what needs attention and understand how to practice it.
04 / CURRENT MT REQUIREMENTS
Prepare for the whole activity.
The 2027–2028 Musical Theatre activity is in person.
How we’ll work on it
Prepare a 16–32-bar vocal selection, about 45 seconds, and a memorized monologue from OCSA’s list. A track is preferred; a cappella is accepted. No accompanist is provided and guest accompanists are not allowed. Bring your track on a mobile device. Expect movement/dance and group singing; wear clothes and closed-toe shoes you can move in. Choose the appropriate voice concentration on your application. Read the current OCSA guidelines and rubrics →
05 / MOCK AUDITION
Walk in with a repeatable plan.
Put the pieces together before audition day.
How we’ll work on it
Run your complete presentation, receive specific feedback, and try again. We’ll practice starting confidently, staying connected, and recovering calmly. Voice and acting coaching complements the movement preparation your conservatory requires.
06 / ACTING + OTHER SCHOOLS
Build skills beyond one school.
OCSA Acting audition coaching and arts high school preparation.
How we’ll work on it
For 2027–2028, OCSA Acting requires two memorized published monologues: one comedic and one dramatic, at least one contemporary (post-1956), each no longer than 90 seconds. Submit two unlisted YouTube videos with the application. We’ll coach contrasting choices and clear self-tape presentation. For other performing arts high schools, we build a fresh plan around that school’s requirements.
AN OCSA GRADUATE. A FORMER OCSA EDUCATOR.
Hi, I’m David Jayden Anthony.
I graduated from OCSA and returned to teach there for four years. I ran the a cappella ensemble Unplugged and served as vocal director for Montage, the school’s main marketing performance group. I know how meaningful this next step can feel because OCSA helped shape my own life.
The college-level music theory and history training I received in high school helped me earn a full-ride scholarship to Chapman University. That foundation taught me to see an arts education as more than an acceptance letter: it is preparation for the artist you can become.
I recently completed my master’s degree focused on Musical Theatre Writing at Berklee NYC, based at the historic Power Station studios, where Broadway cast albums—including Hamilton—have been recorded. Understanding how songs are written helps me coach how they are performed.
I served as vocal director for OCSA’s 20th Anniversary Gala, featuring Broadway alumni Matthew Morrison, Krysta Rodriguez, Susan Egan, and Lindsay Mendez. My résumé also includes music direction for Lindsay Mendez’s Performing with the Pros and pianist work with Jason Robert Brown and Stephen Schwartz. I bring that musical and theatrical perspective to your material with clear, practical feedback. More about David and Musical Theatre Mastery →
OCSA AUDITION COACHING THAT FITS YOUR LIFE
Prepare in Long Beach.
Or work with me online.
Families in Orange County can work with me in Long Beach or choose live online OCSA audition coaching. A performance review provides focused feedback on a rehearsal recording.
01 / LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA
In-person
One-on-one studio coaching with piano accompaniment. Work face to face on your voice, material, and performance.
$149 / 60-minute session
02 / WHEREVER YOU ARE
Live online
Personalized coaching over Zoom or FaceTime. Bring your material and work directly with David in real time.
$124 / 60-minute session
03 / FEEDBACK ON YOUR RECORDING
Video / performance review
Send an audition tape or performance recording for detailed written and recorded feedback. Typical turnaround: 3–5 business days.
$99 / submission
YOUR FIRST STEP
Start building your strongest audition.
In your free 30-minute Zoom coaching and assessment session, we’ll discuss your conservatory and grade, work on a song or monologue, and identify the next step. Parents and guardians are welcome to join.
01 / TELL ME ABOUT YOU
Share your goals.
Tell me your target school, conservatory, grade, and what feels hardest right now. A parent or guardian can help complete the interest form.
02 / WORK TOGETHER
Get real coaching.
We’ll arrange your Zoom session and spend time working directly on your material.
03 / FIND YOUR NEXT STEP
Leave with clarity.
Get practical feedback and a clearer sense of what to work on next.
30 minutes · Real coaching and assessment · No obligation
OCSA AUDITION PREPARATION FAQ
Clear answers for students and families
Can coaching guarantee admission to OCSA?
No coach can guarantee admission or influence OCSA’s public random lottery. My role is to help you prepare your skills, material, and performance for the placement activity. Musical Theatre’s published high-school Soprano/Alto rubric requires an average score of at least 3 for lottery eligibility; check the rubric for your own grade and concentration.
Can I choose any monologue for OCSA?
For Musical Theatre, choose from OCSA’s provided monologue list. Acting applicants choose eligible published material under a different set of rules. We’ll select within the rules and make the performance distinctly yours.
When are the 2027–2028 OCSA admissions deadlines?
The prospective-student application deadline is December 30, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. In-person activities take place in January 2027. Lottery ticket placement is February 11–15; the lottery is March 2 and results arrive March 3. Confirm updates in your Applicant Portal and on OCSA’s official admissions page.
What should I bring to my first session?
Bring the current guidelines, your conservatory and grade, and any song or monologue you are considering. You can start without chosen material. We’ll identify an appropriate direction during your free session.
Is coaching required or affiliated with OCSA?
Private coaching is optional. This is independent coaching by an OCSA alumnus and former faculty member; Musical Theatre Mastery is not affiliated with or endorsed by OCSA. Families seeking admissions, translation, technology, or accommodation support should contact OCSA’s Admissions Office directly.
MAKE THIS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GROW
Bring your story.
Let’s make it land.
Let’s create an audition that feels prepared, personal, and alive—and build the artist who will keep growing long after this audition.
Free 30-minute coaching session with David Jayden Anthony
OCSA alumnus. Former OCSA educator. Independent audition coaching.
Explore OCSA’s official admissions guidelines →