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ARE SMC CHOIRS A GOOD FIT FOR
YOU? YES, IF…
· you love to sing and have
a strong musical ear (i.e., you can sing a melody without going out of key, hold
difficult harmonies without wavering, learn difficult music quickly by ear, and
are always willing to stretch your abilities)
· you have the ability
to follow along when viewing sheet music and can either read music already OR
are willing to work hard to hone those skills with support from classmates and
learning tools
· you can groove & show a rhythmic connection in your body
· are open minded to
all different styles of music (from Avant garde classical music to jazz
standards to Bach to Stevie Wonder to Bjork)
· you LOVE choir, understanding
that in an ensemble, team support and team efforts are more important than solo
pursuits (Divas & Devos need not apply!)
· finding grace for one
another during times of frustration, and having a healthy dose of humility, is
something you can bring and honor in this community
· you have ability to
come to rehearsal regularly, on time, prepared, and with a positive and
teachable spirit (putting aside the frustrations of the day or personal
opinions that conflict with the activity at hand), and having patience with
yourself and others
· you are open to committing
to light movement and simple choreography while singing (no experience is
necessary)
· you are open to
traveling offcampus, regionally, and potentially, internationally
AUDITION PROCEDURE: Held Monday
& Tuesday the First Week of Each Term*
· Yes, singers sing in
both Chamber Singers and Glee Club concurrently with few exceptions at the prerogative
of the Director
· No, there is no Jazz
Choir during fall or spring—January term only—with limited space for undergraduates
and separate audition process in early October.
· There is one identical
audition for Glee/Chamber Singers and this includes two parts: PART I is a
screening/assessment of individual voices, and PART II occurs as “callbacks”
· Due to the high
volume, we meet some students before the first day of class. Everyone,
regardless of WHEN they do the assessment must come to the first day of class, during
which we teach 1-2 group songs (useful for Call backs), go over course
requirements and supply required dates for the fall.
*Jazz choir auditions occur in October (a separate process).
*For spring term, auditions are during fall finals week (some
exceptions allowed; contact Director)
Screening/Assessment: this is to determine
if the skills you bring will allow you to learn music quickly and accurately enough to join the choir
this semester, OR, if we recommend prerequisite work as a first step (i.e. taking
Voice Class, Piano Class, or Music Fundamentals). In the room for your
assessment will be Dr. J, Director & Sharon Kim, Asst. Director, and
sometimes 2 to 3 section leaders from the previous semester; occasionally another
music faculty member will sit in.
What to Expect,
Step-By-Step
1. First: sign up online
via Doodle scheduler for a time slot (link is provided on the blog's home page (stmaryscollegechoirs.blogspot.com), and is also here for your convenience: http://doodle.com/8syzgk9ak9cr3m8h)
2. Arrive 15 minutes
early to your audition time to fill out an information gathering form, meet
some friendly returning singers, and to relax
3. When your name is
called, supply your info sheet and be prepared to answer related questions to
shed light on your background
4. Sing a simple
vocalize provided to you (e.g. 123454321) so we can hear the quality and range
of your voice
5. Sing a major scale up
to the 9th degree and back to 1 with the piano, then without the
piano, and then in harmony with someone else.
6. Listen to a musical
fragment and sing back what you hear as accurately as possible; each new
example is progressively difficult
7. Sing a 60 second a
cappella song of your choice, ANY style
8. We may ask you to
also sing Happy Birthday to Me
9. We post names for the
call backs on the blog at the end of each audition day
CALL BACKS
Held Thursday during class the first week of classes (5pm), or,
later during an extended Lab time depending on the volume (7-9pm). For spring,
call-backs are during fall final’s week in the fall. You can download the
audition piece online (from the blog: stmaryscollegechoirs.blogspot.com), or, you can grab
and keep a copy the first day of class (during our orientation).
