Audition Info | BHS Choir Auditions

Audition Information

TIMELINE

May 14th

Audition Information published for all students.

Vocal Auditions in the AMS/NIS Choir Rooms for 8th Graders during their choir classes. ***Reach out to Ms. Noble or Ms. Smith via email if you are an 8th grader and NOT already in choir at NIS/AMS.

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Vocal Auditions in the BHS Choir Room for ANY students

4:00-5:00 PM

15 minute practice at the beginning

June 3rd

June 4th

Encore! Dance Auditions in the BHS Choir Room

(ALL students auditioning for Encore! need to attend- 8th graders too!)

Additional Vocal Auditions in the BHS Choir Room for ANY students

4:00-6:00 PM

15 minute practice at the beginning

AUDITION EXPECTATIONS

If you wish to audition for A Cappella Choir, you will be asked to do the following:

fill out an audition application (Google Form)
sing a 4-part song, a cappella, with you alone on your part, and in a quartet with three current members.

If you wish to audition for Belle Tones, you will be asked to do the following:

fill out an audition application (Google Form)
sing a treble-range song, a cappella, with you alone on your part, and in a small group with current members.

If you wish to audition for Encore!, you will be asked to do the following:

fill out an audition application (Google Form)
sing a 4-part song, with you alone on your part, and in a quartet with three current Encore! members.
learn the choreography for the dance audition using the video provided and dance with current members and other auditioners.

If you wish to sing in Concert Choir...

You do not have to audition if you are already part of a middle school choir. This is the natural progression for 8th Graders and the next step after middle school choir. Concert Choir will prepare you for the auditioned choirs. If you are completely new to choir, please contact Ms. Sarah Noble to indicate your interest, or ask your counselor to add it to your schedule.

WHAT ABOUT SIGHT READING?

Sight reading is an extremely important and useful skill for the auditioned choirs. Music learned in class is often done at a fast pace and requires an independent musician who can break down music for themselves. In the past, we have included a Sight Reading component in our auditions. HOWEVER, after further discussion, Ms. Smith and Ms. Noble decided that mandating it as a part of the audition process ultimately causes more anxiety than it is worth. In addition, we feel that requiring students to sight read may deter those who haven't had that training from auditioning. We may ask you a few questions about your experiences with reading music, but that will be the extent of it!

TIPS FOR A GREAT AUDITION

Prepare, prepare, prepare! Give yourself the opportunity to really show what you can do! Don’t wait until the night before because you cannot cram for this!

Make sure you know exactly what you are being asked to do in your audition! Ms. Noble and Ms. Smith have supplied the information you need to be successful and are both MORE THAN willing to answer any questions. (HINT: We will be more receptive if you do not wait until the last minute.)

Show us how great it is to work with you! Following directions and coming prepared is a big part of an audition. Being considerate to the other performers, being on time and drama-free are all big marks in your positive column.

Let the directors listen to you without bias! Please do not start an audition by saying you’re sick or your throat hurts. That colors the way we listen to you. We want to hear all of your best – don’t alert us to something we might not even hear.

Understand that we WANT you to do well.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)

Can you audition for more than one group?

Yes. You may audition for all three groups if you wish. If you have room in your schedule, you may be in two choirs.

Does my audition song need to be memorized?

No, however the better you know your music, the better you will sing. Being memorized will help your audition.

What if I’m not a very good dancer? Do I still have a shot at making Encore?

Dancing is a big part of Encore! In your audition, we are looking for how well you have prepared and high energy, not perfection. Many of our current members didn’t consider themselves dancers when they started but they worked hard and now they are strong dancers.

What if I can’t come to any of the audition times?

You are welcome to try out next year.

When will I find out what choir I've been placed in?

The results will be emailed to you the weekend following auditions. You do not have to notify your BHS Counselor about your schedule, the BHS Choir Directors will do this for you. The counselors will adjust your schedule accordingly.

MANAGING DISAPPOINTMENT FOR PARENTS AND STUDENTS

NO ONE likes to get bad news. Here are some things you can do if you are unhappy with the audition results:

Take a deep breath. While you may not like or understand the decision, you can choose to make this a learning experience. What could you have done better? What do you need to work on?

Remember that your teachers WANT YOU TO DO WELL. Part of our job is to put you in the Choir where you can be most successful. You are welcome to set up an appointment to talk about your audition.

Remember that there are only so many spots open. The directors hear every singer – parents and students do not. We do our very best to make decisions that are in the best interest of EACH AND EVERY SINGER.

Not making the Choir you wanted does not mean that you are “bad”. It means that you're either not ready, your voice has some growing to do, you need to work on sight reading and/or that someone else was better at demonstrating what we were looking for in the audition. (This is why preparing is so important.)

How we deal with disappointment is a character defining moment… before you send an angry email or make a phone call you will regret, give yourself some time to gather your thoughts (24 hour rule).