AUDITIONS
Wednesday, April 5th & Friday, April 7th in person by appointment
After filling out the form, you will receive an email in the next 48 hours with a half hour when your audition will take place. See below for the audition requirements.
AUDITION REQUIREMENTS
Regardless of which ensemble(s) you are auditioning for, please prepare all four elements listed below.
1. Sing the provided song, "My Country Tis Of Thee."
Please prepare the first verse of "My Country Tis Of Thee" in the alto/bass or soprano/tenor key (whichever is most comfortable).
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2. Sing a verse and chorus of a song of your choosing.
- Appropriate/preferred genres are: Pop, contemporary music theater, jazz, indy rock or folk, R & B / soul, or gospel.
- Please sing this song memorized and a cappella.
- If you're asking yourself "what should I sing?" or are choosing between songs, sing something you're comfortable with and will sing confidently.
3. Familiarize yourself with one of the voice parts from this excerpt of "Move":
- Hard copies of the PDF are available with Mr. Grover or Mr. Carleton
- Choose soprano, alto, tenor or bass, and prepare it as best you can for the audition
- We will work with you on the part and assess your level of preparation and how you take direction and feedback
- Think about this aspect of the audition as prepared sight-reading
4. Range testing, pitch matching, and interview
- We will test your range using a standard choral warm-up
- We will assess your pitch matching ability (ie: play 3-4 random notes in sequence and ask you to sing it back on a neutral syllable)
- We will ask you questions about yourself and your musical experience to get to know you a little better.
- You do not need to prepare anything for this part of the audition.
A Cappella Sound Engineer Position (available for 2023-2024):
The A Cappella Sound Engineers are extremely dedicated members of the chorus program, responsible for the quality of sound produced through audio equipment for each of the choral groups. The primary job of the sound engineer is to facilitate, equalize, and balance the sound during live performance in order to achieve the best sound for each of the groups. To accomplish this with success, their responsibilities include — but are by no means limited to— acquainting themselves with the terminology of live sound, gaining technical expertise and learning which pieces of equipment are best for a particular purpose, setting up and adjusting equipment for their respective purposes, attending rehearsals and performances, running sound checks, maintaining organization of equipment.
The A Cappella Sound Engineer (and assistant) are placed in the academic class Falconize, and work independently, with Mr. Grover, and the members of Falconize to learn about and rehearse with sound equipment. The A Cappella Sound Engineers, if possible, assist with producing promotional and archival video for the a cappella ensembles. Work in class varies depending on the time of year. The A Cappella Sound Engineer is also permitted to learn the Mixed Chorus repertoire in class to perform it at the Winter and Spring Concerts at DHS.
The A Cappella Sound Engineer (and assistant) are placed in the academic class Falconize, and work independently, with Mr. Grover, and the members of Falconize to learn about and rehearse with sound equipment. The A Cappella Sound Engineers, if possible, assist with producing promotional and archival video for the a cappella ensembles. Work in class varies depending on the time of year. The A Cappella Sound Engineer is also permitted to learn the Mixed Chorus repertoire in class to perform it at the Winter and Spring Concerts at DHS.
A Cappella Business Manager Position (available for 2022-2023):
Interview required with Mr. Grover. Please sign up for an audition time using the form above. Candidates for the Business Manager position are permitted to audition for the ensembles as well. It is also permitted to only interview for the business manager position, in which case you do not need to prepare any singing for your "audition" (you will only be interviewed). Business Manager candidates must be in grades 10-12, and be a current member of any of the choral ensembles at DHS. See the description below for more information.
The Business Manager is a support position for the Contemporary A Cappella Ensembles at DHS. They attend most events for the a cappella groups and sell merchandise (CDs, Apparel, Tickets, etc…) They are responsible for keeping the dry erase monthly calendar in the chorus room current with all the relevant school events. The position also has the capacity to serve as an assistant to Mr. Grover at certain a cappella events on and off campus in which the DHS groups are participating. Attendance at a cappella rehearsals is not mandatory for the Business Manager, but is necessary on occasion. The A Cappella Business manager has a permanent seat on the Chorus Executive Committee. Selection of the Business Manager is by the Choral Director during the audition process. One year experience and current membership in a DHS Choral Music ensemble is required, in addition to having strong organizational and interpersonal skills.
