For those who think their voices are even better outside of the shower stall, four of Tufts' a cappella groups are auditioning for new members this week. If you're eager to make some new 'Mates, show your Shir Appeal, explore your Essence, or find out exactly what sQ! stands for, now is your chance.
To make the most of what can be an intimidating exercise in public humiliation (also known as the tryout), here's a brief guide of what to expect from a standard a cappella audition.
Auditions are, first and foremost, a test of a singer's basic skills. The process begins with a simple test of vocal ability, as shown through a series of exercises in scale and pitch-matching. Expect some quirky follow-up questions from the group leaders that help to reveal personality and self-assurance.
After the vocal and social warm-ups, comes the audition piece: a song chosen by the prospective member to be sung with the whole group. When selecting your own piece, make sure to pick something that reflects the group's style, but don't forget your own interests. According to representatives from each a cappella group, interviewers are looking for something different in potential singers, and the chosen audition pieces should reflect these differences.
For instance, Shir Appeal's music director Eliza Gordon-Lipkin asks for "no show tunes," citing that she finds them not at all similar to the group's sound and inappropriate for audition. She stresses the importance of confidence in candidates as well.
"We want to see people sing their favorite song that they could sing in their sleep," Gordon-Lipkin said. She finds that some students focus too much on preparing an unfamiliar piece that they assume the group wants to hear, rather than a piece that truly showcases the auditioner's voice.
Essence, the all-female a cappella group which specializes in music of the African Diaspora, looks for audition pieces that directly relate to that theme. President Nadia Exama highlighted the Gospel, R&B and Jazz genres as especially appropriate categories from which to choose an audition piece. As for those inevitable pre-audition butterflies, the group emphasizes that they are not out to scare anyone. "There's no reason to let nervousness keep you from trying out," Exama said.
Andrew Chapman, sQ! group manager, is looking for singers with the eclectic sQ! sound. "We're almost always looking for someone who's well-rounded. Nine out of 10 times, you won't be a soloist. We're looking for the sQ! blend," he said.
Chapman and the group like to hear pop songs for auditions and don't mind a lack of formal experience. The singers have a wide variety of backgrounds themselves: from classical training to chorus in high school. The most important criterion of the audition piece is that it fits the singer's voice and style, says Chapman.
"If you're trying to be Britney Spears and you're Tori Amos, it's just not a good idea," Chapman said.
The Amalgamates, Tufts' oldest co-ed a cappella group, which just celebrated its 20th anniversary, wants the audition to be a fun process. Business manager Sean Ryan and his fellow members ask students for a joke or funny story to begin the audition. Though a bad joke certainly won't keep a good singer out, the delivery and the style are something that the group notes.
"We spend a lot of time with the group, and we want an idea of who the people are before they get in," Ryan said. He emphasized that the audition process may be difficult for hopefuls, but that the group is "on their side."
