Special Auditions will be held on
Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021
4:00-6:00 PM in the BA Chorus Room
Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021
4:00-6:00 PM in the BA Chorus Room
Everything You Need to Know About Academy Singer Auditions
The Academy Singers is a vocal ensemble that meets as a class for the entire school year with the goal of performing, as well as recording a professional quality CD. Audition criteria include sight-reading, part-singing, solo performance, stage presence, and attitude. If you have already pre-registered your classes for next year, it is not too late to make changes to your schedule. Mrs. Renner will make the necessary adjustments to your schedule should you make the group.
Special Auditions to fill some open positions will be held in the chorus room on Thursday, August 5, 2021 from 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM. Plan to attend the audition for the entire two-hour period. We will sing your solo first, then you will be divided into groups to sing your part-singing excerpt. Part-singing materials are posted below.
There are five parts to the audition below:
PART 1: Solo Performance
Students are asked to prepare approximately 30-seconds of a song in any style without accompaniment or tracks. Song choice should allow for the student to demonstrate strength of range and vocal quality. It is always a good idea to select a song with a discernible melody that does not heavily depend on an instrumental track since the solos will be sung a cappella in the audition.
PART 2: Stage Presence
A confident and poised stage presence will be an important part of the solo and part-singing portions of the audition. Students should be visually expressive, performing in a manner that appropriately conveys the musical style and the meaning of the lyric.
PART 3: Sight-Singing
Students will be asked to sight-sing a short melody prior to the solo/part-singing audition.
PART 4: Part-Singing
During your solo audition, you will also be asked to sing a harmony part (soprano, alto, tenor, baritone or bass) of a short musical excerpt. Excerpts and tracks are below.
Practice your part along with the other voices on the rehearsal track, and be prepared to sing the vocal part assigned to you during the audition to demonstrate your ability to hold a harmony part. Good intonation (pitch), proper blend and balance are important criteria for this segment of the audition. See the bottom of this page for an example of what to expect.
PART 5: Attitude/Work Ethic/Character
Not every singer is a soloist, but every singer is important! Each person brings a different strength to the group. One person may be a great part singer, another may have a wonderful pitch center, one may be a good soloist, and another may have natural stage presence. Rarely does someone possess all four of these qualities. We all must work together to create an ensemble with a blend of different talents and abilities. No one is guaranteed a solo or featured spot on the record or on stage. We must work towards a performance that is in the best interest of the entire group, not in the best interest of a single individual. An attitude of entitlement is not becoming of any member of the group. Rather, an attitude of encouragement, love, and support for one another is essential.
Another very important part of being a member of this group is a commitment on the part of each singer to bring their absolute best to every rehearsal. That means being willing to practice your vocal part independently so that you come to class prepared for each and every rehearsal. This can easily be achieved with ten- fifteen minutes of practice each night. Class attendance is important. As an ensemble, we learn and perform as a unit. Anytime you miss a class, the blend of the group is jeopardized because when you are not present, you will not know how to shape a certain vowel or exactly where the cut-off is, or what the dynamics will be. There is no way to blend unless every singer performs each aspect of the music in the exact same way. I take your class attendance very seriously. You must be willing to be committed.
And finally, Academy Singers are ambassadors for Brentwood Academy. Each member should carry themselves in a manner that is befitting that important role. Treating others with kindness and respect, as well as practicing patience and humility are important qualities that each member of the group should strive to achieve. A spirit of grumbling or negativity is counter to the bond of unity we want to have.
If you choose to audition for this group, you are acknowledging the expectations of attitude, work ethic, and character goals required for this ensemble.
The Academy Singers is a vocal ensemble that meets as a class for the entire school year with the goal of performing, as well as recording a professional quality CD. Audition criteria include sight-reading, part-singing, solo performance, stage presence, and attitude. If you have already pre-registered your classes for next year, it is not too late to make changes to your schedule. Mrs. Renner will make the necessary adjustments to your schedule should you make the group.
Special Auditions to fill some open positions will be held in the chorus room on Thursday, August 5, 2021 from 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM. Plan to attend the audition for the entire two-hour period. We will sing your solo first, then you will be divided into groups to sing your part-singing excerpt. Part-singing materials are posted below.
There are five parts to the audition below:
PART 1: Solo Performance
Students are asked to prepare approximately 30-seconds of a song in any style without accompaniment or tracks. Song choice should allow for the student to demonstrate strength of range and vocal quality. It is always a good idea to select a song with a discernible melody that does not heavily depend on an instrumental track since the solos will be sung a cappella in the audition.
PART 2: Stage Presence
A confident and poised stage presence will be an important part of the solo and part-singing portions of the audition. Students should be visually expressive, performing in a manner that appropriately conveys the musical style and the meaning of the lyric.
PART 3: Sight-Singing
Students will be asked to sight-sing a short melody prior to the solo/part-singing audition.
PART 4: Part-Singing
During your solo audition, you will also be asked to sing a harmony part (soprano, alto, tenor, baritone or bass) of a short musical excerpt. Excerpts and tracks are below.
Practice your part along with the other voices on the rehearsal track, and be prepared to sing the vocal part assigned to you during the audition to demonstrate your ability to hold a harmony part. Good intonation (pitch), proper blend and balance are important criteria for this segment of the audition. See the bottom of this page for an example of what to expect.
PART 5: Attitude/Work Ethic/Character
Not every singer is a soloist, but every singer is important! Each person brings a different strength to the group. One person may be a great part singer, another may have a wonderful pitch center, one may be a good soloist, and another may have natural stage presence. Rarely does someone possess all four of these qualities. We all must work together to create an ensemble with a blend of different talents and abilities. No one is guaranteed a solo or featured spot on the record or on stage. We must work towards a performance that is in the best interest of the entire group, not in the best interest of a single individual. An attitude of entitlement is not becoming of any member of the group. Rather, an attitude of encouragement, love, and support for one another is essential.
Another very important part of being a member of this group is a commitment on the part of each singer to bring their absolute best to every rehearsal. That means being willing to practice your vocal part independently so that you come to class prepared for each and every rehearsal. This can easily be achieved with ten- fifteen minutes of practice each night. Class attendance is important. As an ensemble, we learn and perform as a unit. Anytime you miss a class, the blend of the group is jeopardized because when you are not present, you will not know how to shape a certain vowel or exactly where the cut-off is, or what the dynamics will be. There is no way to blend unless every singer performs each aspect of the music in the exact same way. I take your class attendance very seriously. You must be willing to be committed.
And finally, Academy Singers are ambassadors for Brentwood Academy. Each member should carry themselves in a manner that is befitting that important role. Treating others with kindness and respect, as well as practicing patience and humility are important qualities that each member of the group should strive to achieve. A spirit of grumbling or negativity is counter to the bond of unity we want to have.
If you choose to audition for this group, you are acknowledging the expectations of attitude, work ethic, and character goals required for this ensemble.
Part-Singing
For the part-singing part of the audition, we will be looking for good intonation, a good blend with the other voices on the track, and a good sense of style and musicality. The rehearsal materials below have been UPDATED for the 2021-22 auditions.
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1) Score with the vocal parts and lyrics. You will sing your part (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass)
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2) An overview of the song with all parts played to give you a feel for the style.
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Better Is One Day Part-singing Audition_All Parts Demo |
3) A rehearsal track with just your part at a higher volume than the other parts. This will be the track you should practice most until you are comfortable with your part. Basses sing the soprano part down one octave.
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Soprano
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Alto
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Tenor
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Bass
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4. The performance track you will use for your audition. You will sing your part and the track includes the other two parts to complete the trio.
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Soprano
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Alto
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Tenor
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Bass
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Sight-reading samples
For the sight-reading portion of your audition, you will be asked to sing an eight measure sight-reading exercise similar to those posted below. You may sing the part on a neutral syllable (la, la, la) or solfege (do re mi) or numbers (1 2 3). You will be given a starting pitch and a minute to silently review the part, then you will be asked to sing the part to the best of your ability. Please be sure to sign up for your five-minute private audition for sight-reading by May. Samples of the types of exercises you will be given are posted below. You will be given the option of singing either bass or treble clef.
