PINEWOOD TAKE NOTE

Thank you for your interest in auditioning for PINEWOOD TAKE NOTE!

Please read the following information thoroughly!

ABOUT THE GROUP

PINEWOOD TAKE NOTE is a contemporary a cappella ensemble that sings a wide variety of popular and jazz-influenced music. The group is selected by audition and may range anywhere from 6-12 members. This group is a regularly scheduled class, and will likely meet the following days/times: Mon & Fri during lunch 11:30-12:00, and Tues, Wed, Thurs mornings from 7:30-8:10 am.  If you are accepted to the group, you are expected to commit to the entire school year and agree to treat the group like any other class at Pinewood. ***Group members must be concurrently enrolled in Pinewood Singers or Women's Chorus.***

A cappella singing requires singers to be able to learn and sing parts independently. You will be given the tools needed to do this (sheet music, part tracks), but there will be outside work/homework required. The group also gigs, on occasion, so in addition to regular school concerts, there may be additional performances that crop up during the year, which all group members must attend.

Auditions are open to all 9th-12th graders, as of Fall 2025. All previous group members are required to re-audition each year at the director's discretion. 

AUDITION INFORMATION for 2025-2026

Auditions will be both an online video submission AND and in-person audition.

The in-person audition is Saturday, May 17, 2025, 12:30-2:00 pm, Upper Campus Room 17.

Email all 4 video recordings to Ms Linza (klinza@piewood.edu) by 6:00 pm, Friday, May 16, 2025. It may be easiest to share Drive files of your videos. Please make sure you grant me permission to view your files if you are not emailing from a Pinewood Drive account.

Your Audition components consist of the following:

1 - Complete the Sign Up Form

Add your name to the SIGN UP FORM so I know you're interested! (You can always change your mind later, but do sign up now if you're interested.)

2 - Completed Audition Form

PRINT OUT and complete the Audition Form, and bring it to the in-person audition.

3 - Two Solo Singing Videos

• Sing and *PERFORM* a verse and chorus of 2 contrasting songs of your choice from any style/genre, acappella. Choose 2 songs that you love and that you can really perform! Think about contrasting genres (like rock and musical theatre) or song type (like ballad and uptempo) to showcase you singing in different settings. Pop, rock, r&b/soul, jazz, musical theatre styles are all appropriate, though we do tend to focus more on popular styles (rock/pop/r&b...) in the group. Not only do singers need to be good at singing, you also need to be able to sell your song and connect to your audience. I want to hear and see that you can connect with the piece and deliver it with conviction. A moving performance is always more compelling than a technically "perfect" one. The best pieces to pick are the songs you LOVE to sing and know you can sing well. Sing a cappella - no backing track or accompaniment - I need to hear you stay in tune and your inner sense of tempo and groove.

  • • VOCAL PERCUSSIONISTS (VP) - send 2 clip of you doing vocal percussion to 2 contrasting songs of your choosing. If you sing, please send a 3rd video of you singing a song of your choosing.

4 - Two Part Singing Videos

• Sing a section of Gravity (see below) a cappella, measures 55-76, a total of 2 times on 1 part. 

• Score, part tracks and a master demo track with the full recording are linked below. (NOTE: All audio files contain the entire song. Our selection, mm. 55-76, is from approx. 2:33-end in the Part Track recordings).

Part Divisions:

• • • Sopranos: please learn the Soprano 2 part (S2 track - 2nd line down, labeled M-S in score)

    • Altos: please learn the Alto 2 part (A2 track - 4th line down in score)

    • Tenors: please learn the Tenor part (T track - 5th line down in score)

    • Baritones/Basses: please learn the Baritone part (Bar track - 2nd to bottom line)

      • If you're feeling particularly ambitious, learn 2 parts of your choosing! 

      • If you're not sure which part to learn, ask Ms. Linza. 

      • If you're auditioning mainly for VP, please learn a part too, if possible.

Record yourself singing your part 2 times total:

• • 1st recording - sing the part a cappella/unaccompanied (starting pitch ok, but no backing track).

  • 2nd recording - sing the part along with the DEMO recording, which contains all the parts/the full song (IMPORTANT: DO NOT sing along with the part track that you used to learn your part with!). Turn up the demo loud enough so it can also be heard in your video. Ideally, you will sing at the same level/volume as the demo recording so you will blend into the group sound.

5 - In-Person Audition

• Sing that same section of Gravity with the other auditioners. You will have an opportunity to sing the parts you learned with the others auditioning. I will be giving more direction and listening to different combinations of singers. 

What I'm looking for:

• A strong sense of pitch, rhythm, and GROOVE.

• A tone that can BLEND with others.

• Accurate part singing, both notes & rhythms. 

• Ability to hold a part independently both on your own and along with others singing other parts.

• Expression - do you sing your part with emotion? Are you crescendoing held notes and singing through the phrase? Are you singing with dynamics and appropriate articulations?

• Performing skills - Can you sell a song? Are you engaged and committed when you sing? Can you engage an audience and communicate your lyrics effectively? Do you use your entire body and face when you sing? 

• Musicianship - Do you sing musically, paying attention to phrasing, dynamics, articulation, entrances and cutoffs? Do you listen to those around you and can you blend and modify your vocal tone to sing effectively with others?

• Professionalism and reliability. I'll say it to my dying day: I would rather work with a responsible and caring person with a good attitude with less experience or raw talent than a talented but flaky and complaining diva.

That's it. Don't hesitate to contact me if if you have any questions. I know this looks like a lot of work and may feel intimidating! I want you all to succeed and I am here to support you, should you need help. I look forward to hearing you all soon! I will announce next year's group by Wednesday, May 21, 2025. All auditioners will recieve an email by that date. 

Ms. Linza (klinza@pinewood.edu)