Choral Placement Auditions
Important Dates
- Friday, July 19th
Large Ensembles Syllabi posted
- Monday, July 29th
Audition registration opens (Google Form)
- Wednesday, July 31st
Audition timeslots open (in Asimut)
- Wednesday, August 21st
Registration closed for all instruments & voices
Auditions begin (in person)
- Monday, August 26th
First day of Fall 2024 semester
Welcome & Orientation Meetings for Large Ensembles
- Tuesday, August 27th
First day of rehearsals: Chamber Choir (10:30am) & Orpheus Singers (12:30pm)
- Wednesday, August 28th
First day of rehearsal: University Choir (1:00pm)
Audition Materials & Procedures
WHO NEEDS TO AUDITION IN PERSON?
NEW students interested in ANY CHOIR
Returning Students interested in CHAMBER CHOIR or ORPHEUS SINGERS
WHO NEEDS TO SUBMIT A RECORDED AUDITION?
ALL Returning UNIVERSITY CHOIR students ONLY interested in UNIVERSITY CHOIR
CAN I SUBMIT A RECORDED AUDITION IF I HAVE A SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE?
Submission of a recorded audition may be requested for the following reasons:
Military service conflict
Extenuating Circumstances with faculty approval
If you fall into one of those categories, please make your request to Kate Johnson, the Large Ensembles Production Manager no later than August 1st with any necessary documentation (excluding emergency situations).
IN-PERSON AUDITIONS:
Please bring a copy of your music for the SMTD accompanist. Additional sight reading material will also be provided.
One art song (please use selection that shows your best ensemble voice)
Vocal range demonstration (please sing 1-3-5-3-1, ascending/descending, to your highest and lowest performance pitches)
Sight reading (as provided)
RECORDED AUDITIONS:
Returning Students ONLY interested in UNIVERSITY CHOIR MUST submit a recorded audition
Students with special circumstances MAY submit a recorded audition AFTER their request has been APPROVED
Follow the instructions below to prepare and submit a recorded audition. Your recorded materials must include the following:
One art song (please select a song that shows your best ensemble voice)
Vocal range demonstration (please sing 1-3-5-3-1, ascending/descending, to your highest and lowest performance pitches)
The audition must be video recorded in one single take and submitted as a file shared via Google Drive to the Large Ensembles Production Manager no later than Thursday, August 22nd.
If a family or medical emergency arises, contact Kate Johnson at kjkate@umich.edu to make alternate arrangements.
See the bottom of this page for submission instructions.
Audition Registration
Audition Registration for Fall Term 2024 will open Monday, July 29th at 10:00am EST. All students auditioning must complete the registration form. This is separate from registering for the course and both are required.
For In-Person Auditions, once you complete the registration form, it takes roughly 24-48 hours to PROCESS your information; once your form has been processed, you will be able to choose an audition time using the Asimut interface.
For University Choir Recorded Auditions, you do NOT need to select a time in Asimut, but please make sure your video is uploaded by August 22nd and that you have filled out the registration form below.
In-Person Audition Registration Form - ALL New Students, CC Auditions, OS Auditions
Recorded Audition Registration Form - RETURNING University Choir Students
Audition Schedule
Submitting a Recorded Audition
SUBMITTING YOUR RECORDING:
The following video formats are accepted: MPEG, MPG, MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV
Please name the file using the following format:
Last Name First Name - Voice Part [ex: Johnson Kate - Soprano.MOV]
Upload the file to THIS Google Drive Folder using your umich email account.
HELPFUL TIPS:
If possible, film in a neutral, quiet environment. Unusual spaces are acceptable - if the best place to film is a laundry room or a bathroom, that’s okay!
Consider the acoustics of the room you are planning to record in. While experimenting with your recording location, realize that the best place to get a clear quality recording may not be in a typically resonant space where you enjoy performing. It’s a bit counter-intuitive to our performing and listening habits for live music.
If possible, test the EQ settings on all recording equipment to eliminate extraneous noises. A quick summary of the three main parameters of an EQ:
Gain: How much you are boosting or cutting a certain frequency.
Frequency: What part of the sound (highs, lows, or mids) you want to make changes to.
Q: Stands for Quality. How much of the surrounding frequencies you want to affect.
Practice! Record “test” versions, listen, and adjust the audio settings to get the best mix for your voice in your space.
Your audio recording device - microphone, laptop or phone - should be omni-directional. In general, a newer phone/laptop is going to be of a better quality, but there is a huge range of technology out there. Use the best of what is available to you. It’s okay if that is just your phone.
If filming from a phone or tablet, be sure to film horizontally, not vertically (landscape, not portrait).
Your camera should record from a fixed position as if the adjudicators were seated in front of you.