Ensemble Audition

Goshen College music ensembles are open by audition to any GC student, regardless of major. Auditions are held before each academic semester. Interested students can sign up for an audition at the Music Audition Table, located outside of the Music Center Main Office, beginning Thursday, August 30, 2012.

Below are listed requirements and procedures to audition for each music ensemble. Additional information will be added as it is made available.

Choirs (Chorale, Chamber Choir)

Auditions for GC choral ensembles will be held in MC 204 (Dr. Hochstetler’s office) from September 3 through 7, 2012. All interested singers should sign up for one audition slot; the sign-up sheet will be on the Music Audition table outside of the Music Center Main Office beginning Thursday, August 30.

Please note: Members of Chorale and Chamber Choir are automatically members of the Women’s World Music Choir and Men’s Chorus. There are not separate auditions for the “gendered” ensembles.

We aim to make auditions as painless as possible! The goal is to find out where you are in your singing ability and knowledge.

The following will be the components of your audition:

Prepared excerpt
Prepare a short solo to sing a cappella or with piano accompaniment. Examples might be a verse from your favorite hymn, a song you sang at solo/ensemble festival, a worship song that you sang at church, an art song/aria that you learned in your voice lessons, etc. Please bring an extra copy if you have the music.
Sight-singing
You will sight-sing a short piece, 4-8 measures of music. No preparation necessary.
Range-check
We will have you sing a few vocal warmups to check your range.
Tonal memory
You will sing back several patterns of notes that we will play on the piano.

Audition results will be posted by 9:00 pm Friday, Sept. 7, 2012 on the music office window, around the corner from the sign-up table. The first choir rehearsal will be Monday, September 10 at 4:00 p.m. in MC153.  (All choirs will meet in MC153)

Students who will be on fall SST should either:

  1. Audition during the fall auditions for spring choir participation, if on campus OR
  2. Indicate interest in spring choir participation by email to Profs Brubaker (debradb@goshen.edu) and Hochstetler (scottmh@goshen.edu) by Sep. 1.

Symphony Orchestra

Symphony Orchestra Auditions will take place  Monday, September 3 and Tuesday, September 4, 2012 from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. in Brembeck Instrumental Hall (MC150).  Interested students can sign up for an audition at the Music Audition Table, located outside of the Music Center Main Office, beginning Thursday, August 30, 2012.  If you are not able to audition during one of the above slots, please contact Dr. Fashun to schedule an audition before Friday, September 7.

Audition Requirements

Strings/Woodwinds/Brass

  1. Three-octave scale of your choosing (or scale commensurate to the range of your instrument, i.e. winds/brass/string bass)
  2. Three-minute excerpt of a concerto, sonata, or etude
  3. Sight-reading excerpt

Percussionists

  1. Solo on either xylophone, marimba, vibraphone, snare drum, or timpani.  Memorization is not required.  The solo portion should be three minutes or less.
  2. Sight-reading a brief excerpt on xylophone/marimba and snare drum.
  3. Three-octave scale of your choosing.

 

Lavender Jazz

Lavender Jazz auditions will take place on Tuesday, September 4 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. in MC 150.  Interested students can sign up for an audition at the Music Audition Table, located outside of the Music Center Main Office, beginning Thursday, August 30, 2012.   If you are not able to audition during one of the above slots, please contact Dr. Fashun to schedule an audition before Friday, September 7.

Saxophones, Trombones and Trumpets: Each audition will include a three-octave scale of your choosing (or scale commensurate to the range of your instrument), a prepared jazz tune (i.e. from a real or fake book) OR a 3-minute excerpt of a concerto, sonata, or etude. Auditionees are encouraged to demonstrate their improvisation skills by improvising over blues changes (your choice – usually F or Bb) or a standard tune of your choosing. The audition will be accompanied by the jazz band director.

Piano, Guitar, Bass: You will be asked to demonstrate your comping ability in a number of different styles: swing, ballad, funk, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian. There will also be sight-reading of a melody. You are encouraged to demonstrate your improvisation skills by improvising over blues changes (your choice – usually F or Bb) or a standard tune of your choosing. All of this will be accompanied by the jazz band director.

Drums: You will be asked to demonstrate your knowledge of different grooves – medium swing, up-tempo swing, ballad (with brushes), funk, Brazilian, Afro-Cuban. Also, you will show your sight reading ability by reading a drum chart and providing the appropriate time and feel as well as set-ups and kicks.