Each year, students in chorus or musical theater ensemble have the opportunity to audition in front of judges and go through the selective process of being chosen for All-District Chorus.
“You are given a music piece a few weeks to a month before the audition to learn and perfect,” All-District Chorus sophomore member Connor Michael said. “Then, at the audition, you can pick to sing the prepared song, or sing a given short musical piece that you read on the spot while auditioning.”
Many of the students choose to sing the prepared song that is given in advance so they can have more time to figure out the tempo and practice singing it.
“A lot of the process is getting the song to sound smooth and getting different volumes and levels,” Michael said. “You really have to work on the piece because vocal technique is hard and you want it to sound smooth and flowy.”
To become an All-District chorus member, it requires lots of practice and work to be put in, whether through improving technique or practicing a given song repeatedly before the audition.
“We use sight reading, which is where they give us sheet music and we set our own tempo,” All-District Chorus senior member Alexander Harkey said. “You have to get used to setting your own tempo, and also know how to make the piece your own and not follow the other people around you.”
To avoid inequality or unfair advantages, the judges are not able to see the students while they audition, meaning they can only hear the students’ voices while singing.
“When you walk in the room, there’s a big divider so you can’t see the judges, and you’re not able to communicate with them at all,” Michael said. “You sing your prepared piece first and start your sight reading second and then just walk out.”
After becoming All-District, the next step is to focus on getting to the state level. If the students make it to the state level, they have the opportunity to become All-State which is the top group of singers in all of Virginia. They also have the opportunity to surround themselves with other higher-level choir members.
“It’s such a fun environment especially once you get to the state level because it’s really cool to have all these people who care about choir as much as you do,” All-District Chorus senior member Lily Hubler said. “As much as the choir here is amazing, it’s so cool to be surrounded by people who are just so devoted and passionate.”
