How to Audition for an A Cappella Group

Hi everyone. My name is Ben. I sing in an a cappella group at Temple University called Owlcappella, and today we had auditions. While I was sitting there listening to each auditionee, there were a few trends I noticed- problems that a number of people had, or things that I liked that a number of people did. So, since it’s still audition season for lots of college a cappella groups out there, I figured I’d put together a few tips and things to think about should you choose to audition for one.

1. In most auditions, you’ll be ask to sing a short prepared piece. For this, pick a song that you love to sing. That’s the biggest thing to think about when you’re choosing your audition song. Do I love to sing this song? If the answer is anything other than an unequivocal “Yes,” pick a different song. Don’t worry about whether or not it’s a song the people you’re auditioning for will know, or whether or not it has a ridiculous high note or anything like that. If you love your song, and have fun singing it, then the rest will follow. Groups can tell when something sounds forced, and it’s always a bummer. Be comfortable, and pick something you love.

2. Belting and riffing is not necessarily always a good thing. Remember, when you’re auditioning for an a cappella group, you’re not just auditioning to be a soloist- you’re auditioning to be part of a group. This means that most of the time, the whole point is to not be able to hear an individual voice. So while it’s great that you can slide and riff like Whitney Houston and sing as loudly as Ethel Merman, what groups really want to see is a singer with control, who can dial it back when the need arises.

3. Your prepared piece is not the only thing you’ll be singing in your audition, in all likelihood. Most groups will have you sing scales or do some call-and-response, or other warmups. Be prepared for these things. What I see often are auditioners that put all their practice into the prepared piece, that when the scales and warmups come, they are surprised and it trips them up. Though they seem boring and nitpicky, this is where the group gets to test your vocal range, hear what kind of vocal tone you have, and, most importantly, see how well you can control your voice (there’s that word again!). Practice some scales before your audition. Some groups might ask you to sight-sing a few bars of music, and if you don’t know how, then don’t worry about it because it’s not that big of a deal. But if you can sight sing, or maybe used to be able to but haven’t in a while, brush up. Again, it’s not the most important part, but it’s still good.

4. Have fun! This is something that tends to surprise people, but if you’re enjoying yourself in the audition, groups can tell, and like it. Don’t be afraid to laugh and chat for a bit - remember, everyone else in the room is probably just about your age, loves music and has been in your shoes at some point. Groups want you to do well. Seriously. It makes us happy to hear good music.

5. This one is related to number 4, but I figured I’d give it its own bullet point because it is very important (and because 5 is a nice round number). Anyway, the point is this: Don’t get discouraged. If you don’t make it, that doesn’t necessarily mean you weren’t good or that a group didn’t like you. Depending on how many people graduated or otherwise left the group the semester before, a group might only be looking for one or two people, or only a certain voice part, or your availability couldn't accommodate the rehearsal schedule, or it was a close call between you and someone else and we argued for hours about it and it came down to a one vote difference (all of these things are things I’ve experienced, so I’m not just making stuff up here). Anyway, if you love singing, always come back to audition next semester. Groups are losing people to graduation and transfers and tons of other reasons all the time, so new spots tend to open up every season.

Of course, none of these are rules that are written in stone, and opinions will always vary from group to group (or even from person to person). These are just some observations I had tonight while sitting at auditions, and I figured that the many a cappella hopefuls on tumblr might appreciate some friendly advice. Have fun, and best of luck!