What were those dates and times again? And where are auditions?

Auditions for the 2009-2010 school year are now over.  Thanks to everyone who came out and auditioned for us!!!

Where can I sign up for an audition? I don't really have time to find you and sign up, is there another way to get an audition slot?

We are usually at a table or spot on Bruinwalk during Zero Week and Week One. For the Fall 2009 auditions, we will be tabling Thursday and Friday (Sept. 24-25) and then Monday through Wednesday (Sept. 28-30). Someone will be there with flyers and in most cases a laptop, so that you can sign up online, right then and there. We're hard to miss! However, we know that the first two weeks of school are hectic, and you might not get a chance to swing by. No worries! You still have every chance of getting the spot you want now that we have online sign-ups. It takes less than a minute to find a spot that will fit your schedule.  Sign up now, we look forward to meeting you!

What if I just don't know my schedule? Is there hope for me?

Of course! We do accept walk-in auditions, so if you find that you've forgotten to sign up, or just can't, feel free to drop by the audition room, sometime during the 7pm-11pm span, and let us know you're there as a walk-in. Please be aware that we do give priority to scheduled auditions, so if you do decide to go this route, be prepared to wait until a spot opens up. To give us a heads-up that you might be auditioning, you can sign-up on our walk-in list.

Is experience necessary?

As with everything, experience is helpful. BUT, the difference here is it's not necessary. We don't care if you have 8 years of formal training or 8 years of singing in the shower. Some of our members couldn't read music when they auditioned, but it didn't stop them, and it shouldn't stop you. There are people who sound awesome because they have a natural, untrained quality and talent. Who knows? You could absolutely be that person.

What do I need to do for auditions?

Our open call auditions are quite simple, and are described on the audition info page. In short, we'll ask you to do scales, and then you'll sing your one minute solo for us. After that, we may ask you to do one more exercise, so we can make sure we've done an accurate job of getting to know you as best we can. If you are auditioning as a beat boxer/vocal percussionist as well, we will love hearing you give us a short demonstration! However, while tricks are impressive, we will still need to know that you'll be able to keep a steady, simple beat as well, so tailor your piece to those needs. Also, please show up 10 minutes early, as we'll need you to fill out an application form and take your picture, so we'll be able to match a face to the name when we're deciding on who to call back. In all, your initial audition should not take more than 5 minutes.

Is there any special preparation or item I need to bring to auditions with me?

Aside from a bottle of water, there's nothing else we recommend or require you to bring. Of course, bring a great attitude and personality, and it wouldn't hurt if you dressed to impress, but other than that just get ready to have fun!

Can I bring a tape/CD to accompany my solo?

Due to the nature of a cappella itself, we require that you also do your solo a cappella. This means that we will not allow you to use a tape to accompany you as you sing. If you are concerned about a starting pitch, don't worry! We are glad to give you any pitch you ask for before you start. We'll have a pitch pipe or keyboard there for just that purpose.

Can my friends sit in on my audition for moral support?

Unfortunately, the only people allowed in the audition room are you and a panel of Scattertones. Anybody else will become a distraction, and would cause us to inaccurately judge you.

What song should I sing?

Whatever you want! We like to see what our auditionees come up with to show their stage presence and personality. It can be anything from a commercial ditty to the latest song by Alicia Keys. Just make sure that the song showcases your strengths and fits your personality. There are, however, song types that we discourage you from using: Opera, because while it may showcase your range, it makes it hard for us to know if you'll blend well with us, or if you can pull off a pop/rock song, and also rap. While many of us in the group are fans of hip hop and rap, these genres just don't lend themselves to singing very well, and once again makes it hard for us to know exactly what you can do.

What are callbacks? What's that about?

The callback audition is the second stage of auditions, and includes people that are chosen by their performance in their initial auditions. The callback itself is run like a mock rehearsal, except it is in place for us to get to know even better than before! We're trying to see how you do in a group setting, so we'll sing songs for you, then teach you them and have you perform with a mixture of other auditionees and group members. You'll probably be asked to do the solo at least once, and if you are a vocal percussionist, you'll be asked to do that as well. At 3 hours long, it's a long process compared to your initial audition. However, if you are invited to callbacks, be aware that it is mandatory that you attend the callback to be considered for the group. Callbacks this year are scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 1, from 7pm-10pm. It's best if you reserve this time, just in case we call you back.

When will I find out if I've made callbacks?

Watch your email inbox starting Wednesday night on Sept. 30th after 11:00pm. After all the initial auditions, we have to sit down and decide who to callback, so it may be later than 11:00pm. No matter what, we will email letting you know if we need you for callbacks or not, and this email will be sent out sometime before 2am. Continue checking your inbox until you receive that email, because callbacks are the next evening.

Am I allowed to audition for all the a cappella groups? Can I be in more than one group?

You can definitely audition for all of the a cappella groups, in fact we encourage it, so that you find the right group for you. Plus, we just want everyone to be involved with a cappella in some aspect, so by auditioning with all the groups, you have more chances! While there is no formal policy restricting membership to one group, the time commitments involved with one group alone would probably prohibit you from successfully participating in more than one group.

I have an audition for another a cappella group during callbacks! I have some other major conflict! What do I do?

We understand that you have a busy schedule, so let us know if you have some conflict with callbacks if we call you back. If you have an audition with another group, we usually have you come to callbacks, and then let you run over to your audition, and then have you come back to finish callbacks. If you have a work conflict or a job interview etc., that will put you a few minutes late for callbacks, let us know. Just understand that if you come late, you'll still need to be able to catch up to whatever everyone else has already learned, and we will not be able to spend an inordinate amount of time with you alone. Also be aware that if you show up late without a reasonable explanation, it may hurt your chances of getting into the group. Once again, callbacks are MANDATORY if you want to be considered for a spot in the group, so definitely contact us if you are going to try to work through a schedule conflict.

How many people are you taking? Are my chances good?

There is no way to determine beforehand how many people we are taking. What we can tell you is that we are looking for people from every part. We don't like to set definite numbers, because we don't want to restrict ourselves. If we find someone spectacular, we'll take that person, no matter how many other people we are taking. If you're still looking for a number, the best we can do is tell you that we may take anywhere from 3-7 people. While that may sound very small compared to the number of people that may be auditioning, you have to realize that compared to the size of the group, that's quite a large chunk, so don't expect us to take in more than that.  And just remember, we all went through the audition process too, and while we were nervous at first, we quickly found that this process was just about getting to know us as who we were as singers and vocalizers.

If I make it into the group, what is the time commitment I should expect to devote to ScatterTones?

On average, the group spends 5 hours in rehearsals a week. Usually it is 2 hours on Wednesday nights (9pm-11pm) and 3 hours on Sunday evenings (5pm-8pm). These time are not solidified completely yet, and we are prepared to adjust them to the accomodate our new members. Also note that we spend extra time in rehearsals in the week or two leading up to our big concerts and performances.

If you have any other questions regarding auditions, email anyone in the group! We're so excited to meet you, break a leg!