All-Regions!!

This past weekend I had the joy and honor of serving as a judge for the 2021 NW Arkansas All-Region Choir! 
 
High School students from the NWA region (Bentonville, Rogers, Siloam Springs, Fayetteville, Centerton, etc.) submitted around 3 minutes of audition material so we could score them and rank their submissions. The top 20 in each voice part will be invited to join the prestigious All-Region Choir! This Choir works with a guest conductor (often a highly acclaimed college choir director, or choir professional) to perform a public program of beautiful choral works. 
 
I heard over 120 individual recordings of 3 audition song cuts for Tenor/Bass parts.  I was asked to offer a score 1-30 or 1-10 depending on the category for feedback in: Musicality, Diction, Accuracy, and Tone Quality. I remember auditioning for these choirs when I was growing up in North Carolina! It’s amazing to be on the other side of the table now. 
 
I would like to offer some recording/auditioning best practices:
 

1. First and foremost, LEARN the music! Learning your notes, words, and rhythms is the bare minimum required to make a recording. 
2. The judges have your music in front of them when they score you, so please be attentive to what is on the page!
3. To score a “Superior” you must add musical touches, like dynamics! Really make your forte louder than your mezzo piano! Fully crescendo and decrescendo! 
4. If the song is happy, you should smile while singing! The listener can tell if you are smiling, as it can be heard in your recording (your tone will be a little brighter with a wider mouth position). 
5. This may sound obvious…but please do not curse during your recording if you make a mistake. Re-record, or simply take a breath and move on to keep singing!  You really shouldn’t say anything at all during your recorded audition. 
6. We can tell by the sound of your singing voice whether you’re enjoying what you’re singing! A little acting can go a long way in making your recording an enjoyable listen!

 
 
From a judge’s perspective, we really want you to do well! It is so exciting to hear a truly polished recording! I’m looking forward to attending the All-Regions concert later this year and hearing all of these beautiful voices together.