So, you’re off to college, and you want to keep singing in choir.. 👏 Or, perhaps you are a vocal music major or minor, and singing in choir is a part of your training—but you still have to audition before classes begin. Either way, the question is : How should a singer prepare for a collegiate choral audition? Of course, you may find an explanation of the process on the college website. If not, try to contact the choir director for more information.

Here are a few tips to help you prepare for college choir auditions and beyond!

1. What excites you about singing in a choir? Be ready for a short chat/interview including why you want to continue singing in choir, how long you been singing in choirs, what instruments you play, etc. They enjoy getting to know the person not just the voice. Even if you are not planning to major or minor in music, write a high school résumé that focuses on music and a repertoire list to make answering these questions even easier. Bring it to the audition. The director may ask you for the document, and you will be ready!
2. Have a few, short solos you can sing from memory: If you were in choir during high school, you probably learned a few songs you can sing from memory. In general, choose songs that are moderately slow to moderately fast and about two minutes long with a short introduction featuring a well-developed singing range. Also, be sure that there are enough long notes and longer phrases to demonstrate more advanced singing technique. You do not need to sing a really difficult song for a choral audition, either. Good examples include folk songs like Danny Boy, Shenandoah, or the melody of a song you sang in choir instead of the harmony. Just be sure that you own a clear PDF and/or printed sheet music plus the piano track. Usually the director or pianist will play with you for a live audition, so they will need the PDF. When you have the track, you can practice well, and you may need it for the audition!
3. Be ready to vocalize in the audition: Though not every audition will include vocal warm-ups, if you expect it, then you won’t be caught by surprise! Warm-ups give the director a chance to listen to your tone quality and test your singing range. Plus, they like observing your technique when singing music you did not prepare for the audition.
4. Pitch matching, too!: Besides a few warm-ups, some auditions feature a pitch matching component, so singers can demonstrate basic aural skills. Typically, the director will play a series of three to five pitches—though three is more likely—for you to repeat a cappella on a neutral syllable like [da] or [lu]. Again, this is a wonderful opportunity for the director to hear you sing music you did not prepare, watch your singing technique, and listen for good intonation and healthy tone quality. In general, singing three to five notes in a row accurately and in tune with no more than three times to hear the pattern is an excellent goal for any singer.
5. And now…sight singing!: For many high school singers, this is the most anxiety inducing part of an audition. Be ready to demonstrate your skills in two ways: 1) 30-second practice of eight measures, then sing again for the “final reading;” 2) A short SATB song with the director playing all the parts simultaneously while you sing the part you usually sing in choir. For example, if you usually sing soprano, you may be asked to sing the selection twice to demonstrate both the soprano and alto parts.

Finally, below is a list of what several of my students have had to sing for a college choral audition. Your audition may include a few of these elements, though rarely all because time is limited!:

• Classical solo or art song in English or a foreign language
• Excerpt of a choral work assigned 3-6 weeks before the audition
• Excerpt of choral work from previous choral experience
• “America” (My Country ‘Tis of Thee) in several keys a cappella or accompanied
• Pre-1970 and/or post 1970 music theatre selection
• Singing range exercises (possibly Soprano/Alto: E3 – E6; Tenor/Bass: E2 – E5)
• Pitch Matching/Echo – examples played or sung up to three times before repeating using a neutral syllable
• Rhythm Matching/Echo – examples tapped, clapped, or spoken up to three times before repeating
• Eight-measure and/or harmonic sight singing

Try to think of what you would add if you were a choir director, too. TOI, TOI, TOI!!