As orientation drew to a close, the sound of various a cappella groups greeted students on the Green and in the Hopkins Center. At the showcase Saturday night, singers returned to the stage to give members of the Class of 2017 the opportunity to experience one of the most prominent parts of Dartmouth's music scene.
The groups are eager to welcome new members to round out their sound and expand their a cappella families. This Saturday and Sunday, over 100 hopeful singers will be judged on their vocal ability.
"The kids who audition come from a variety of musical and personal backgrounds," said Henry Joyce '16, a member of the all-male Brovertones. "Many have sung in choir or in a cappella groups for all years of high school, while many have never sung anywhere but the shower."
Nevertheless, what matters most is what the singer shows in their audition, during which groups are able to get a good sense of his or her ear, tone and individual style.
Auditions for all-female groups consist of two rounds. First, singers are asked to sing scales, match pitch and perform a verse and chorus of a solo of their choice. In the second round, they sing a second solo and are taught an arrangement to see how they blend with the rest of the group in the arc, said Sarah Peck '14, president of the co-ed Dodecaphonics.
Auditions for male groups are separated into three rounds, which display their scales and pitch, solo performance and arrangement performance.
In the final rounds, singers rank their preferences for the groups and have time to get to know members more personally.
The entire process often goes into the late hours of the night and can even take up to a few days.
"The Brovertones is interested in people who can best contribute to the music-making of the group and who also want to have fun singing in an all-male group," Joyce said.
Each group has their own individual way to deliberate the acceptance of new members, incorporating quirky traditions into elimination rounds to ease the stress of auditions. The all-female Rockapellas decorate the room with blankets and sheets passed down from previous generations of group members to make the room more welcoming, president Anoush Arakelian '14 said.
These individual traditions also show how well the singers fit into the dynamic of each group.
"As always, a goal for Dodecs is to have a high level of musicianship, because after all, singing is what we do," Peck said. "Our other top priority, though it may sound trite, is always to have fun as a group. Dodecs pride themselves on belonging to the crazy, wonderful family that we have here at Dartmouth."
