How do i audition choir members?

[Fenix]

OK so the issue is that our MOM left a while back. Since then people seem to think that the choir is some kind of dump where anyone and everyone can join. Sadly because we have little experience in this, we have been taking in some people who cannot sing or are not serious about singing at all. The P&W leader had a long talk to the choir cuz certain bad habits had been forming and had not been checked in time.

So we want to come up with a formal process of auditioning choir members. Unfortunately none of the musicians have any clue how to do that. We have just been asking them to sing for us and then we accept them.

My question is this; what do we look for when auditioning choir members? What should we be addressing and what is the best way to screen out people?

Thanks all.

[Redy2bUsed]

Well fam....thats a good question,
I'm actually in the process of starting a choir...

So I'll tell you what I think.

You don't need a choir full of soloists.
You need people who know how to sing in a group.
A few soloist of course...But everyone doesn't
have to be some amazing singer.But they have to be good.
I feel that you need people who can support their voice part.
Ex. Strong Tenors...Strong alto section And strong Sopranos.
With maybe 2 or 3 strong soloist in each section.
And let the folk know that everyone who auditions
will not be singing on the choir...Cause everyone cannot sing.
Its nothing personal. Thats just the way it is.
And try to make sure that everyone has an humble attitude.
Key word....TRY.

[Fenix]

OK so the issue is that our MOM left a while back. Since then people seem to think that the choir is some kind of dump where anyone and everyone can join. Sadly because we have little experience in this, we have been taking in some people who cannot sing or are not serious about singing at all. The P&W leader had a long talk to the choir cuz certain bad habits had been forming and had not been checked in time.

So we want to come up with a formal process of auditioning choir members. Unfortunately none of the musicians have any clue how to do that. We have just been asking them to sing for us and then we accept them.

My question is this; what do we look for when auditioning choir members? What should we be addressing and what is the best way to screen out people?

Thanks all.

[Fenix]

Thanks Redy,

I understand that we don't need a choir of soloists.

This past Sunday we had a special number. we had to play the intro like five times cuz the choir members didn't understand that the song had started. I do thank God that the song was nailed eventually, but this cannot keep going on. Choir members cannot be forgetting what part they sing and such.

The fault i guess comes with the fact that us musicians in the church are just plain instrumentalists. Even our bassist, who is the sickest guy on the bass i have ever seen, does not know how to assign choir parts.

So, in essence, what happens is this; all the choir members huddle around the CD player and listen to it. Then arguments start along the vein of what each person THINKS he is hearing. I am sitting there like "There has GOT to be a better way of doing this." Then choir members go home and totally forget how they were to sing the song on Sunday.

I am not even casting blame on anyone. We are not professionals and by God's grace we will get a professional who knows what to do. In the meantime however i need to know how to assign choir parts. 

[sjonathan02]

Thanks Redy,

I understand that we don't need a choir of soloists.

This past Sunday we had a special number. we had to play the intro like five times cuz the choir members didn't understand that the song had started. I do thank God that the song was nailed eventually, but this cannot keep going on. Choir members cannot be forgetting what part they sing and such.

The fault i guess comes with the fact that us musicians in the church are just plain instrumentalists. Even our bassist, who is the sickest guy on the bass i have ever seen, does not know how to assign choir parts.

So, in essence, what happens is this; all the choir members huddle around the CD player and listen to it. Then arguments start along the vein of what each person THINKS he is hearing. I am sitting there like "There has GOT to be a better way of doing this." Then choir members go home and totally forget how they were to sing the song on Sunday.

I am not even casting blame on anyone. We are not professionals and by God's grace we will get a professional who knows what to do. In the meantime however i need to know how to assign choir parts. 

If you wanna pay my gas, and depending on what night it falls, I might come to D.C. *chuckle* 

[Fenix]

If you wanna pay my gas, and depending on what night it falls, I might come to D.C. *chuckle* 

My church is in Beltsville actually. I guess thats still a bit of a ways off from Aberdeen (an hour or so maybe?). The thing is we sing contemporary Christian "rock" music a lot; Hillsongs, Michael W Smith, Jeremy Camp, a LOT of Israel & New Breed e.t.c so it's not strict gospel. We MAY do one or two gospel songs in a two month period but that's it.

I will talk it over with my P&W leader and see if he is amenable to calling someone outside the church.

[sjonathan02]

My church is in Beltsville actually. I guess thats still a bit of a ways off from Aberdeen (an hour or so maybe?). The thing is we sing contemporary Christian "rock" music a lot; Hillsongs, Michael W Smith, Jeremy Camp, a LOT of Israel & New Breed e.t.c so it's not strict gospel. We MAY do one or two gospel songs in a two month period but that's it.

I will talk it over with my P&W leader and see if he is amenable to calling someone outside the church.

Ok, to a degree, I was kidding. only because of the distance BUT, there might be a way we could do something telephonically. 

CCM stuff usually has very simple harmonies so doing those types of songs shouldn't take too long, as long as I can listen to them before hand.


Anyway, talk to your P&W leader and let's see what we can work out. I kinda miss doin' this kind of stuff, actually. 

[Fenix]

Ok, to a degree, I was kidding. only because of the distance BUT, there might be a way we could do something telephonically. 

CCM stuff usually has very simple harmonies so doing those types of songs shouldn't take too long, as long as I can listen to them before hand.


Anyway, talk to your P&W leader and let's see what we can work out. I kinda miss doin' this kind of stuff, actually. 

This solves my problem right here. Thanks.

[under13]

In order to give out choir parts, you have to know how to harmonize. I guess you can learn how to harmonize by being a part of a good group, or just sit in on their rehearsals. You also must listen to songs and learn to hear the different alto and tenor parts. If you read music, you can get a hymnal and all the harmony parts will be there

[sjonathan02]

This solves my problem right here. Thanks.

PM me and we'll discuss. 

[sjonathan02]

Deja vu? 

[SisterT]

Deja vu? 

Not anymore!

[LaylaMonroe]

I surrrrre hope Jonathan can help, because this:

This past Sunday we had a special number. we had to play the intro like five times cuz the choir members didn't understand that the song had started. I do thank God that the song was nailed eventually, but this cannot keep going on. Choir members cannot be forgetting what part they sing and such.

...

So, in essence, what happens is this; all the choir members huddle around the CD player and listen to it. Then arguments start along the vein of what each person THINKS he is hearing. I am sitting there like "There has GOT to be a better way of doing this." Then choir members go home and totally forget how they were to sing the song on Sunday.

sounds horrible.  Sounds like a nightmare, actually....

Well fam....thats a good question,
I'm actually in the process of starting a choir...

I know you gon' let me sing lead, right?

[Redy2bUsed]

I know you gon' let me sing lead, right?

Uhhhh Yee-ah...

*whispers to Sjon*
Hey man...when she begins to sing, turn her mic off...

[sjonathan02]

I surrrrre hope Jonathan can help, because this:



sounds horrible.  Sounds like a nightmare, actually....

I know you gon' let me sing lead, right?

It does sound like a nightmare, doesn't it? 

It reads to me like they need a choir director.

[sjonathan02]

Uhhhh Yee-ah...

*whispers to Sjon*
Hey man...when she begins to sing, turn her mic off...

*gives Redy the "Waaay ahead of ya, fam." nod* 

[Fenix]

Hey this thread was moved. I confess that i didn't expect to get any responses here. Some of these forums need to be merged so Sjon can have more work to do.

[sjonathan02]

Hey this thread was moved. I confess that i didn't expect to get any responses here. Some of these forums need to be merged so Sjon can have more work to do.

Hey man, I gots plenty work ta do! 

[Fenix]

Hey man, I gots plenty work ta do! 

No you don't man. You need to be a mod in the Lounge for a bit. THEN you'll have work to do. Everyone knows being a mod in the Piano room is easy stuff. I mean, its so easy even i could do it (hint, hint). 

[sjonathan02]

No you don't man. You need to be a mod in the Lounge for a bit. THEN you'll have work to do. Everyone knows being a mod in the Piano room is easy stuff. I mean, its so easy even i could do it (hint, hint). 

Well actually, I have been tryin' to hint at a promotion.