So you want to be a
ROCKSTAR?

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The Harmonics, along with all of the other a cappella groups at Stanford, hold auditions during the first week of fall quarter every year. All members of the Stanford community are welcome and encouraged to audition – the group currently includes both undergraduates and coterms, who joined the group anywhere from their freshman to their senior year.

It may seem like a stressful process at first, but it can actually be a lot of fun.

Here is how it all works:

Sign ups

First, find us in White Plaza to sign up for an audition slot. We'll be there from 11AM- 3PM during New Student Orientation and the first week of fall quarter. Feel free to chat with us, ask us questions, etc- that's why we're there! We'd love to get to know you before your audition. It makes the process much more relaxed and enjoyable for everyone. Auditions themselves will be held the Tuesday and Wednesday of the first week of classes.

The audition:

Auditions will be held in the afternoons and evenings of Tuesday 9/25 and Wednesday 9/26 at Casa Italiana.

The audition itself is really not that bad- we promise! When you arrive, there'll be a waiting room set up where you can chat with some of our alumni, grab a snack, and get to know more about our group. We'll have you fill out some basic information about yourself, and then you'll head in to the audition room, where we'll all be excitedly waiting to hear what you've got!

We'll start with some scales, just to warm you up and get a sense for your vocal range (i.e. soprano, bass, etc). Then we'll do some simple pitch matching, where we'll play a few notes on the piano and ask you to sing them back for us. We'll also do an exercise where we'll play a three-note chord and ask you to sing one of the notes in the chord. We can't say it enough- DON'T stress about these! We're not looking for perfection, we just want to see what you can do.

Finally, the best part- your solo.

We want to hear you sing a one-minute snippet of whatever song you want! Sing whatever you feel comfortable with- we're not judging your song choice, and we've heard everything, from Disney to Sinatra. We just want to hear you do your thing!

Since we know there's often a lot of stress about the solo, here are a few tips: Try to pick a song that fits your voice and showcases what you can do. We can't tell how killer your voice is if you don't show us! Don't worry about trying to learn some new song to impress us; chances are, if it's a song you already know and love, you'll be at your best. And have FUN with it- this one may seem obvious, but it makes a tremendous difference when we can clearly see that somebody is having a good time. We're looking for performers, not just singers, so feel free to rock out, even if you're rocking out to The Sound of Music. Hit us with your best shot!

And that's it!

Not so bad, right? Remember, we were all in your same exact shoes, so we know how it feels! And who knows? In just a few short weeks, you may be looking back, wondering how you could have ever been nervous in front of all of these people that you now can't imagine college life without!

One last thing… PLEASE don't hesitate to talk to us as much as you want and ask any questions you have, whether in person at White Plaza, or via e-mail (auditions@stanfordharmonics.com). We understand that with nine a cappella groups here at Stanford, it can be hard to get a feel for what each group is like. But we think that learning about the groups is one of the most important elements in choosing which group is right for you. We are strong believers in the idea that the group that loves spending time together will be the group making the best music. Being a Harmonic is a big time commitment, but being part of our family and getting to sing and perform with your best friends is what makes it all worth it. The adoring fans, well, they're not so bad either.

We can't wait to meet you!