2008 Woodie Awards
Auditioning for performance success
Vocal choir boosts volume
Rachael Kephart
Issue date: 9/13/07 Section: A&E
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For most students December seems like eons away. Most are simply trying to make it until Friday. But for a select few students in vocal music December is the only month that counts.
With audition results posted, the fall 2007 Choral Choir, Jazz Transit and R.S.V.P. vocal groups have been assembled and practices are underway. For three months the members of these groups will work in preparation for their one and only concert in December.
Of the 50 students who tried out 39 were accepted and about half of those are returning members. These results are typical every year as members graduate.
"I anticipated coming back [to the choral group] but no returning members get a free pass," said Bryson Garringer, Criminal Justice major and three-year choir veteran. "He has high expectations and demands excellence and that's what we try to give him," said Garringer of Choral Director, Ray Salucka.
With half of the choir being new faces they may begin to feel the pressure to surpass their previous skill levels.
"I feel the pressure and feel like I have to kick it up a notch and be at the level of expertise of the rest of the group," said Ashley Van Winkle, Vocal Music major and first-year member of Choral Choir. "I've heard them [the choral choir] perform before and it was breathtaking and so I'm very excited to be a part of such an inspiring group," she said.
When asked what new members should expect the veterans seemed to reach a consensus.
"I don't think they should take it lightly but have fun with it," said Nicole Jacobs, Banking and Finance major and three-year choir veteran. "The more fun you have the easier it is to learn new music."
The driving force behind continuing with choir is, for many of the members, fun. "It allows you to meet a lot of new people and gives you that team aspect," said Garringer. "I want to enjoy it while I have it."
Chelsea Johnson, Liberal Arts major and two-year choir veteran, agreed, "Just being in a group and working together is fun; and you are really proud after the concert just to say 'look what we did.' I've been in music my entire life and my whole family is very passionate about music."
Each semester the group gets new music and a new genre. This semester the focus is on a completely new type of music.
"It is going to be a really unique concert," said Ray Salucka, director of choral activities. "It's an African concentration and offers a way of exploring a new culture."
"The African music sounds like a lot of fun and it's different," said Johnson. "Usually our music is more classical, Latin or Italian, so I haven't had a chance to do African."
"I'm hoping to get the choir to see and hear in African music what I see and hear," said Salucka.
"Singing is just one of my passions," said Van Winkle, "that's the way I express myself. People relate to music in a very strong way; with music it hits you in a different way, with feeling and emotion that's just the way it is. Music is very inspiring everywhere."
With audition results posted, the fall 2007 Choral Choir, Jazz Transit and R.S.V.P. vocal groups have been assembled and practices are underway. For three months the members of these groups will work in preparation for their one and only concert in December.
Of the 50 students who tried out 39 were accepted and about half of those are returning members. These results are typical every year as members graduate.
"I anticipated coming back [to the choral group] but no returning members get a free pass," said Bryson Garringer, Criminal Justice major and three-year choir veteran. "He has high expectations and demands excellence and that's what we try to give him," said Garringer of Choral Director, Ray Salucka.
With half of the choir being new faces they may begin to feel the pressure to surpass their previous skill levels.
"I feel the pressure and feel like I have to kick it up a notch and be at the level of expertise of the rest of the group," said Ashley Van Winkle, Vocal Music major and first-year member of Choral Choir. "I've heard them [the choral choir] perform before and it was breathtaking and so I'm very excited to be a part of such an inspiring group," she said.
When asked what new members should expect the veterans seemed to reach a consensus.
"I don't think they should take it lightly but have fun with it," said Nicole Jacobs, Banking and Finance major and three-year choir veteran. "The more fun you have the easier it is to learn new music."
The driving force behind continuing with choir is, for many of the members, fun. "It allows you to meet a lot of new people and gives you that team aspect," said Garringer. "I want to enjoy it while I have it."
Chelsea Johnson, Liberal Arts major and two-year choir veteran, agreed, "Just being in a group and working together is fun; and you are really proud after the concert just to say 'look what we did.' I've been in music my entire life and my whole family is very passionate about music."
Each semester the group gets new music and a new genre. This semester the focus is on a completely new type of music.
"It is going to be a really unique concert," said Ray Salucka, director of choral activities. "It's an African concentration and offers a way of exploring a new culture."
"The African music sounds like a lot of fun and it's different," said Johnson. "Usually our music is more classical, Latin or Italian, so I haven't had a chance to do African."
"I'm hoping to get the choir to see and hear in African music what I see and hear," said Salucka.
"Singing is just one of my passions," said Van Winkle, "that's the way I express myself. People relate to music in a very strong way; with music it hits you in a different way, with feeling and emotion that's just the way it is. Music is very inspiring everywhere."
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