NJ ALL-STATE CHORUS

2018-2019 NJ All-State Chorus Student Audition Information Page 1

STUDENT AUDITION INFORMATION General Information

Audition Dates/Locations

NORTH audition – Saturday, April 14, 2018

o Parsippany Hills High School - 20 Rita Drive Morris Plains, NJ 07950. Kathleen Muka-Host

SOUTH audition – Saturday, April 21, 2018

o West Deptford High School – 1600 Old Crown Point Rd, West Deptford, NJ 08093. William Yerkes, Host

Eligibilty:

To be eligible, students must be in grades 9– 11 and must be a member of their school Choral program.

Singers may only audition for one voice part.

If a public/private school does not have an established and recognized Choral Program, the student may qualify for the

NJMEA organization with the endorsement of a music teacher who is a member of NAfME. [NJMEA Handbook].

Home School students are only eligible to audition if the choral director from their hometown or their private music

teacher sponsors them. The sponsoring teacher must be a member of NAfME and be able to verify the performance

ability of the student.

All applications must have the proper signatures. If the school teacher agrees to allow another NAfME qualified music

teacher to sign for the student, the student’s school teacher and administrator must still sign, thereby indicating their

knowledge of this situation.

Fees:

There is $20 application fee per student to audition.

o NJMEA does not accept parent checks. Please speak with your director as to how they wish to handle

application fees.

Participation in Additional All-State Ensembles:

If you are accepted into the Mixed Choir you cannot audition for/participate in Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble or Jazz

Chorus AND if you are accepted into the Treble Choir you cannot audition for/participate in Wind Ensemble or

Symphonic Band.

Voice Part Choices and Changes:

Students of any gender can audition for any voice part at the discretion of their Director.

The deadline for changing your voice part for the audition is Friday, March 16, 2018.

You may not change voice parts on the day of the auditions.

If there is a question about the voice part on your registration card, you may ask to see your application at the

registration table.

o The voice part printed on the application form, supported by your signature and the signature of your

parents, director and principal, is the voice part for the audition.

Students may audition for the voice part best suited for a healthy vocal production, endorsed by signatures on your

application.

*Please do not audition if you cannot commit to each and every part of this information!*

**Any questions regarding the NJ All-State Chorus audition process should be directed to your Choral Director.**

***We will only return phone calls and email messages to Choral Directors.***

The Audition Day Arrival:

Your Director will receive an assigned registration time for your school for the day of auditions.

Please arrive at least 15 minutes early. Gather with the other students from your school in alphabetical order by last

name (A to Z).

At the appointed time, when your school name is called, as an alphabetically organized group, proceed to the

registration table. Please do not proceed to the registration table until your school is called.

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Registration:

At registration, you will be asked to present your photo ID.

o NO PHOTO ID = NO AUDITION!

Once you have presented your photo ID, you will be given your registration card. Please carry the card with you to

each auditon room.

If your school does not provide an official photo ID for students, you may take a photo with your Director, clearly

indicating your name, your Director’s name, your grade and your school and print it out so you may present it at

registration.

SOPRANOS/ALTOS: There are three parts to your registration card.

TENORS/BASSES: There are two parts to your registration card.

Each audition room (final rooms and tonal memory) will cut off a part of the registration card to attach to your score

sheets. You will not get any part of your registration card back.

Warm-up Room

From registration, please proceed to the warm-up room.

In the warm-up room, you will be able to run through your scales, solo and quintet.

Final Rooms (Scales, Solo, Quintet):

From the warm-up room, proceed to one of the Final Rooms. Sopranos/Altos: Your audition takes place in THREE

rooms. Tenors/Basses: Your audition takes place in TWO rooms.

o You may proceed to any part of your audition which has a shorter line.

Cell Phone Use

Use of cell phones during the auditions is not permitted. Cell Phones must remain outside of all audition rooms or

must be given to the Room Monitor during an audition. Cell phones may be used in the cafeteria and outside the

school building.

Final Rooms (Rules):

You may ask to repeat the following parts of your audition:

o Low scale, High scale

o Chromatic scale

o Solo

If you wish to try any of the scales or solo a second time, please proceed as follows:

o YOU must ask to replay the pitch and the judge will state, “Second and Final Time”.

o No judge will initiate the repeat of any of the scales.

You CANNOT repeat the quintet (“The Silver Swan”)

o If you lose your concentration you must try and recover at the next phrase.

Tonal Memory:

Tonal Memory exercises are four measures long and are pre-recorded.

When you enter the Tonal Memory room you will be directed to a music stand upon which will be a Tonal Memory

Exercise sheet.

The Room Chairperson will indicate which exercise you will hear.

You will hear the exercise twice and then you must sing it back on the syllable “LA” or Solfege.

You will NOT hear the starting pitch again. Begin singing as soon as the second exercise has finished.

You must sing every beat of every measure in proper rhythm in order to receive the best possible score.

Tonal Memory exercises will start and end on the same pitch.

Scoring:

o 4 measures perfect = 1 x 3 judges = Tonal Memory Score of 3….added to your Final Room scores

o 3 measures perfect = 2 x 3 judges = Tonal Memory Score of 6….added to your Final Room scores

o 2 measures perfect = 3 x 3 judges = Tonal Memory Score of 9….added to your Final Room scores

o 1 measures perfect = 4 x 3 judges = Tonal Memory Score of 12…added to your Final Room scores

o 0 measures perfect = 5 x 3 judges = Tonal Memory Score of 15…added to your Final Room scores

NJ ALL-STATE CHORUS

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How are the choirs are chosen?

The NJ All-State Mixed Choir is chosen first.

Those sopranos and altos who fall below the cut-off of the NJ All-State Mixed Choir begin the roster for the

NJ All-State Treble Choir.

Sopranos and Altos may not choose between the Mixed and Treble Choruses.

If I am accepted Attendance Policy:

Students are expected to attend all rehearsals and concerts.

One absence will result in testing at the following rehearsal.

Two missed rehearsals will result in expulsion from the ensemble.

Students must attend all activities in their entirety.

An absence is defined as missing any scheduled rehearsal or ANY PART THEREOF.

Failure to attend any concert will result in the loss of the All-State pin and eligibility to audition the following

year for any NJMEA sponsored activity.

Rehearsal Dates

MIXED – Saturday, June 9, 2018 from 2-5 pm. Location: Monroe Twp. HS

MIXED & TREBLE – Saturday, September 15, 2018 from 8:30 –Noon Location: Piscataway HS

MIXED & TREBLE – Saturday, October 13, 2018 from 8:30 –Noon Location: Edison HS

MIXED & TREBLE – Saturday, October 27, 2018 from 8:30 –Noon Location: Edison HS

MIXED – Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018 at 7pm to Friday Nov. 9, 2018 Location: Atlantic City

TREBLE – Sunday, February 3, 2019 from 1– 5pm. Location: JFK HS

TREBLE – Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019 at 7pm to Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. Location: East Brunswick

Concert Dates:

Mixed Choir

o Atlantic City - November 9, 2018 at 8:30pm.

o NJPAC - Sunday, November 18, 2018 at 3:00pm.

Treble Choir

o NJPAC - Saturday, February 23, 2019 at 3:00pm.

Fees: Acceptance and Housing:

There is a music and rehearsal track fee of $35.00

There is a housing fee of $325.00

Bus transportation for North students to Atlantic City is approximately $55.

Housing:

Students must stay at the designated All-State Hotel.

Students are not permitted to drive to Atlantic City or East Brunswick.

Rehearsals will be scheduled on Wednesday, November 7, 2018, starting at 7pm, all day Thursday, November 8th,

and Friday, November 9th for Mixed Choir.

Rehearsals will be scheduled on Thursday, February 21, 2019 starting at 7pm, all day Friday, February 22nd, and

Saturday, February 23rd for Treble Chorus.

NJ ALL-STATE CHORUS

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NJ ALL-STATE CHORUS

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