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A Capella and Other Extracurricular Choral Activities
MCPS Youth Chorus | All-State Ensembles | A Capella | Fall Musical
MCPS Youth Chorus
The Montgomery County Youth Chorus is a countywide performing ensemble that provides recognition to talented singers in grades 10-12. This special choral ensemble provides qualified students with an opportunity to interact with peers who demonstrate high musical ability and interest. Auditions take place in June for the following school year’s chorus.
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All-State Ensembles
Each year Walt Whitman High School has many students audition for the junior and senior state choral ensembles, with tremendous success. We encourage all music students to consider auditioning .
The audition process for state ensembles is not complicated. Here are a few tips:
Audition materials for state ensembles will be made available the first week of school.Those materials are also provided in .pdf format below.
Prepare! Don’t procrastinate. Find out the dates for this year’s auditions. State auditions are generally in November. These auditions are very competitive and cramming your preparation at the very end will dramatically reduce your chances of success dramatically. Set up a practice calendar and pace yourself. Periodically record your efforts and critique your progress. Practice in front of a mirror and in front of friends and family.
Seek help! Your private voice teacher is your best resource! If you are looking for help in finding a teacher, please talk to Mr. Davidson or Ms. Alvey as soon as possible.
Dress professionally. Remember that you have only one chance to make a first impression. However, some of the auditions are behind screens. It makes sense to find out ahead of time so you know what to expect.
Act professionally. Remember to act professionally, with an air of confidence, not arrogance. Take your time and think before you perform.
GOOD LUCK TO ALL!
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A Capella Groups
Whitman has two student-run A Capella choral groups groups, None of the Above and Eighth Notes. None of the Above is a mixed, male and female, group and Eighth Notes, is comprised of all female voices. These groups are run by the students involved and perform at various venues throughout the year. More information about None of the Above is below. Students may also refer to the "Welcome to Whitman" Handbook for contact information about these groups.
None of the Above
None of the Above is Whitman's only coed a capella group, comprising 16 singers and 2 beatboxers. The group performs at the annual talent show and this year also hopes to perform in a number of venues in and around the Bethesda/Washington D.C. area. The group sings pop music, and songs currently in its repertoire to be performed in the 2007-2008 year are "Kiss from a Rose" by Seal, "Chain of Fools," sung by Aretha Franklin, and "Maneater," by Nelly Furtado. The group rehearses once a week.
AUDITIONING FOR NONE OF THE ABOVE
Auditions are held at the beginning of each school year, generally during the fall musical. Anyone in the school may audition—singers may be in any grade and do not have to be in any of the Whitman choruses. Singers must be able to sight read and hold their own in a large group when singing (most of our music is in 8 parts with 16 singers, with 2 singers per part!).
At the audition, singers perform one song, a capella, of about 30 seconds (VERY rough estimate, choose a short part of a song that highlights your voice!). Any genre is fine, but pop or rock is preferable and musical theater is strongly discouraged. Singers will also be asked to do some sort of blending, tuning, or other exercises on the spot that the judges will explain at the audition. All members of None of the Above are required to re-audition every year.
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Fall Musical
All Whitman students are eligible to audition for Whitman’s fall musicals. Anyone who is interested in participating should speak to Mr. Christopher Gerkin, adjunct drama faculty, Mr. Davidson or Ms. Alvey.
The 2009 musical, Into the Woods, will be performed Thursday through Sunday, November 19-22 at the Daryl Shaw Auditiorium.
Past musicals that Whitman’s outstanding musicians have accompanied include:
2009: Into the Woods
2008: Damn Yankees
2007: Aida
2006: Funny Girl
2005: West Side Story
2004: Les Miserables
2003: Fiddler on the Roof
2002: 42nd Street
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