<p>The Princetonian Nassoons just performed at my high school in Germany. They are amazing, simply put. The sang like 10 songs, and then they had an open question-answer session which was cool because it was the students talking from their perspective, as opposed to someone who's selling the school (not that Princeton needs to be sold). They were all so happy, it was ridiculous, and they just give off waves of intelligence...haha (but seriously). Anyone else interested in the A'cappella groups?</p>
<p>I'm glad you thought so! The Nassoons are my favorite a cappella group on campus. Half of them must have perfect pitch, they're so in tune, and hilarious! It's so great to be able to hear ALL the a cappella groups on campus during their arch sings. It's really a beautiful sight (and sound). </p>
<p>I love singing. Right now I'm in Glee Club and we're touring Hong Kong come January! I'm also considering some a cappella groups, mostly Kindred Spirit, the Chrisitian a cappella group, and maybe Roaring 20. </p>
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They were all so happy, it was ridiculous
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<p>Princeton students generally are
(=</p>
<p>How hard is it to join Princeton A capella groups if you've had no previous experience?</p>
<p>ya i want to join too. i like to sing, but ive never done choir. </p>
<p>are the auditions hard/competitive?</p>
<p>wen i visited cornell, i heard their a capella group. they were really awesome, and their songs were humorous</p>
<p>Every a cappella group except for Firehazards holds auditions. They range in complexity but the general audition has four parts. </p>
<ol>
<li>Test of vocal range in terms of pitch as well as dynamics</li>
<li>Ear test. Can you sing back notes played on a piano just from hearing them? Can you sing the top note of a chord you hear? The bottom? The middle? Are you in tune?</li>
<li>Blending test. How well does your voice blend with the group? Can you sing in a straight tone? Do your vowels match? </li>
<li>Solo piece. Your time to shine and show off your vocal strengths.</li>
</ol>
<p>The auditions are all a lot of fun. I loved singing at all of them. Call backs are more intense in that the stakes are higher but also cool because you get a feel of how the a cappella group operates. Instead of just hearing you, call backs are about group dynamics and blend. Each a cappella group has a very distinct personality.</p>
<p>The singers in a cappella are GOOD. It is a pretty competitive process. Each group generally only takes in less than five new members each audition period, at least two I know of accepted only one. Good though, doesn't necessarily mean a lot of background because there are lots of singing-in-the-shower-but-never-joined-choir types in a cappella. After all, college is about exploring! So, if you have any interest whatsoever, audition! It can't hurt, plus just auditioning is really fun. </p>
<p>My friends in a cappella enjoy it. It's not only about singing, but also about a community. Plus, the a cappella groups travel everywhere together, pretty much for free because they're paid to perform. The time committment is intense, but so are the rewards.</p>
<p>It's possible to get into an a capella group without having sung in a formal setting before -- I was in Roaring 20, and during my 4 years in the group, we took in two people who didn't have any experience with group singing, just amazing natural talent. One didn't even read music well and had to learn most of his parts by ear. It took them a little longer to get up to speed and used to singing in harmony, but they both ended up being pillars of their sections and fantastic soloists.</p>
<p>The only way you can guarantee that you won't get in is not to audition.</p>