The Difference

I had to make a decision this year that I didn't want to make. According to the Iowa All-State Music Festival rules, "Students must make a choice in the area they will audition. Students may NOT try out for both vocal and instrumental or on more than one instrument." This was a problem since I play the cello and sing in choir. I knew that there was no way around the choice so I had to make it but which would I choose.

I had auditioned for all-state on the cello last year. It was difficult and I failed the audition miserably. I realized at that point that I may never make all-state on cello. But was I good enough to make it for choir? You got to audition in a quartet not on your own like you had to for orchestra. But I know that some of the most talented singers never make it into all-state. And was even one of the most talented. I decided to compare the facts.

The Audition:

Orchestra: For the audition, you have to perform alone. You play two randomly selected scales, three of the excerpts, and a solo.

Choir: For this audition you have to sing in a small group which must be either be a quartet, trio, or duet ( the most your school can put in the groups must be in them). Your group will sing as many excerpts as they choose from the selected songs. After all groups are heard then there are recalls for the people who don't make it right away. Then the final list is announced.

then there was...
The Excerpts:

Orchestra: The excerpts were released at the end of summer. They are brutally difficult and usually very fast. You don't know which excerpts you will have to play for the audition until the day of all-state. You also don't know which scales you will have to play.

Choir: the songs were released at the end of summer. The excerpts that will be taken from those songs aren't known until the day you audition. You also don't know what they will choose form the Battle Hymn of the Republic or America the Beautiful.

After looking at these facts, I felt it came down to my talent. I was a decent cellist but there were those who were prodigies. I also can't play a scale to save my life. Without those I could only get a 66% on the audition even if everything else was perfect. So my thoughts fell to choir. I had been voted best tenor in my choirs for the past two years. But I had been told that I didn't blend well in a large group so how would I possibly sound in a quartet? I also had been to bass changing how I would have to sing.

I decided that I had a better chance with choir. However there was one more step. At my school there are too many talented people to let them all audition for all-state so only the top seven singers from each voice part got to audition for all-state. So I would have to audition to audition and if I didn't make it I could always join up with orchestra. But I did and so here I am. Working my tail off to try and prove that I can be an all-state member. I don't think I will be too upset if I don't make it as long as I know I did my best which is something I can't say about last year. So here's to hope in the future.