Sunday, August 31, 2008

What it takes...

So I'm sure someone is wondering what it takes to audition for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, unless you've already googled it and know all about it.

The first three requirements are pretty easy:

~Be between 25 and 55 years of age (a minimum of 5 years of service is expected and a lifetime maximum of 20 years)
~Live within a 100 mile radius of Temple Square
~Be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in good standing

After that it gets tricky:
~Fill out an application (in July) including a recording of yourself singing a hymn and other vocal exercises
If they like your tape, then:
~pass a written theory test & listening test
If you pass those, then:
~live, in person, audition; part of which is performing a difficult piece they send you and another part is sight reading your part (alone) in a quartet

That all takes about 6 months.
If you make it through all that, you're in!
Except that you have to first spend three months in the Temple Square Chorale while taking a music theory class.
After that you have to pass another written and singing evaluation, then you graduate into the real choir.

Also, as for odds...
Our guy in the choir (Nathan) said that they usually get anywhere from 400-500 applications to fill around 20 seats annually.

He knew one lady who auditioned 4 times before getting in.

Other things I found interesting:
~The choir president was encouraging members to join the recording association, so that they can vote on who wins the Grammys!
~The choir has it's own record label and puts out 2-3 CDs a year and usually one DVD for Christmas.

Here's a link if you want to learn a whole lot more about the audition process:
http://www.mormontabernaclechoir.org/pages/PointingTheWay

Oh, also, I thought it was really interesting (if you aren't a member of the church, you may not appreciate this fact, however...)
Once you are in the choir, you are set apart as a musical missionary and it becomes your calling! I thought that was so cool.
That just shows what a big time commitment it is.

3 comments:

leBolide said...

Wow, so if you get in the choir, you can avoid having any other church calling for 20 years?

SillySlang said...

Yeah, unless you wait until after you're 40 to audition, because they kick you out at 60.

Debbie said...

wow! wow! wow! what a process! i love the idea of "musical missionaries." :)