The Georgetown Phantoms

Thanks so much to everyone who came to our primary auditions; we met many talented singers.  We hold callbacks as a way to dedicate more time to specific candidates.  Please note that because our situation changes each year, callbacks is not a simple dividing line between those who performed well and those who did not; rather, callbacks is a way for us to organize a deliberately limited number of singers who best match our current needs.  Even if you did not make callbacks this year, you are always welcome to try again!

—The Phantoms

The Phantoms, GU’s premier coed a cappella group, are looking for new members! Auditions are open to any Georgetown University student. Key data is listed here, and will also be posted on flyers and announced at concerts in the fall. Hope to see you then!

When:  September 6 (1:00) / September 7 (6:00 PM). Come either date; please arrive on time as we will be teaching you an exercise that will form part of your audition! Callback auditions information will be posted after primary auditions.

Where: McNeir Auditorium, Georgetown University, Washington DC

Preparation: be ready to sing part (approximately one verse and chorus) of a rock, pop, or R&B song. Please, no musical theater (even though we love it!) as this is not the type of song we perform.

Contact: if you have any questions or scheduling conflicts, you are welcome to email us.

Detailed Primary Auditions Process

Please note: this section is an optional read, as we will be guiding you through the process; you only have to know the “Essentials” listed above. Still, if you are curious, our regular auditions process is detailed below.

Procedure

1. After warm up, we teach everyone a blending exercise to perform later. You then sign up for a 10-minute individual slot. So far we have not have been “auditioning,” just introducing ourselves and establishing the schedule. Please arrive on time though so as to learn the blending exercise.
2. During your individual audition, we will find your vocal range by asking you to sing a simple scale as high and then as low as you can. Please go at any comfortable speed and take breaths when necessary.
3. Several “sing-backs” are next: we play a short sequence of notes on the piano, and ask you to sing them back to us. This is a pitch exercise to check your skill at hearing and reproducing specific notes well.
4. Then you will sing the exercise taught earlier with two of us, to hear your voice blend with others. We will briefly review this; it’s not about memorization. The emphasis is on “blend,” i.e., matching our pitch, tone, pronunciation, and volume, and limiting anything that makes you stand out, such as vibrato.
5. Finally, you will perform the rock/pop/R&B solo that you have prepared (just a verse and a chorus, more or less, in the interest of time). If you like, we can play a starting note on the piano. Try to pick a fairly well-known song, because it helps us if we are familiar with it beforehand. If you are concerned about song choice, you can email us. This is your opportunity to demonstrate the best aspects of your voice.
6. Afterwards we might ask you a few more questions. It may sound like a lot, but it’s really not so bad – just 10 minutes! So don’t feel nervous; we want you to do well as much as you do! Callbacks information will be posted shortly after primary auditions.