Over the weekend, house parlors and academic spaces were taken over by piano playing, pitch matching and the solo performances of eager musical students on campus. Many students clamored to audition or re-audition for various Vassar a cappella groups, ranging in genre focus from Disney classics to TikTok hits. Through a rigorous audition process—in some cases competing against many students for one of three spots in a singular group—students persevered for a chance to perform for their peers.
Claire Harvey ’28 and Arthur Murray ’28 were two freshman hopefuls auditioning for spots in many different a cappella groups of varying music taste. Harvey’s reasoning for auditioning was simple: She enjoyed singing in high school choirs and wanted to continue making and performing music with others. Murray shared the same sentiment, but added, “I was a bit tired of choral singing so I decided to audition for a cappella groups instead of the music department-run choir.” These student-run groups provide a respite from the traditional music options on campus run by faculty members, allowing the members to explore more areas of music and learn how to work together.
Samantha Rich ’27 is a second year member of the Beauty and the Beats, an a cappella group that exclusively performs Disney and Disney-related songs. As a current member, she was one of the conductors of this year’s new member auditions, as most groups allowed the existing members to contribute to the decision making process. “The auditions consisted of a range test, and some other pitch-match exercises on the piano, and a 30-90 second solo of their choice,” Rich said. New members were picked based on a few key factors; Rich added that “[Beauty and the Beats] pick based on their audition quality and how well [they] think they will fit into the group.”
Murray made it clear that the audition process was not entirely a smooth one, citing time constraints and scheduling issues as being problematic. “It was honestly a bit grueling since everything happened within the span of three days,” Murray claimed. Some groups used callbacks—a second day of auditions with more opportunities for students to show off their abilities—to narrow down their list of potential candidates. Murray cited scheduling conflicts between the different callbacks, as many groups had ones overlapping one another. Since numerous students were auditioning for multiple groups, this created difficulty for them to manage their days. When questioned about the overall experience, Harvey said “[she] thought it was fun,” and Murray added “The whole [auditioning] process had the nervous/thrilling adrenaline of a roller coaster.”
However, they both stressed the cutthroat nature of the tryouts: “The process seemed incredibly competitive,” Murray claimed. Harvey said “[she] auditioned for seven groups, got two callbacks, and did not get into either.” Murray added that “There were some people in callbacks with [him] who [he] thought were excellent singers but they didn’t get in.” A cappella groups on campus had to make tough choices based on their ability to manage an intake of new members and their need for members to fit in with the rest of the group.
The freshman auditionees had some successes and some failures, with some committed to new groups and others waiting until next year to reaudition. Murray is now committed to the Accidentals (nicknamed Axies), an all lower-voices a cappella group that performs many different styles of music, as a tenor I. However, Harvey will be waiting to try out for the groups again next year, hoping for an opportunity to join one later in her college career.
For those that have been offered a spot in one of Vassar’s prestigious a cappella groups, many have been met with unique traditions, rewarding the ones who persevered through the audition processes and successfully came out on the other side. Rich said that groups do “Sing-ins, where [they] welcome them into the group by knocking on their door and singing to them!” These traditions highlight the differing personalities of the many a cappella groups at Vassar College, a vast array of places for singers to meet peers with similar interests.
These musical groups contribute to campus in many different ways, performing in different areas for different events. Rich says Beauty and the Beats perform on Vassar campus, like in the MUG, Rocky, or the Aula, similarly to other groups on campus. Rich feels that the impact on campus caused by the a cappella groups is great, adding that “They are entertaining and build community on campus.” A cappella groups have a special place in the hearts of Vassar students, providing an extraordinary opportunity for the most talented voices to be heard.
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