Outside of Room 211 in the School of Music on Thursday evening, five male students waited quietly. Two of them were standing, three were sitting, and they were all in anticipation of their auditions for the male a cappella choir, On the Rocks.
Inside the room, the first candidate, Jason McLean, stood next to pianist Greg Guenther and sang scales. McLean tried falsetto scales and then sang the U2 song “MLK.”
With pens and evaluation forms ready, the six current members of the group faced him in a semicircle. They noted his vocal range, intonation, tonal memory, pitch personality and specials skills.
Watching McLean intently, the group’s co-founder, Peter Hollens, scratched his soul patch and told him that callbacks would be Sunday night.
Next.
As two underclassmen sang, the current choir members tried to ease the hopefuls’ nervousness with comments like “Nice job, man.”
Then, candidate Nathan Jackson entered the room for his audition.
“I ain’t been in choir since I was two,” he said. “I’m an entertainer — guaranteed to bring the ladies to the show.”
Jackson, a sophomore marketing major, showed confidence in his singing abilities. He said he had perfected his vocal skills last year in his dorm.
“Me and my boys were always singing in the hall,” Jackson said.
Jackson improvised a remix from the “Rocky” soundtrack with some beat-boxing, hip-hop sounds and dancing.
Wearing a crisp plaid shirt, cargo shorts and a pink pick in his hair, Jackson sang a song by Usher and busted into a provocative dance. The members chuckled as Jackson “freaked” with a music stand.
Outside the room after the audition, Jackson was quieter and more relaxed. Despite his lack of training, Jackson said he thought his chances of making the choir were good because he had a different approach.
Jackson described his style as “striptease, eye contact, comedy and craziness.” He also said he could offer On the Rocks “a wide range of dancing mobility” and a connection to the University’s black community. However, he emphasized the members’ already existing talent in entertaining audiences of all ages.
Jackson said the anxiety was worth a chance of getting in the group. If On the Rocks was to call Jackson back, he said he will be ready to practice. And if not, Jackson said, “I’ve got homework to do.”
After Jackson exited the audition, baritone candidate Ben Ordonez was still waiting outside Room 211.
Ordonez said he did not know if he had enough time for the group because he was already busy with classes and singing in the University’s Gospel Ensemble.
“It would be great to be in (On the Rocks). If not, there’s always next year. This is icing on the cake,” he said optimistically.
After entering the room, Ordonez asked the members about how much time and commitment being a part of the group takes. On the Rocks plans to practice every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday evening for two to three hours, Hollens said. On the Rocks is also planning to perform new repertoire at their first gig Thursday, Oct. 18, in the EMU Amphitheater and attend regional a cappella championships in late January.
Despite side comments and cell-phone distractions, the members of On the Rocks tried to be professional and respectful toward the candidates auditioning.
By 10:15 p.m. all the potential candidates had left, and the group of close friends gathered in a circle to select who they would be calling back. About 35 students tried out in the two-day search for tenor and second-bass voices.
As they discussed the controversial candidates, the group struggled with the ethics of turning away peers who were talented singers but had the wrong voice range.
“What can they offer to the group?” Guenther, a junior, asked the others.
“There is no reason to lead them on if we know they won’t be in,” said Peter Vomocil, a senior theater arts major.
Strewing the papers of rejected candidates across the floor, the group discussed their criteria. Vomocil wanted versatility.
Guenther said he was worried about how quickly the candidates could transition into the group.
Co-founder Leo Silva said the group needed members who could sing solos but did not need constant attention.
Despite one argument, the group reached a consensus easily. They decided on seven candidates to invite back.
“We feel any of them can be in the group, but we can’t have that many people,” Guenther said.
After callbacks on Sunday night, the group spent almost two hours finally choosing their new members: Cooper Bombadil, Bass II, and Marcus Hathcock, who is a features reporter for the Emerald, Tenor I.
“I think they are awesome,” Vomocil said. “They are both really excited and really coachable. They are talented young voices.”
Vomocil said he was looking forward to seeing the new members grow in their abilities as singers with On the Rocks.
“I think they definitely have a lot of valuable contributions,” he said. “And they like to barbecue.”