Hi Teachers,
I hope you are well and your students are completing their final preparation for their All-State Choir experience. Please read this document thoroughly. It is a lot. It is important. Not everything is the same as in past years.
Students must have all of their music completely memorized before arrival on Thursday, February 8th. The festival starts with 2nd Auditions to ensure each student is prepared and has their music learned and memorized. See below for procedures regarding arrival, check-in, and 2nd auditions.
Thank you!
Sarah Branton
All-State Choir Chair-Elect
Information/Steps Before Check-in
Location: St. Cajetan’s Center, 101 Lawrence Way, Denver, CO 80204
Times: All auditions must be completed by 4:30pm. To alleviate long wait times for second auditions, we suggest the following schedule. We realize that this may not be possible for every school, but any help you can provide is appreciated. If you arrive early, feel free to check-in and have your students begin the process.
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Metro Region – audition between 11:00am and 12:30pm
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Northern Region – audition between 12:30pm and 2:00pm
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Western/Southern Region – audition between 2:00pm and 3:30pm
Car/Van Parking: park cars and vans in the Holly Lot, the Spruce Lot, or the 7th Street Garage. After parking and exiting your car, find a payment kiosk. Select “Validation,” enter your license plate number, accept the daily fee, and then press # to enter the code 1060983. Also, a reminder that campus is operating as usual and thousands of students/faculty are on campus. Allow for extra parking time.
Bus Parking: Drop off students in front of St. Cajetan Center. Park in Ball Arena in the Toyota 4-Runner North Lot.
Map: Link to campus MAP
Once you have arrived/Steps for Check-in
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Teachers and students go to St. Cajetan Center. Students wait there.
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Teachers check-in at the registration table in the Arts Building.
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Teachers return to students and distribute audition cards. Each card has an audition number. If there is a mistake on a card, please return to the registration table and speak with Kaitlin Miles. Do not make changes yourself on the card.
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Students will be called by number and then will be ushered to their audition room/holding space in the Arts Building for their audition.
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No waiting is allowed in the King Center or Arts Building.
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Teachers: please check-in with the All-State apparel table in St. Cajetan’s and pick up anything your students ordered.
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NOTE: NO ONE should be in the King Center – there is a jazz festival taking place there the same day.
Please note: Teachers must stay on site while their students are completing second auditions. Teachers will need to be available to work with any of their students that do not pass their first or second attempt.
Steps during the 2nd audition for the student
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Take nothing into the audition room. No phones, backpacks, music, etc.. Water ok.
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The judge will randomly select an excerpt from 2 different songs.
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Before each excerpt, the student will have a few seconds to look at the provided printed music of the excerpt.
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The student will give the printed music back to the judge and then perform the excerpt from memory with the balanced practice track that has been provided on the All-State choir website. For songs that do not have a balanced practice track available, the student will sing with their part track (i.e. a Sop II will sing with the Sop II track).
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If the student sings the first two excerpts well, they will be passed.
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If a student struggles with one of the first 2 excerpts, they will need to perform a 3rd excerpt. If a student is unable to sing 2 of the 3 excerpts well, they will fail their first attempt at the Second Audition.
Students who pass their first attempt
Students return to the check-in table with their stamped audition card to retrieve their official schedule and nametag. Once a student has their schedule and nametag, return to St. Cajetan Center to wait with their teacher/school group.
Students who fail their first attempt
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Judges will tell them which particular song(s) they need to work on and list specific problems on the card.
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First, students must check in with the registration desk (Kaitlin Miles).
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Second, students immediately find their director (or the director they are to work with if their own director is currently working as a 2nd Audition Judge) and work on those songs. They have no more than 1 hour to practice and complete their 2nd attempt. All attempts must be completed by 4:30pm. A practice room is provided in the Arts Building. Please do not leave the Arts Building.
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After the student practices with their teacher, they return to the check-in table. Their second attempt must be completed with Bri McCormick (board member) ONLY and not another 2nd Audition judge.
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If they pass their 2nd attempt with Bri McCormick, their card will then be stamped and they get their schedule and nametag at the registration table.
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If they do not pass on the 2nd attempt, they have one more chance and will sing Dave Gleason (Acting Past-Chair) and for me (Sarah Branton, Chair-Elect). They may have up to an hour of additional practice time, but all attempts MUST be completed by 4:30pm. Additionally, with the 3rd attempt, judges may ask to hear anything in the repertoire and not just the specified excerpts from their first attempt.
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If they do not pass on the 3rd attempt, students will be sent home and may not participate in All-State Choir in any capacity.
Once all students from a school have passed, proceed to the hotel and we will see you at the first rehearsal with music, pencil, and water in hand! See the letter and information from Garlyn regarding hotel check-in and parking coming soon.
Please send any questions my way. I wish you well in these final days of preparation.
Thank you,
Sarah Branton
