Auditions

Want to be a Nassoon?

The Nassoons are a group of friends at Princeton University who like to hang out and love to sing. Being in the Nassoons is a substantial time commitment, but be prepared for the ride of your life. Many of our members would agree that their most memorable experiences in college have been with the ‘Soons, so don’t miss your opportunity to be a part of the crew.

Our day-to-day activities include rehearsals three nights a week, performing around campus and on the road, and generally hanging out. Some of the greatest times we share together are on our three annual tours, taking us all over the country and the world. In the past couple years, we’ve packed our bags for Germany, the UK, Japan, and Spain.

As the oldest a cappella group at Princeton, the Nassoons cherish a rich history, a vast, diverse repertoire, and a dedication to being at the forefront of the music scene. One of the many delights of being a Nassoon is quickly becoming an integral part of an inclusive community for present and future singers on our campus.

We’ve just completed our 2024-25 auditions season, welcoming eight new members to the group. That could be you next year—stay tuned for Fall 2025 auditions info, coming next summer.

We’re now entering our fifth year since removing “all-male” language from our auditions process, so once again, we will hold auditions for low-voice (TTBB*) singers of all gender identities. We are committed to selecting members based on their voice, passion, and willingness to contribute to a warm, supportive, driven environment where all Nassoons can thrive.

*TTBB stands for Tenor I, Tenor II, Baritone, and Bass, though we’re all somewhere in between. If you can sing at least as low as an octave below middle C—a D3, for those following along at home—your vocal range is a good match for our repertoire. If you’re unsure, we’d encourage an audition anyway. We’d love to meet you!

Where are auditions?

100 1901 Hall, known better as simply the Nassoon Room. Find the dark blue door of Entry 1 in the southeast corner of Henry Courtyard, head down the stairs, follow the hallway, and make a right.

Auditions for the 2024-2025 season have culminated.

stay tuned for information about auditions next fall!

If you still need convincing, check out our top 5 reasons to be a Nassoon.

What happens in the audition?

1. Introduction: We want your audition to be as fun and easy as possible. To give you some time to get comfortable, we start off by taking a moment to sit down, read your audition card, and try to get to know you a little better.

2. Scales: We'll begin by guiding you through some scales to get you warmed up and to test out your range. You may want to sing a bit on your own prior to the audition to warm up your voice.

3. Pitch Matching: Then, we'll move on to some pitch-matching exercises in which Nick, our Music Director, will play several series of three notes on the piano and you'll sing them back to the group. 

3. Swells: For this part, we'll pick a few notes in your range, and for each note, you’ll start out soft, slowly get louder until you reach full volume, and then diminuendo again. We'll usually do one swell each at the bottom, middle, and top of your range.

4. Sight-reading (optional): Next, there is an optional sight-reading exercise. If you decide to try the sight-reading, this part can only help your audition; nothing you do will hurt your chances. If you’d rather not, no worries at all. Several current members of the group have declined this option. 

5. Your solo: This brings us to your solo. This is your best opportunity to show the group what you can do, so try to pick a song that you enjoy singing and that shows off your voice; the song can be from any genre. You can bring words or sheet music if you need them. 

6. Blend: Finally, we'll test out how you blend with the group. We'll stand in a circle with you and sing through a short excerpt of a song three times in four-part harmony. You'll be standing next to someone singing the part we'd like to hear you on. By the third run-through, we'll ask you to try to sing out your part so we can listen to how your voice fits within the group sound. And that’s all!
 

Where is the Nassoon Room?

Our home since the late 40s, the Nassoon Room is a very special place for all of us. Not only do we rehearse here, but it’s also an exhibition of signs from around the world, as well as a space for us to hang out. Come see the room for yourselves at our Open House and again at your audition. We’re located in the basement of 100 1901 Hall, accessible by Entryway 1. Can't wait to see you there!