This March, select choir students will attend the Southwestern American Choral Directors Association (SWACDA) in Albuquerque, N.M. Students get the opportunity every year to audition for this competition and travel to perform in a large ensemble. 

SWACDA is a regional and national choir conference for choir students in the Southwestern region. This year, it will be March 4-7. Along with the students, choral conductor Beth Richey-Sullivan and chaperones will be attending the conference. 

According to junior Aashrita Kambhampati, to audition, one must perform a specific excerpt chosen by the committee or directors, an excerpt of one’s choice based on one’s voice part and grade and an additional vocal scale.

Richey helps students prepare and audition for the conference. She said she sent her students this honors choir opportunity since she is also part of the teacher convention happening at the same event. 

Richey said each student individually works with a packet of music and practices on their own, then when they all go to N.M., every student who made the cut rehearses for 3 days together and then performs. 

“It’s super cool because you’re with 200 other kids that really love to sing and worked really hard,” Richey said. 

Sophomore Anna Uong said the audition videos are sent to the panel of judges, where they have a blind audition. Afterward, they send out the list of chosen students. 

Uong said she had heard about the opportunity freshman year, and she was nervous to audition. She said she talked to her friends about it, and they all wanted to audition. 

“[I] agreed to audition, kind of as a starter to get to know the process and put auditions out there because it’s always better to try,” Uong said. “I was so happy to hear that I made it.” 

While they are there, Uong said they will do group ensemble practices, and they will get a chance to attend seminars with choir directors and vocal coaches. During the seminars, they will get to learn more about music and how to get better at it with people from all across the nation. 

Similarly, with the teachers, Richey said that there are also teacher workshops and sessions that they attend while the students practice.

“There’s about six hours of concerts a day, which I mean, for music people, that’s awesome,” Richey said. 

Kambhampati said it’s a great opportunity to meet new people who are also interested in music and to spend time with world-renowned directors.

“I’ve always loved choir, and singing has been my biggest passion my whole life,” Kambhampati said.

Richey said the practice before is all about the honor choir experience, with learning your notes and rhythms of your music, and then putting it together with others and learning how the conductor wants you to sing. Uong said she has sung in many different choirs, and every time it is unique. 

 “I think it’ll be really interesting to meet new people and to hear how they sing,” Uong said. 

Richey said it’s very special how some of our students were chosen out of many others, and they get the opportunity to sing with people from 7 other states. 

“I’m excited to meet new people who share the same passion as I do,” Kambhampati said. “Everyone that’s going wants us to sound the best that we can, so I think collectively it’ll be a good time.”