The Special Performance Group (SPG1)

At the Uptown Music Collective, we believe in rewarding excellence and hard work. We do that by giving our hardest working and most skilled students the opportunity to work together in a challenging environment, where they are not only the performers, but also the planning committee, the directors, and the producers. This is the Uptown Music Collective’s Special Performance Group.

The Special Performance Group is a highly select group of the most skilled, and highly motivated students in the Uptown Music Collective.  The members of this group are chosen each year through a competitive audition process that is held in late August or early September.

 Once formed, these groups then work together throughout the following school year to present all of the schools Major Performances.

Auditions

All students who wish to audition for the Special Performance Groups must:

* Be intermediate or above.

* Have the recommendation of their private lesson teacher.

* Have performed in at least three Student Showcases.

* Have taken part in the Student Showcase Backup Bands.

* Have Participated in the Tech Monkey for at least a year.

For this audition, you will pick an audition piece that best showcases your abilities. Each student may perform solo, have an accompanist or play or sing to a track.

The audition panel will listen to your piece, ask you to perform a few things spontaneously, and then ask you a few questions. Each student is given a score, with 100 being perfect, based on the following 10 audition criteria:

Audition Criteria and Definitions

*Tone – The natural sound quality of the student’s instrument or voice

Form – Knowledge of the length and order of the various sections of the piece

Groove – The ability to place apart rhythmically in sync with the other parts being played

Time – The ability to hold a given tempo steady through the performance of a piece

Articulation – The ability to produce and manipulate the timbre, dynamics, and envelope of a sound.

*Intonation – Pitch accuracy during the performance of the pieces melodies and harmony

Part Knowledge – The ability to accurately perform the songs melody, harmony, and rhythms

*Musicality – The ability to manipulate the elements of music (melody, harmony, and rhythm, along with articulation and dynamics) in a way that conveys the beauty and emotional content of a piece of music.

Performance – The ability to combine all of the elements together into a compelling and cohesive presentation of the piece.

Presence – The performer’s physical and emotional presence in the performance of the piece

**Audition Ratings

* The student is rated from 1 to 10 in each of the 10 areas.

*100 = perfect score (no one gets a perfect score…)

*1 is no ability.

* 5 is the average ability.

* 10 is as good as it gets.

* Any score below a 53 will not be considered.

* Areas where a 6 or above is required to participate in the program.

**Extra points are awarded for previous participation in SPG1, and for being a senior in SPG1.

How the group is chosen:

SPG1

The premier group, SPECIAL PERFORMANCE GROUP 1, is made up each year of the top-ranked auditioning students. This group comprised of the top 13 vocalists, 9 guitarists, 4 keyboardists, 4 bassists, and 4 drummers.

Together they will plan, organize, and make up the cast of the Uptown Music Collective’s Fall and Spring Performances at the Community Arts Center, as well as the Community Theater League performance and the occasional Orchestral Rock Performances.

What If You Don’t Make It?

Each year there are only 13 Vocals Spots, 9 guitar spots, etc. If you do not make the cut, you are not alone. This is a highly competitive program.

If you audition and are not selected, it is one of those important life moments – what will you do? Hopefully, you will choose to work hard over the next year and further develop your skills with the idea of improving your ranking the next year and becoming part of this select group.

 

Click Here to Check Out this year’s SPG1 Members for the 2019 – 2020 Performance Season!