General Information      

• Approximately 40 students will be selected for the Texas FFA Chorus.
• Potential participants must be Active FFA Members at the time of convention, no older then a high school senior or younger then a high school freshman during the 22-23 school year, and be approved by Advisors to participate.
• Selection will be based on voice quality and attempting to achieve a chorus with balance
  1.) Ability to blend in an advanced ensemble
  2.) Balanced numbers of soprano, alto, tenor, and bass voices
  3.) It is most difficult to find altos who can sing well in upper register, low basses, and first tenors

Those selected will be required to be in Dallas from Monday to Friday of convention week. Students are responsible for the shared cost of lodging and expenses. The $400 chorus fee will be billed to the chapter's roster account following Advisor Approval of a members participation and selection by the Director.

Instructions and Deadlines      
Completed online application form must be submitted by 11:59 P.M on  April 15, 2023. Advisors must provide approval of the students application before the application will be fully submitted. Those selected for the chorus will be notified as soon as possible once applications close. 

FOR NEW TEXAS FFA CHORUS MEMBERS ONLY:
A recorded audition must be submitted via email by April 15, 2023 or postmarked by April 15, 2023 and sent to:
Jeanna Baibos
21427 Hadrian Dr. Katy TX 77449
Emails may be sent to:
Jeanna.baibos@cfisd.net

PREVIOUS MEMBERS OF THE TEXAS FFA CHORUS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO SEND A RECORDED AUDITION

How to Record Your Audition      
This audio audition is a requirement in the application for the Texas FFA Chorus for NEW MEMBERS ONLY.

• Recording is simple, and allows the director to properly place you for this prestigious chorus.
• If you want to use a higher quality recorder that will be fine, but a simple recorder with a built in microphone is adequate. This includes electronic devices.
• If you choose to use a cassette tape or CD, make sure that it is of high quality. If the tape is of poor quality, there could be problems with play-back or mechanical difficulties. Audio files (i.e. mp3s) should be emailed to Jeanna.baibos@cfisd.net. Audio files are preferred, but not mandatory.
   

Cassette/CD Recordings
Print your name and address, plus your voice part, on side one of the cassette or the front of the CD. Also, be sure your full name and return address are on the mailing package. The online form must be submitted by April 18th and the audition recording must be postmarked by April 18th. Audition recordings will not be returned, and will become the property of the Texas FFA Association.

Electronic Recordings - iDevices
To record an audio file on an iDevice, recording the audition using the voice memo feature. Once you are satisfied with the recording, from the voice memo screen, click the link that takes you to your list of voice memos. Select the voice memo you want to share and press the share button. Select email and send to Jeanna.baibos@cfisd.net with FFA Audition as the subject.

Audition Components
At the very beginning of the recording, slowly announce your first and last name, chapter and address. Repeat your name, and then give your voice part (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass).
Starting on any comfortable pitch, sing (unaccompanied) the song “America, the Beautiful” (Oh beautiful, for spacious skies, etc.) Sing one verse expressively and accurately without scooping in and out of pitches. You are auditioning for an ensemble, not a solo.

Start with the lowest note you can sing, and on each note of the continuous major scale going up to your highest note, please sing on a neutral syllable (la).” If you have access to a piano, you can play the pitch before singing each note, but when you sing the words, you should sing unaccompanied. For this part of the recording, do not sing softly, but sing with a full voice at each note. You can sing these words with any rhythm that you choose, but sing them slowly on each pitch. You should sing through register breaks with beautiful tone throughout your range. All singers should demonstrate they can use their upper register.
OPTIONAL: If you would like to record additional singing, you may do so AFTER the required audition. It is not important to the membership in the Texas FFA Chorus that you do anything with this part of the audition. This is strictly optional.

Student Responsibilities      

• If selected, the student must attend ALL rehearsals in Dallas, TX.
• The first rehearsal is Monday mid-morning of the convention week
• Chorus members are required to stay through the closing convention session on Friday
• If there is a conflicting award activity (i.e. Lone Star Degree recipient, Scholarship, etc), the student must get permission from the Chorus Director by Monday afternoon of convention
• The student is responsible for the cost of travel to/from Dallas, a portion of the lodging, and Official Dress, and convention registration.
• The student is responsible for the $400 charge which covers a portion of the lodging and expenses, including some meals. This charge will be placed on the Chapter's Roster Management account upon Advisor approval. Advisors must register any selected chorus members for convention via chapter registration. 

National FFA Chorus      

• Those who wish to apply for the National FFA Chorus will find application information and details on the National FFA Convention website.
• Texas FFA will NOT forward National chorus applications on to National FFA.
• National FFA Chorus/Band/Talent application deadline is [DATE].