Pre-Area

HS Pre-Area Audition (All Sections)
Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Location – McNeil HS

McNeil High School
5720 McNeil Drive, Austin,TX 78729

Parking Instructions

  • Cars may park in the front parking lot.
  • Please look at THE MHS CAMPUS MAPS to help orient yourself.
  • Use the driveway closest to the YMCA & PAC entry to access the front parking lot.

Students & judges will enter through the front main entrance and then follow the signs to the designated holding areas.  Students will be in the cafeteria and judges will be in the “new” lecture hall.

There will be basketball games and those patrons will also be entering through the main entrance.  After entering the main entry doors all TMEA people will take the first left hallway.

Food Information

  • A concession stand will be provided (Bush’s Chicken will be available!) for students and chaperones.
  • Judges will be feasting on lasagna, fettuccine, salads, and breadsticks from Olive Garden.

Auditioning Students Itinerary

  • 4:00 – Dismissal from classes to beat traffic
    • Individual transportation to McNeil – we are not guaranteed a bus
    • Eat dinner on the way
  • 5:30 Registration opens and dinner for judges
  • 6:00 Registration closes and judges meeting
  • 6:05 Warmup and reading of the cuts
  • 6:15 Judges move to the audition rooms
  • 6:30 Round 1 (singing) begins
  • 7:30 Round 2 (sr) begins
  • 9:00 Audition complete

The Process

  • Students are assigned a badge number (see registration below)
  • Students sing in order in their room, 1, 2, 3… until the last person in that room has sung.
  • Students should be picked up at McNeil HS.
  • What is different about this audition?
    • At this round, students audition on the prepared literature as well as sight-reading.
    • Since this round involves sight-reading, students are not permitted to leave the audition (or retrieve phones) until the completion of the audition for all voice parts. This is designed to ensure maximum test security with regard to the sight-reading prompt.

Results are NO LONGER PUBLICLY announced at this round.

  • Once all judging panels are released, we can see the provisional results.
  • Once directors are released, we will ask you to call your parents for pickup.
  • Once the area around our table has been cleaned up and all calls made for parents, directors will announce results to our own campuses.

What Should Students Bring and NOT Bring

  • Original copies of the audition literature (no photocopies allowed) and a pencil.
  • Money for snacks and drinks.
  • Students MAY NOT bring electronic devices into the audition venue – this includes cell phones and chromebooks!
  • If students bring a cell phone, they MUST give it to a chaperone to hold until they leave the contest site.
  • If students must use a cell phone after they audition they may do so ONLY in the presence of an adult and ONLY to call for a ride home.
  • Students MAY be disqualified if they are caught using it NOT in the presence of an adult.

Registration

  • Registration runs from 5:30 – 5:45 pm.
  • Upon arrival, All sections will register at their respective tables.
  • Students will sign in, receive a badge which they MUST wear at all times, and a copy of the cuts.
  • Immediately after registering, they should proceed to the cafeteria where they are to remain until further instructed.
  • No PM singers are permitted at this round.

What Happens After Registration

  • Round One – Singing
    • Once students register they MAY NOT practice the cuts.
    • They may study the cuts but not SING the cuts.
    • A director will warm the students up.
    • The cuts will be run twice with everyone after warm-up.
    • Our goal is to have kids auditioning 15 minutes after registration closes.
  • Round Two – Sight-Reading
    • Following the procedure utilized at the Area audition, students are taken to a holding room in complete sections.
    • Students are read the instructions about the sight-reading prompt, and are given a group practice of the procedure.
    • Using the Round 2 badge number, each student sings the sight-reading in the judging room in order.
    • When completed with the reading, students are directed back to the large holding room.
    • Once all students have completed sight-reading, the Vocal Chair instructs students that they can use their phones again.
    • Once all score tabulation has completed, and following the director results review period, results are announced.