Student Auditions

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Each year, NATS Boston holds student auditions . Teachers who are members of NATS Boston can submit their students, who have the opportunity to receive constructive feedback from voice professionals and compete to receive awards.

​NATS Boston Student Auditions are non-progressive, but we do encourage singers to participate in auditions at the Regional level as well. For more information, please visit http://www.nenats.com/.

Division Information

CATEGORIES: Musical Theater, Classical, and Jazz & Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM)
The following divisions will be offered for all categories: Musical Theater, Classical, and Jazz & CCM

• Juniors (Age 10-middle school)
• High School (9th-12th grade)
• Lower College (0-2 years voice study post-high school)
• Upper College (0-5 years voice study post-high school, all as undergraduate)
• Emerging Professional (4+ years collegiate or equivalent music training, includes graduate training, pursuing professional voice work)
• Adult Avocational (21+, no limit for years of study, not pursuing professional voice work) 
  
  

Previous 1st Place winners in any division must advance to the next division in subsequent years; for example, a winner in Lower College Musical Theater will subsequently enter Upper College Musical Theater. 
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​In the event that any division does not meet the minimum of 5 participants, NATS-Boston reserves the right to assign these singers to another appropriate category, or offer a refund if an appropriate category is not available or is at capacity. 

REPERTOIRE REQUIREMENTS:

JAZZ & CCM

Juniors
Years of Study: No limit
Age Range: 10 - middle school
Audition Time Limit: 8 minutes
Repertoire Requirement: Two contrasting age-appropriate selections from jazz, pop, rock, or other commercial repertoire genres. Singers may specialize in a particular genre and have contrasting selections within the chosen genre OR may select repertoire from more than one genre. Singers may choose to accompany themselves on one or more selections, on an appropriate instrument. 
 
High School
Years of Study: No limit
Age: 14-19/ 9th-12th grade
Audition Time Limit: 8 minutes 
Repertoire Requirement: Three contrasting age-appropriate selections from jazz, pop, rock, or other commercial repertoire genres. Singers may specialize in a particular genre and have contrasting selections within the chosen genre OR may select repertoire from more than one genre. Singers may choose to accompany themselves on one or more selections, on an appropriate instrument. 
 
Lower College
Years of Study: 0-2 years post high school
Age: 22
Audition Time: 10 minutes
Repertoire Requirement: Three contrasting selections from jazz, pop, rock, or other commercial repertoire genres. Singers may specialize in a particular genre and have contrasting selections within the chosen genre OR may select repertoire from more than one genre. Singers may choose to accompany themselves on one or more selections, on an appropriate instrument. 
                
Upper College
Years of Study: 3-5 years post high school all as undergraduate​
Age Limit: 25
Audition Time Limit: 12 minutes
Repertoire Requirement: Four contrasting selections from jazz, pop, rock, or other commercial repertoire genres. Singers may specialize in a particular genre and have contrasting selections within the chosen genre OR may select repertoire from more than one genre. Singers may choose to accompany themselves on one or more selections, on an appropriate instrument. 
 
Emerging Professional
Years of Study: 4+ years collegiate or equivalent music training 
Age Limit: 21+
Audition Time Limit: 15 minutes
Repertoire Requirement: Five contrasting selections from jazz, pop, rock, or other commercial repertoire genres. Singers may specialize in a particular genre and have contrasting selections within the chosen genre OR may select repertoire from more than one genre. Singers may choose to accompany themselves on one or more selections, on an appropriate instrument. 
                       
Adult Avocational
Years of Study: No limit
Age Limit: 21+
Audition Time Limit: 10 minutes
Repertoire Requirement: Three contrasting selections from jazz, pop, rock, or other commercial repertoire genres. Singers may specialize in a particular genre and have contrasting selections within the chosen genre OR may select repertoire from more than one genre. Singers may choose to accompany themselves on one or more selections, on an appropriate instrument.

MUSICAL THEATER

Juniors
Years of Study: No limit
Age Range: 10 - middle school
​Audition Time Limit: 8 minutes
Repertoire Requirement: Two contrasting music theater selections from musicals (including film musicals), revues, operettas, music theater song cycles or music theatre song literature. Only one selection may be chosen from operetta or musical theater song literature. 
 
High School
Years of Study: No limit
Age: 14-19/ 9th-12th grade
Audition Time Limit: 8 minutes 
Repertoire Requirement: Three contrasting music theater selections from musicals (including film musicals), revues, operettas, music theater song cycles or music theatre song literature. Only one selection may be chosen from operetta or musical theater song literature. 
 
Lower College
Years of Study: 0-2 years post high school
Age Limit: 22
Audition Time Limit: 10 minutes
Repertoire Requirement: Three contrasting music theater selections from musicals (including film musicals), revues, operettas, music theater song cycles or music theatre song literature. Only one selection may be chosen from operetta or musical theater song literature. 
 
Upper College
Years of Study: 3-5 years post high school all as undergraduate
Age Limit: 25
Audition Time Limit: 12 minutes
Repertoire Requirement: Four contrasting music theater selections from musicals (including film musicals), revues, operettas, music theater song cycles or music theatre song literature. Only one selection may be chosen from operetta or musical theater song literature. 
 
Emerging Professional
Years of Study: 4+ years collegiate or equivalent music training 
Age Limit: 21+
Audition Time Limit: 15 minutes
Repertoire Requirement: Five contrasting musical theater selections from musicals (including film musicals), revues, operettas, music theater song cycles or music theatre song literature. Only one selection may be chosen from operetta or musical theater song literature.    
                        
Adult Avocational
Years of Study: No limit 
Age: 21+
Audition Time Limit: 10 minutes
Repertoire Requirement: Three contrasting music theater selections from musicals (including film musicals), revues, operettas, music theater song cycles or music theatre song literature. Only one selection may be chosen from operetta or musical theater song literature. 

CLASSICAL

Juniors
Years of Study: No limit
Age Range: 10 - middle school
​Audition Time Limit: 8 minutes
Repertoire Requirement: Two contrasting selections from classical repertoire. One art song must be in English.
 
High School
Years of Study: No limit
Age Range: 14-19/ 9th-12th Grade
Audition Time Limit: 8 minutes
Repertoire Requirement: Three contrasting selections from classical repertoire. One art song in English. One art song in a foreign language. One additional art song or aria.                            

​Lower College
Years of Study: 0-2 years post high school
Age Limit: 22
Audition Time Limit: 10 minutes
Repertoire Requirement: Three contrasting selections from classical repertoire. One art song in English. One art song in a foreign language. One additional art song or aria.     
 
Upper College
Years of Study: 3-5 years post high school all as undergraduate​
Age Limit: 25
Audition Time Limit: 12 minutes
Repertoire Requirement: Four contrasting selections from classical repertoire. One aria. One art song in English. One foreign language art song. One additional selection. At least three languages must be represented.
 
Emerging Professional
Years of Study: 4+ years collegiate or equivalent music training 
Age Limit: 21+
Audition Time Limit: 15 minutes
Repertoire Requirement: Five contrasting selections from classical repertoire. One operatic aria. One oratorio/cantata aria. One foreign language art song. One art song in English. One additional selection from the classical repertoire. At least three languages must be represented.
                       
Adult Avocational
Years of Study: No limit
Age Limit: 21+
Audition Time Limit: 10 minutes
Repertoire Requirement: Three contrasting selections from classical repertoire. One art song in English. One art song in a foreign language. One additional art song or aria.

Adjudication Rubrics

JAZZ &CCM

ccm_rubric_cal_western.pdf
File Size:	91 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

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MUSICAL THEATER

nats_rubric_music_theater.pdf
File Size:	101 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

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CLASSICAL

nats_rubric_classical.pdf
File Size:	84 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

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Panel: "How to Adjudicate: Instructions and Etiquette"
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To learn more about effective, constructive adjudicating, please watch the panel that NATS Boston hosted in February of 2021.

​Our Panelists:

Noel Smith

Noel Smith is an international recording artist, voice teacher, producer, and pianist. She founded the elite recording choir, Vox Futura, and is a Producer for the largest recording studio in New England. Her current singers can be found working on Broadway: Wicked (Elphaba), Rent (Maureen), Waitress (Jenna), Mrs. Doubtfire (Christopher), Sing Street (Gary), American Idiot (Extraordinary Girl), Jesus Christ Superstar (Mary) and many Broadway tours. Noel prepares singers for entry into the top theater and pop programs in the country, and supports professional artists who maintain 8 shows a week. She is a presenter on vocal health and healthy belting for adolescents, and was a featured presenter for the NATS National Convention and The Voice Foundation.

Dr. Shannon Coates

Happily residing at the intersection of academic voice pedagogy and the practical application of that academic knowledge in the independent voice studio, I hold three degrees from the University of Toronto (woohoo! a matched set! #sofancy), culminating in a DMA in Vocal Performance, Specializing in Voice Pedagogy. I have instructed undergraduate voice pedagogy classes at two Ontario universities since 2013; the same year I was the recipient of the NATS Foundation’s Voice Pedagogy Award and was invited to present my doctoral research at The Voice Foundation’s Annual Symposium. Since then, I have been invited by organizations all over the world to speak about various topics of interest to voice teachers including ‘Teaching Singing to Very Young Children’ (ICVT 2017, Stockholm), and ‘Teaching the High School Belter’ (OMEA Opus 100, Toronto 2019). My studio research focus and (personal passion!) is creating resources and continuing education opportunities for independent studio owners to increase their understanding of the voice and of the art of teaching. To that end, I developed an online course, The Vocal Instrument 101, and several live-learning opportunities, such as POPUP Voice Pedagogy Classes, and The Vocal Instrument 101 LIVE. More information can always be found on my website, by following me on your preferred social media platform: FaceBook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Blog, or by signing up for my mailing list.

Kayla Gautereaux

Kayla Gautereaux, Assistant Vocal Pedagogy Director and Vocal Pedagogy Lab Manager at New England Conservatory, lectures on vocal pedagogy and the acoustics of the singing voice and advises students through their voice-related research projects. Additionally, Ms. Gautereaux serves on the faculty of the Acoustic Vocal Pedagogy Workshop at New England Conservatory. Ms. Gautereaux’s recent research interests include exploring the detailed time and pressure domains within a pitch period and low latency online teaching technology. Ms. Gautereaux serves as President of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, Boston Chapter.

Liz Eschen

Mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Eschen makes her home in Boston, where her work lives at the intersection of choral music and vocal pedagogy. A lifelong choral singer, her credits range from Lorelei Ensemble founding member to Mozart Requiem soloist to the Studio Cast Album of Alan Menken’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame, with special love for Bach and oratorio. She currently enjoys singing with Handel & Haydn Society, Emmanuel Music, Boston Baroque, Bach Akademie Charlotte, and Oregon Bach Festival, with recent solo engagements including Emmanuel Music, Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum, Harvard-Radcliffe Chorus, Rhode Island Civic Chorale, Back Bay Chorale, and Music at Marsh Chapel.
 
She is the Director of the Holden Voice Program and Teaching Fellow at Harvard University, where she integrates vocal function into the curriculum of the Harvard Choruses. She is honored to serve as the Vice-President of the Boston Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, and believes strongly in working for access and equity in the singing field. She is a member of Beyond Artists. www.BeyondArtists.org, www.elizabetheschen.com