About Singing
Seasons and Semesters
There are officially two singing semesters in each season with a summer break in between.
- Fall Semester (September - December) - the first semester of the season
- Spring Semester (January - June) - the second semester of the season
- Summer Break (July - August)
Dues
Members are asked to pay dues to be a singing member of the Chorus. Dues can be paid either annually or per semester. Annual dues are $120 for the year and only available as an option at the beginning of the Fall semester. Semester dues are $75 per semester and available as an option for either semester. Our policy is that no one should be prevented from singing by inability to pay dues. Scholarships are available if you need to make other arrangements for dues. If you have such a situation, you may speak with the Chorus President.
Wardrobe
For most performances, a tuxedo or suit-equivalent is required and consists of a black jacket, black trousers, white business shirt with collar, blue tie (provided by the Chorus), black socks, and black dress shoes. Other occasional wardrobe requirements are announced for concerts as necessary, but in most cases, members already have these other items in their closets. Members are responsible for purchasing the needed wardrobe items.
Music
A Chorus member can receive music either electronically, as a PDF file, or as printed scores. Many members like to download the music to their tablet or smartphone and read off of that, rather than dealing with printed copies. For those who prefer to use paper, the Chorus asks that, if possible, the member print his own copy from the supplied PDF. Finally, for those who require them, the Chorus librarian will have a limited number of printed copies available at rehearsal.
All music is expected to be memorized for the concerts. This often requires spending a small amount of time outside of rehearsal to learn your music. Practice tracks are also made available for you to download so you can practice in your car or listen on a digital music player (.e.g iPod, smart phone, etc).
COVID-19 Guidelines
Please download the document below which outlines the guidelines for rehearsing and performances during the COVID-19 pandemic.
| nmgmc-fall-2021-covid-guidelines-3rd-draft.pdf |
Auditioning
Auditions & What to Expect
Because the New Mexico Gay Men’s Chorus strives for artistic excellence, acceptance as a singing member is determined by an audition. We understand that the idea of an audition can be intimidating, and we do our best to make the audition process as informal and friendly as possible. Overall, the whole process should not take more than 5-10 minutes. The Artistic Director will help you feel comfortable and at ease for your audition.
All the audition music can be downloaded at the link below. Both the audio MP3s of the music and PDFs of the sheet music are included.
Because the New Mexico Gay Men’s Chorus strives for artistic excellence, acceptance as a singing member is determined by an audition. We understand that the idea of an audition can be intimidating, and we do our best to make the audition process as informal and friendly as possible. Overall, the whole process should not take more than 5-10 minutes. The Artistic Director will help you feel comfortable and at ease for your audition.
- Auditions are conducted on non-rehearsal dates at the beginning of each semester. Auditioners must choose a date and time to schedule their audition after they've signed up. If joining mid-season, the Artistic Director will email you about an audition time.
- Auditioners who cannot make the audition dates must schedule an audition outside of rehearsal at the discretion of the audition team.
- Auditioners will be informed of their membership status before the first rehearsal.
- Your audition will consist of the following:
- Each auditioner is required to prepare a short solo piece with piano accompaniment (around 2 minutes) of their choice. The auditioner must bring paper sheet music for the accompanist to play along with them. The piece needs to be memorized. If they would prefer, the auditioner can use of the pieces provided on the NMGMC website instead of bringing their own piece. The choices are: Greensleeves (high or low key) and O Danny Boy (high or low key).
- Each auditioner is required to learn an excerpt of the choral piece Make Them Hear You (m.22-38), singing one of the designated harmony parts (1st Tenor, 2nd Tenor, Baritone, Bass) along with piano accompaniment. A PDF of the excerpt is provided on the NMGMC website, along with MP3s of each of the four parts to practice with. The auditioner can choose which harmony part to sing at the audition. This piece does NOT need to be memorized.
All the audition music can be downloaded at the link below. Both the audio MP3s of the music and PDFs of the sheet music are included.
| audition_music.zip |
May I sit in on a rehearsal prior to my audition?
Absolutely. Prior to auditioning, candidates are encouraged to sit-in on a regular rehearsal to personally experience the fun and demands of NMGMC membership. If you are interested in sitting-in on a rehearsal prior to auditioning, email the director at the email address below.
Do I have to “re-audition” if I have sung in the chorus before?
Yes, even current chorus members may be asked to re-audition from time to time. Why? In order to make sure that everyone is in the correct section and singing well, the Artistic Director periodically needs to hear everyone in an audition setting.
Absolutely. Prior to auditioning, candidates are encouraged to sit-in on a regular rehearsal to personally experience the fun and demands of NMGMC membership. If you are interested in sitting-in on a rehearsal prior to auditioning, email the director at the email address below.
Do I have to “re-audition” if I have sung in the chorus before?
Yes, even current chorus members may be asked to re-audition from time to time. Why? In order to make sure that everyone is in the correct section and singing well, the Artistic Director periodically needs to hear everyone in an audition setting.
Sign Up to Sing
To Get Started
Sign up by clicking the button below to sign up. At the beginning of a semester, the link will take you to sign up for an Audition. Or if visiting this page during the middle of a semester, the link will gather your contact information and place you on our Wait List. We will contact you later about auditioning. You'll also receive an email with helpful information from the membership team.
Sign up by clicking the button below to sign up. At the beginning of a semester, the link will take you to sign up for an Audition. Or if visiting this page during the middle of a semester, the link will gather your contact information and place you on our Wait List. We will contact you later about auditioning. You'll also receive an email with helpful information from the membership team.
Use the Form at the Link Below to Join Us
