Vocals

Mandatory music selection requirements for auditioning as a vocalist.

Recruiting for vocalists
will close on the
20th September 2024.

The CAF is looking for vocalists who can demonstrate:

• Musical versatility
• Clear and consistent intonation
• Stage presence and ability to connect with an audience

Mandatory music selections

Requirements for your audio recording

Selections may use live accompaniment or a commercial backing track. Sheet music will not be provided.

Mandatory Selection No.1 - Perform our National Anthem, O Canada, in the key of your choice.

Mandatory Selection No. 2 - Perform one selection from current Top 100 (Pop, Rock, R&B, Country).

Mandatory Selection No. 3 - Perform one selection from the jazz or musical theatre repertoire.

Mandatory Selection No. 4 - Perform one selection of your choice in a contrasting musical style.

Optional Selection - Perform a selection of your choice that demonstrates your versatility in any other musical style or a secondary instrument.

Live audition process and preparation

All live auditions will be performed live with a Regular Force Band.

The live audition is divided into 4 parts:

• solo and ensemble performance
• theory and aural skill tests
• Music Branch interview

Solo and ensemble performance

Prepared solos

Mandatory Selections 1, 2 and 3 are ceremonial selections and will be performed unaccompanied. Mandatory Selection 4 will be performed with a large ensemble. Mandatory Selection 5 may be self-accompanied, or a rhythm section will be provided.

Mandatory Selection No. 1 - O Canada (Bilingual version) (key of your choice)

Mandatory Selection No. 2 - The Star Spangled Banner (key of your choice)

Mandatory Selection No. 3 - God Save The King (key of your choice)

Mandatory Selection No. 4 - Perform one ballad from the list below. The selection will be performed from memory with a large ensemble and will display your ability to utilize proper microphone technique.

• Faithfully (Journey)
• Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Elton John)
• I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing (Aerosmith)
• You Raise Me Up (Josh Groban)
• The Greatest Love Of All (Whitney Houston)
• Alone (Heart)
• If I Ain’t Got You (Alicia Keys)
• Total Eclipse Of The Heart (Bonnie Tyler)
• Bring Him Home (Les Misérables)
• I Am Telling You (Dreamgirls)
• Un peu plus haut (Ginette Reno)
• Hymne à l’amour (in the style of Josh Groban)
• Mes Blues passent pu dans’ porte (Offenbach)

Mandatory Selection No. 5 - Prepare 12-15 minutes of music (3-4 songs) in genres of your choice. Selections must be in contrasting styles from each other and demonstrate your strengths in more than one genre. Selections will be performed from memory with a rhythm section, or you may bring your own accompaniment (backtrack/self-accompanied). You must provide lead sheets or an arrangement of your selections for the rhythm section no later than two weeks before the live audition.

Optional Selections - Perform a solo of your choice that demonstrates your versatility in any other musical style or on a secondary instrument.

Sight-reading - Perform sight-reading excerpts to demonstrate your ability to read music.

Theory and aural skill tests

Musical theory

A music theory test will be performed and you will recognize:

• signs
• terms
• chords
• intervals
• score types
• transposition
• abbreviations
• time signature
• identifying keys
• cadences and melody writing
• major, minor and other scales and modes

Aural Skills

The aural skills test will include the following:

• melodic dictation
• incorrect notes in a given melody
• separate dictation treble clef and bass clef
• intervals - harmonic, melodic, ascending and descending
• chords (triads) - major, minor, 1st and 2nd inversion and 4 notes chords: Dom7, dim7, aug7

Music Branch interview

A selection panel within the Regular Force Band will assess you. After the audition, you will be interviewed by the panel. All recordings and assessments will be sent to DHH Music for final selection.

Final selection will be based on the panel’s recommendations.