Why Fools?
More Fools Than Wise is Wash U's premiere student run chamber ensemble, usually ranging from 10-14 singers. We are one of only two a cappella groups on campus to put on two full length concerts each year (our Madrigal Feaste in the fall, the April Fools Concert in the spring), and each show consists of entirely new repertoire. Fools represents a totally unique slice of a cappella music, ranging from traditional chamber music to modern choral repertoire (yes, we love Eric Whitacre too), to folk music and vocal jazz! You can hear live clips of our performances on the music page.
Fools is nothing like your high school choir--as a student directed group, we have a totally different group dynamic and perspective on making music. Fools is a family. We love spending time together, and have more inside jokes than we can count. We are also the fiercest group on campus and throw the best dance parties. |
FAQs
How do auditions work?
More Fools than Wise is a member of the A Cappella Advisory Council (ACAC), and as such, our auditions and callbacks must follow certain guidelines, all designed to make life easier for you. To find out more, make sure to check out the ACAC website and attend the "Info Session" on August 29th in College Hall at 9pm. What can I expect at my audition? Each audition takes about 15 minutes. Please plan on getting there 5-10 minutes ahead of time to fill out some super fun forms. Your audition will start off with vocal warm-ups and exercises designed to measure your range and give us a sense of your voice. Next, you'll get a chance to sing your solo piece! What kind of solo piece? We ask you to sing a verse and a chorus (about 30 seconds) of a song of your choice. Since More Fools than Wise isn’t your typical pop a cappella group, we aren’t looking to hear the latest Justin Bieber single. We recommend that you choose a jazz piece, a big band standard, or something a little more classical. But don’t stress out over song choice! We can’t wait to hear whatever you want to sing for us to best show off your voice. |
What about callbacks?
After another set of warm ups, we'll spend some time getting to know you and introducing you to the group. Then, we'll teach you a piece from our repertoire, and you'll get a chance to sing it with a quartet, and maybe even with the whole group! Callbacks give us the opportunity to really hear your voice blending with ours--we want to get a feel for how you might fit in as a member of Fools. What's the time commitment? We rehearse 6 hours a week, like most of the other a cappella groups on campus. Our rehearsal schedule is set at the beginning of each semester, but we always make sure to accommodate the schedules of our new members. You can expect a handful of gigs throughout the semester in addition to our two full length concerts, the Madrigal Feaste in the fall and the April Fools Concert in the spring. In the weeks preceding those big shows, your life might get taken over by Fools a little bit--in a good way! However, Fools does not have to be your only activity. We've had members involved in Greek life, crazy pre-med double majors, PAD shows, Diwali, and even other a cappella groups. What if I don't have singing experience? That's absolutely fine; neither had some of our current members when they joined. If you love singing, we'd love to hear you audition, no matter what your background is! |
But I Have Other Questions!
If you have any other questions, you can always shoot an email to our group coordinator, James Schisler.