UI Choirs Fall 2025 Placements
Choral Ensembles
Overview
Choral placements for the Fall 2025 semester will take place both remotely and in-person and consist of three portions: 1.) In-person placement 2.) Vocalise recording 3.) Google form. Details for completing these components of the placements are below.
Who Should Complete This Placement
All new or returning singers who would like to sing in a UI Choir during Fall 2025.
When Does This Placement Take Place
Placements will occur Sunday through Thursday of the first week of school: August 24-28.
Step 1: Sign up for your in-person placement here:
If you would like to sing in a UI choir but are unavailable at these times, please email Dr. Puderbaugh to set up an appointment.
Your in-person placement will include three short tasks:
- A prepared song of your choice. You may sing anything—classical, pop, or something in between. If you don’t have a prepared piece, feel free to sing something simple you know, like My Country 'Tis of Thee or Happy Birthday. An accompanist will not be provided, so you may (1) bring a pianist, (2) bring a recorded accompaniment and a Bluetooth speaker, or (3) sing a cappella.
- Pitch memory. The faculty will play a short series of notes on the piano and ask you to sing them back.
- Sight-singing. You’ll be given a short musical excerpt to read and sing.
Tips for Preparing:
Prepared excerpt: Choose something you enjoy singing and that shows off your vocal range and tone. Practice singing it with expression and clear diction. If you're using a backing track, test your playback setup in advance.
Pitch memory: Ask a friend to play 4–5 random notes on the piano (stepwise or with skips) and sing them back by ear. Aim for accuracy, not speed.
Sight-reading: Visit www.sightreadingfactory.com. This is the same tool we use to generate the excerpts you'll see in the placement. Practicing here will give you a very similar experience to what you’ll encounter on the day.
Step 2: Record Your Vocalise
Record an audio recording of yourself vocalizing with the appropriate voice track below. When it gets too low or too high, drop out (you do not need to complete all keys!). It must be an audio file (ex. .mp3, .m4a) and no larger than 10MB. We recommend recording with "Voice Memos" if you have an iOS device. You’ll upload your recording in the next step.
Soprano/Alto Track
When you have finished recording, double check your work to make sure you and the vocalization track can be heard. If the sound quality is poor, try adjusting your microphone placement, or recording with a different device.
Step 3: Fill out Google Form
Fill out the following Google Form. This is where you will upload your vocalise. This form must be completed before your in-person appointment.
After Your Placement
Following your in-person placement, revisit the Choral Placement page on the Music Callboard. and directions on how to register for the course (usually by Friday of the first week of school).
Choirs
Kantorei - MUS:3170 | MTWTh, 1:30-2:20pm
Kantorei is the premier choral ensemble of the University, consisting of about 30 graduate and undergraduate students. Kantorei presents four to five concerts on campus each year, as well as a number of off-campus performances. Superior sight-reading is desirable.
University Choir - MUS:3174 | MTWTh, 2:30-3:20pm
University Choir is a select, advanced choir of 50-60 singers, primarily undergraduate students. They present four to five concerts per year and combine to perform two major works with the University Symphony Orchestra. Good singers with sight reading competency are required.
Voxman Chorale - MUS:1176 | T and Th, 3:30-5:20pm
Voxman Chorale is a select chorus of approximately 35 treble singers (sopranos/altos) that presents three to four concerts per year. As with other ensembles, it is open to singers from the University of Iowa.
Camerata Singers - MUS:3172 | T and Th, 7:15-9:15pm
This select ensemble of 50-70 singers is open to UI students, staff, and faculty. Camerata usually presents three concerts per year and joins the UI Symphony Orchestra for two concerts of major works.
