Music at Princeton, anyone?

glinda
Sat, 24 Mar 2007 21:06:31 +0000

All of the a cappella groups are student run, meaning that they don’t have any faculty advising or connections. However, the leaders of the groups are some of the nicest and most enthusiastic students you’ll meet, and I’m sure they would be happy to talk to you. Contact information can be found on the groups’ websites. You’ll want to look into the all girl groups (Tigerlillies, Tigressions, and Wildcats) and the co-ed groups (Katzenjammers, Roaring 20, and Shere Khan). All have a unique bent to them. There are clips of the music online, or if you’re lucky enough, there’ll be an arch sing one of the nights that you visit campus. Arch sings take place twice a month and consist of the eight oldest groups taking turns singing in one of Princeton’s gothic arches, where the acoustics are good. Our schedule for the spring is 3/31, 4/13, 4/19, and 5/5 from 10pm-12am. There are also other concerts, such as the Co-Ed Jam taking place in early April. As you can see, the groups are a major presence on campus.

As far as applications go, the students hold no sway with the admissions office. However, I very strongly suggest that your daughter set up an on-campus audition with the music department as a supplement to her application. She can do voice or piano or both. If you cannot make it to campus for an in-person audition, a recording will do, but I know that they look highly on those who take the initiative to come to campus if possible. I’m convinced that my audition was one of the things that tipped the scale in my favor. Best of luck in your college search!