YOUTH WORSHIP TEAM
CREATING EFFECTIVE VOCAL AUDITIONS | Vance & Michelle Shepherd
Does your youth worship team have more
vocalists than you know how to get on the
schedule, but you don’t have enough vocalists
that can really carry the ball and sing leads
and special songs for your worship services?
Vocalists with a quality tone and good vocal
range are much harder to come by than we
think – but the way we hold our vocal auditions
can help you find great vocalists, and can point
out their strengths and weaknesses so you
know how to best utilize them on your team.
We have found that the best first step in
the audition process is to ask for a video
submission. Just seeing them sing on video will
tell you so much about their vocal styling, tone,
presence, and how accurate they are on pitch. harmonies, one above the melody, and one you know what type of range they can execute
The video submission will free you up from below. “Lion & The Lamb” is also a great song well. Even a half to a whole tone can make a
holding so many live auditions, and you’ll be for a male lead vocalist to audition on. If the huge difference to a singer, so make sure that
able to give them feedback via email or phone singer can pick out multiple harmonies on a you as the youth worship leader are not asking
as to whether they will move forward to having recording, and be at least 80% accurate in their your singers to sing out of their range. They will
a live audition in person with you. execution (it might not be the exact harmony be more than happy to try to sing out of their
on the recording, but close enough – and make range just to please you, and to be able to sing
Once you have determined they will move sure they are always in key and are lining up on the team, but you want to set them up for
forward, pick a couple of songs that are very their harmony with the chords), then you will be success, and a good worship experience – not
popular in your church. “What A Beautiful setting your team up for great vocal success. have them walk away defeated and second
Name” by Hillsong is an example of a great We have been exposed to so many worship guessing their talent. We try to know every
audition song for a female lead vocalist because teams that have an abundance of singers on singer’s range, style, tone, and stage presence
it showcases different vocal tones in one song the platform singing just melody, and so few before assigning them a song that we “hope”
– moving from head voice to chest voice, and singers that can actually add harmony (and do will fit them. We always want to showcase a
will allow you to hear if the vocalist can navigate it well). strength, not a weakness.
whole song in just full voice or head voice only. Another thing to listen for during your vocal Excellence attracts excellence, so the higher
It’s great to ask them to also sing something auditions is how well they can utilize their full you set the bar for your team, and the more
that they personally connect with, or something voice and be able to belt. So much of modern you know your vocalists and what they can
very stylistic, so you can get a feel for what they worship is now leaning toward that style of and cannot do, you will attract other talented
might sound good on regarding specials or singing, and to have vocalists on your team that singers to your team.
theme songs. You can tell a lot about a singer can execute a full belted voice will allow you to by asking them to sing something that inspires do songs like “Raise A Hallelujah”, “No Longer May you be blessed as you pour into the next
them. Slaves”, “King of My Heart”, “Who You Say I generation of worship leaders!
between the two dynamically, or if they sing the
Am”, “Hallelujah For The Cross” etc. and sound
You also want to see if they can pick out
much more like the original recording.
harmonies by ear. “What A Beautiful Name” and
“Lion & The Lamb” (Bethel featuring Leeland) Check their vocal range and see how high they
are examples of songs that have prominent can go in a full belted voice (with control), so
64
November 2019
Vance & Michelle Shepherd
Founders of The Shepherd School of Music in Las
Vegas, NV, where they work with youth to raise up the
next generation of worship leaders and musicians.
facebook.com/shepherdschoolofmusiclasvegas
www.ShepherdStudiosLV.com
Subscribe for Free...