By Cuchulainn Quirk
A crowded hallway full of singing students ready to audition signaled the return of Hawkapella to UW-Whitewater.
On Sept. 16 UW-W’s a cappella group held the first auditions for this year’s team in the basement of the Center of the Arts.
Contestants were to prepare a 30 sec showcase of their vocal abilities by which two senior members, one being the president of Hawkapella, would judge them for admittance.
As auditions began, 50 people were sitting outside of the judge’s room.
“Last semester we had 30 to 40 people so I was expecting a bigger turnout this time because it’s the beginning of a year, and there are new students on campus,” Hawkapella President Logan Peaslee said.
Peaslee was in charge of running auditions last year and said he doesn’t expect a certain amount of participants, he just wants to see new faces.
“We don’t shoot for anything when we go into auditions because we just try to see what’s out there,” Peaslee said. “It really just depends on the talent we see.”
Peaslee said he started the club with a goal to bring something new to the UWWhitewater music scene.
Modern music was his goal and he said he knew students would want to particpate in something fresh.
“We found only choirs that were doing more choral type of singing, and we thought if there’s not something to join why don’t we create something,” Peaslee said.
Annaleise Pospyhalla, Hawkapella member, assisted with judging for the auditions. She was one of the first people to try out during Hawkapella’s infancy last semester and has stayed with the club ever since.
“It’s awesome that we can all come together and make music with each other, and we don’t have to be in the department in order to create awesome music in an environment where we can just come and sing and chill and hang out,” Pospyhalla said.
While Peaslee himself is pursuing a career in music, he said a majority of Hawkapella members are not.
“I think it’s important to realize that it doesn’t have to be your career,” Peaslee said. “You may want that, but it’s so important to not let things that you love and enjoy go to the wayside because you have other responsibilities, which is what this group is about.”
This was reflected in a large number of the auditioning singers. Many that were trying out had majors unrelated to music.
Like many groups on campus, Hawkapella was made for students to have fun and escape their busy schedules.
“You can have your career and your passion, and I think it’s really good to have a healthy combination of both,” Pospyhalla said.
With Hawkapella auditions concluded, it’s up to the judges to decide what talent this semester’s new additions will bring to UWW growing a cappella scene.
