Join us!

Do you want to sing new music with new people, or do you have a friend looking for a great new social activity? Slide into our DMs, hit up our inboxes, tell someone to tell someone you want in, or (since you’re already here) fill out the interest form and we’ll send you more information. You can also check out the FAQs below!

Rehearsals are on Mondays at 7:00-9:30PM during the Spring and Fall seasons. We hold auditions for new members in the weeks leading up to each season.

We also usually host one “open rehearsal” every Spring and Fall, when members are encouraged to invite friends, colleagues, and enemies to attend a rehearsal to see what it’s like (the general public is invited, too!). There’s no pressure to sing during the rehearsal (or join New Choir after attending one) but everyone’s welcome to participate. 

“I really like all of the repertoire. There’s not a piece in the concert that I’m not excited to practice and sing … and I think if we pull it off, it’s gonna sound really good.”

— Goodwin Langford (choir member), 2025

FAQs

  • We’re a group of different ages, genders and musical backgrounds who sing together because we love to. Many of our members join after hearing about us via word-of-mouth from friends, coworkers, or family, but that doesn’t mean we’re exclusive or cliquey; we love welcoming new people into our choir. 

    Words that describe our vibe: friendly, enthusiastic, eager to contribute, inclusive, challenging (in a good way: we like growing together and learning new types of music). You don’t have to be an extrovert or outgoing to join us; introverts and quiet folks are most welcome. 

    If you’re new to singing in a choir, the music we sing and our rehearsal pace will be challenging in a good way. If you’re a veteran singer, our music and rehearsals will feel doable and allow you to engage deeply with the music. Regardless of your past experience, it’s ideal if you plan to practice your part between rehearsals; we provide practice tracks for all voice parts. 

    We rehearse on Monday nights from 7:00-9:30 PM. We take breaks midway through rehearsal to socialize and share snacks that our members take turns providing.

  • No particular experience is required. The most important thing is your eagerness to learn, show up, and try. Our rehearsals are fast-paced but there is always time for questions. Our director loves answering questions anywhere on the spectrum of basic to complex. He says, “I move fast, but I believe that everyone learns faster when I explain the fundamentals more in depth.”

    Experience being on a team and/or part of a group is ideal, and if you’ve played an instrument or sung before, great. But if you can't read music or you’ve never formally sung, come anyway to learn what you can and talk to our friends who joined in the same boat. There is room to learn by rote, and we provide practice tracks for all voice parts to aid learning.

  • Our director William Myers-Ortiz will send you a short piece of music to learn and sing during your audience. He will lead you in vocalizations (or “warm-ups”) to hear your range and tone. You’ll be asked to match pitch and sight-sing (if you can’t sight-sing, that’s okay. Preparing the short piece of music is more important than sight-singing). Finally, he’ll coach you on the prepared piece, which is your opportunity to show effort and initiative. 

    If you don’t know what part you sing (soprano, alto, tenor or bass) come audition and give Will feedback on what feels comfortable (or uncomfortable) to sing. We value versatility but comfortable and healthy singing is our priority. 

    We hold auditions in the summer and winter before our Fall and Spring concert series. An audition form for our Spring performance series is coming soon. In the meantime, you can get in touch about auditioning by filling in the form above!

  • Members pay dues every spring and fall, which go towards scores, performance licenses, space rental where we rehearse, publicity,  and other operating expenses. Dues are currently set at a sliding scale of $25–50 per person per concert. Non-monetary contribution is normal and encouraged as well; there are a variety of ways to support our choir and we welcome them all.

  • While we’re an inclusive and welcoming choir, if you want to sing spiritual or religious music, New Choir is not the best fit (we sing secular music). And if you’re looking for a casual singing experience (think: no practice required, low-key rehearsals, little attention to detail or artistry), New Choir probably isn’t what you’re looking for.