How To Sound Check for ICCA or ICHSA

techniques
September 06, 2015•2 min read

For most competitions and showcases in a cappella, you will have 15 minutes to soundcheck your 10 minute set. This is enough time for you to:

  • Sing through the entire set

  • Ask for any volume changes in the monitor or main levels from the sound engineer

  • Build your singers confidence about their performance on that specific stage

That's pretty much it. Your specific event may provide additional details or instructions for you.

Some sound engineers like to do a line check of each singer before you run your set. If they do this, each singer needs to be prepared to sing something at at least a mezzoforte level with words. This should not be your fully occluded "mmmm" alto 3 pad or your "doo doo doo doo" instrumental line. It should be a real melodic line with actual words, at a decent volume and in a style that the singer will actually use in the set. Bass and VP should perform a section of one of your set songs. You will waste time if you are not prepared to do this.

Here is what you do NOT want to do during your sound check:

  • Do NOT rehearse specific parts of a song in an attempt to improve something musically or vocally.

  • Do NOT change your choreography. You should have the stage dimensions in advance and have practiced with them.

  • Do NOT change microphones unless specifically instructed to by the sound engineer.

  • Do NOT waste time by talking through issues (visual, musical, etc.) with your group on stage.

The above are inefficient uses of your time on stage. They should have already been done and/or will have detrimental effects on your students' confidence trying to accomplish them frantically in a short space of time. Sound check is all about making your students feel comfortable and building their confidence before a high-pressure performance.

Pro Tip: Train your singers on how to properly hold a microphone-- 1 to 3 inches from the mouth for singers, right on the lips for VP, touching the lips and bottom of the nose for a bass. Ensure the microphone is close to parallel to the floor and pointed directly at the mouth and don't pull it too far away, even when belting. Avoid covering the capsule with the hand, even for bass or VP.

Final ProTip:  Make sure you’ve had people from outside groups watch and provide feedback on your set before you compete.  Put on at least one public performance in advance, too.  Finally, get an expert who has judged, competed, and won ICCA/ICHSA Finals to score and coach your set– every group that has won in recent memory has! We can help you-- sign up for an in-depth set review now!

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