The Happy Musician

Today we’ll look at an audition for American Association of Christian Schools – through the Sunshine State Association of Chrisitan Schools! Some schools do different processes on the state level, but in this post I’m going to talk about Florida’s admittance. Note: Not every private Christian school in Florida participates in this competition, but many do.

In order to make it to Nationals (AACS), you must place 1st in any category – whoever is in that/those category/categories goes to South Carolina for Nationals. You may also do instrumental solos or ensembles, or vocal solos, but we are not covering that here.

SSACS dates for 2026: March 12-13

AACS dates for 2026: April 14-17

Audition Process

The audition begins with SSACS, which is the state level of the process. There are a ton of categories to audition for, but we will focus on Small Vocal Ensemble, Large Vocal Ensemble, and Choir.

Small ensemble – Day 1

Process: Your group will practice one piece (usually sacred, may be foreign language) with an accompanist to perform at Westgate in Tampa, FL, for SSACS. SSACS is like the audition for AACS. You will perform the piece in the required amount of time (around 3-12 minutes, but the handbook changes in the 2025-2026 school year). You will get a score of 4-10 from each judge (i.e. tone quality, stage presence, song appropriateness, etc.), with 100 being the maximum number of points you may receive. You will compete against all other registered schools in this area. This group cannot be directed.

Number of people allowed: 2-6

Large Ensemble – Day 2

Process: Your group will practice one piece with an accompanist to perform at Westgate in Tampa, FL. You will perform the piece in the required amount of time and receive a score of 4-10 in each category. You will compete against all other registered schools in this category. This ensemble may or may not be directed.

Number of people allowed: 7-12

Choral Group (Single A, “A”) – Day 2

Process: Your group will practice two pieces (one must be sacred) with an accompanist to perform at Westgate in Tampa, FL. You will perform the pieces in the required amount of time and receive a score of 4-10 in each category. You will compete against other schools registered under “Choral Group A”, which is usually the smaller choir. Other schools like Westgate and Land O’ Lakes participate in the larger “AA” (Double A) group. My school/co-op, Calvary Baptist Church Academy, competes in Single A Choral Group. This group must be directed.

Number of people allowed in Single A: 13-24

Making it to Nationals (AACS)

If you placed 1st in any of your auditioned categories at state level, congratulations! You are heading to Bob Jones University in South Carolina in April for Nationals! You should be very happy that you made it to Nationals, even if you don’t place at AACS. When you go up to BJU, you will most likely arrive on Tuesday and go home on Friday, but arrival and departure varies based on school.

Performing: You will most likely perform with the Single A Choral Group in Stratton Hall, and Small Vocal Ensemble will probably be in the Fine Arts building near the girls’ dorms and the dining hall. Large Vocal Ensemble is usually in the War Memorial Chapel. The procedure is very similar to SSACS but at AACS the judges are far more strict and you must be very nearly perfect to even place.

If you do place, congratulations! You’re among the best in the country, at least in terms of Christian schools. Over 30 states and 1600 students participate in AACS each year, and your school is among the few groups that placed!

I’m excited to announce that our school/co-op placed 2nd at Nationals for Small Vocal Ensemble this past year! It was a joy to sing with my 4 other friends, and even if we wouldn’t have placed (sorry, CBCA Single A Choral Group, maybe this coming year!) I would’ve had a great time.

Helpful tips

• I can never say this enough – always come prepared! These 2 competitions are extremely strict, so get ready for standing stock still (don’t lock your knees and remember to breathe!) and staring at one spot while smiling the entire time. Practice your pleasant smile in a mirror and practice looking at one spot or area while you go through your songs. When your director is directing you, ALWAYS look at him/her. You will lose points for loss of focus, putting hands on face or hair, or shifting from foot to foot.
• Know your part. The judges want to hear every single voice part blended together well.
• Hydrate a lot. This is especially helpful at Nationals. I had one friend this past year who didn’t drink or eat enough on Wednesday and that night she was really sick. Water and food are essential, so don’t take advantage of them!
• Get enough rest!!! I cannot emphasize this enough! At Nationals, you may be tempted to pull an all-nighter, but DO NOT! It’s a long bus ride back to Florida and you’re going to regret that you stayed up all night, considering the fact that even with sleep you’re going to average about 5-6 hours.

If I missed anything, please comment! Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you tomorrow for the Candlelight audition process!

Cover photo by BJU – Front Fountain and Bridge