Christine Salerno is the choir director and leader of the vocal jazz ensemble, the Tritones. The Tritones are a group of 20 students who practice before and after school and perform at special events throughout the year.

The Tritones perform music from groups such as “The Manhattan Transfer,” “Pentatonix,” “The New York Voices” as well as other types of vocal jazz.

If you are interested in participating in the vocal group, there are a few things you must do.

According to senior Hannah Vanden Heuvel, a member of the group, “The audition requirements change a bit year to year, but usually involve sight reading your vocal part in a jazz arrangement and scatting a few measures.”

Salerno explained that sight reading is “singing music they haven’t seen before” and scatting is “vocal improvisation.”

The hard work does not end after the audition as individual Tritones have a responsibility to the group and are required to give a large portion of their time to rehearsals. At these rehearsals, Vanden Heuvel said, they work on “covering everything we need to before our concerts, learning our music, having dynamics and visually looking like a professional group.”

The Tritones, although just coming together, do not have much time to waste. Their first performance date is set for late October.

One of Salerno’s biggest challenges is balancing the group. Salerno said, “We don’t have many guys interested in this ensemble.” She expressed her hope of more men joining the ensemble in future years.

As a student, Vanden Heuvel said one of her challenges is “we have to play catch-up sometimes to make up for the rehearsal time we might have missed talking or having laugh attacks.”

Due to the nature of the group, the members eventually become like a family.

The group helps students learn about themselves and each other. Vanden Heuvel said, “ I’ve found part of myself while performing with this group.”

Although the group comes with its challenges, Salerno said, “I love the progress the students make at each rehearsal and the energy behind it.”

Look for the Tritones at their first event of the year at the Fall Vocal Music Concert, coming to you soon on October 22.

TRITONES ’18-‘19
Bella Brabazon
Marybeth Healy  
Elizabeth Hoeppner
Ellen Meeuwsen
Monica Sosa-Hernandez
Anna Zimmermann
Micah Dennis
Sonja Gapinski
Maggie Otradovec
Hannah VandenHeuvel
Mattea Vecera
Charles Peterson
Drew Gunville
Noah Sternig
Briana Fitzgerald
Belle Mae Williams
Cashay Lewis
Olivia Lin
Libby Rickards
Melanie Burnell