Hometown: Greenville, SC
Major/Minor: Marketing/Music
Year: Sophomore
Other Organization Involvement: Tiger Ties (Mentorship Program) in the College of Business, Tigeroar
Favorite Clemson Tradition: The singing of the Alma Mater after the football games
What made you choose to come to Clemson?
My sister is five years older than me, and she came here. I got to experience Clemson early on when we came up for visits and games. It also helped that my family hated USC and favored Clemson. We’re a Clemson family, and I just knew Clemson was the one.
What is Tigeroar?
Tigeroar is Clemson’s all-male acapella group. It’s an audition group made up of 16 members.
How did you hear about Tigeroar, and why did you want to audition?
I’ve been singing my whole life, but I began seriously in middle school with chorus and my band “Launch.” I first hear about Tigeroar through my sister. When she was at Clemson, she did sorority stuff and had heard about them. She hyped it up for me, and she told me that if I came to Clemson I needed to join. I also worked with a former Tigeroar member my junior year of high school, so I was able to get someone’s firsthand experience with the group.
What was the audition process like?
It’s a two-day event that occurs at the beginning of both semesters depending on availability of spots. Those who audition need to be in CU singers or men’s chorus. We give about 1-2 weeks in the beginning of the semester before auditions in order for the guys to meet this initial requirement. It also gives us time to get the word out.
Day one covers basic vocal stuff. Current Tigeroar members test the guys’ upper and lower range. We also do this thing called pitch matching. We’ll play four sets of 3 notes, and you’ll have to sing the notes back to us to see if you can match them. There is also a 30-60 second solo that we have the guys prepare and perform for day one. It’s usually a popular song that shows their voices.
Day two is a callback day, so we ask back the guys we want. The day focuses on the blending of the group. We’ll go up in the music scale and go down to see how each person’s tone and voice blends with the other members of the group. We’ll also give them a part of our songs and have them sing it with various members of the group. There is also a day two solo that we ask differs in style from day one. When I auditioned, I sang “All of Me” for my first solo, and “Feeling Good” for the second day.
How many people make up Tigeroar, and what the dynamic among you like?
Tigeroar is made up of 16 members. During the audition process, we judge not only on talent, but we also personality. We want to make sure that they will blend with the dynamic of the group. It’s almost like a mini fraternity. During the year, there is a lot of bonding that goes on especially with the travel. We spend a lot of time hanging out and rehearsing. Because of that the guys in Tigeroar have become my best friends.
What is your favorite venue/event you have preformed at?
My favorite event I’ve performed at was the Miss Homecoming Pageant in the fall of 2015. It was my first true performance with the group, and I had one of the first auditioned solos. We sang JT’s “My Love” as an intermission for the pageant. I didn’t realize how much people liked Tigeroar until that performance, and the crowd blew me away.
Do you have a favorite song to perform?
Because of that performance, “My Love” is my favorite song to perform. People always freak out over Justin Timberlake.
What’s your favorite genre of music? What artists do you listen to?
I really hate this question because there are too many. I listen to all kinds of music, and it really depends on my mood. It’ll range from John Mayer one day to Eminem the next.
What is your favorite part about Tigeroar?
Definitely the brotherhood. If I wasn’t in Tigeroar, I would probably be in a fraternity but I’m happy with Tigeroar. It’s a great group of guys.
Do you have a favorite memory from a performance?
We sang for the Republican National Candidate Convention last year. It was in the Bon Secours Arena in Greenville. There were about 10,000-15,000 people there, and we sang the national anthem in front of them all.
Where do you hope to take/how will you continue your singing career?
I either want to go into the business world or pursue my singing career after graduation. I would like to try out for The Voice my senior year or after graduation. I can also play the guitar, and I feel like on those kinds of shows, you get noticed if you have a story or something that makes you unique. I feel like playing guitar one-handed would get me noticed and would work in my favor.
Tigeroar just released an album, “Orange Revival,” on Spotify and iTunes!
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Twitter: @TigeroarClemson
Instagram: @tigeroarclemson and @jimmyfountain