"You may begin whenever you're ready," said a serious voice over the Zoom call.
 
  His heart was beating hard, and his hands turned cold. He took a deep breath

before belting out to the song "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran. He hoped for the best.

 

  Approaching the climax of the song, Hu Chong' En closed his eyes and hoped his voice

would not betray him. 
 
  "Thank you, we'll notify you of the result via email. You can leave the call now."
 
  "Phew, that was so close," Hu heaved a sigh of relief as he shut his laptop and went back to fiddling with his piano keyboard.

---

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  Last year, if anyone had asked where we saw ourselves at the turn of the decade, it is hard to imagine many people would have replied: "At home". Nevertheless, COVID-19 surprised us all and forced us to switch our lives online. 

 

  Performing arts groups in NTU were among the many victims of circumstance that were forced to adapt their audition procedures to the current situation. 

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  In August, Harmonix, the campus acapella group, held auditions online through Zoom, a video conferencing application used worldwide during the COVID-19. 

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  Hu Chong' En, 25, is a final-year National Institute of Education student who wished to join the campus acapella group, Harmonix.

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  "Many people asked me: why in my final year? I love singing but did not have the luxury of the time in my first 3 years in school. Now that my schedule is not as tight as before, I thought I'd give Harmonix a try. But COVID happened," Hu shared.

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The Bad

  Since auditions were held online, auditionees came prepared with a song to impress the judges. However, poor network connections rendered them unable to display their harmonising skills.
 
  "We knew we had to find an alternative (for in-person harmonisation). We used an online (digital audio) software called 'Soundtrap'," told Siti Yasnira, 22, the Welfare Officer of Harmonix and member of the main committee in charge of the auditions.
 
  While technological tools like Zoom and Soundtrap help to overcome limitations brought on by the COVID-19 safety measures, they bring with them their fair share of drawbacks as well.

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  "I remember I struggled alone in my room, trying to record the different vocal parts for the auditionees. It took me a full day to figure the inside and outs of the software. To top it off, my internet wasn't working that day, it went really great!" Siti commented sarcastically, reminiscing the time when she had to prepare tracks for the second round of auditions.

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  Not only were complaints about the practical shortcomings, but Hu also felt that the soul of the auditions was lost through digital transmission. 
 
  "(The online sessions) are a lot more task-oriented. I'd prefer it if I can meet new people. I love meeting people, especially if we share the same passion. That's the point of CCAs," Hu lamented. 
 
  Siti, too, noted: "We could not really sense (the auditionees') personalities through the online rooms, and how well they interact with others." 

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The Good

  Auditions can be daunting for those who fear being judged by critical eyes. For those, an online audition was good news.

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  Loong Chor Teng, 19, a first-year MAE student, recounted: "I auditioned from home and it gave me a sense of comfort because I was in a familiar setting. I was watching Netflix before the audition!"

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  According to Siti, the quality of audition turnouts was better this year.

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  "Before the pandemic, people can do walk-in auditions (at The Hive). Most of them did it for fun or because they followed their friends who auditioned. This year, those interested had to sign up through an online form. This way, we know that these people were serious about being a part of Harmonix." Siti smiled.

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  We may not have envisioned starting a fresh chapter of our lives from the confines of our rooms. Still, as the world collectively settles into the new normal, we learn to adapt and endure. For Harmonix, who would have thought that conducting online vocal auditions would work out?