Join The dissipated eight

The Dissipated Eight are Middlebury College’s oldest a cappella group, founded in 1951 in Middlebury’s Painter and Hepburn Halls. Each year, The Dissipated Eight take at least two tours during the academic year around the Northeast and beyond. The Dissipated Eight perform across venues ranging from high schools to historical societies and almost everything in between. Over nearly 75 years, the group has performed at The White House twice, has performed nationally and internationally, and once appeared on Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion! At Middlebury, The Dissipated Eight are the only a cappella group that tours, and we do these tours at no cost to our members.

Fall Auditions

Every year, new members join us to bring our music to the Middlebury Chapel and across the world. If you have a love for music and a desire for adventure, we encourage you to audition!​

Preliminary auditions for The Dissipated Eight of 2026-2027 will be held in The Abernethy Room, located in the Axinn Center at Starr Library, on Tuesday, September 15, from 5:30 to 9:00 PM

What to expect 

Like other Middlebury a cappella groups, our audition process has two parts: preliminary auditions and callbacks.

Preliminary Auditions

The preliminary audition is designed to be short and sweet, taking no more than ten minutes. We will begin with a range check, pitch matching, and an ear-training exercise. You will then get the chance to sing an unaccompanied solo of your choosing, usually just the chorus of one of your favorite songs.​

A number of auditionees will then be invited to take part in our Callbacks, which will be held within the next few days.​

To sign up for an audition, visit go/d826/

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