Two separate acts had very different experiences in auditions for this year’s Punk ‘n’ Pie, and they all brought their talent to the table and hope to win big.

A MORE ARTISTIC LICENSE

Last year, 31 different acts stood before the judges and did their best to earn a spot on the Punk ‘n’ Pie stage. This year, 32 acts prepared, practiced and poured their talents out, 10 of which won the chance to perform before thousands on Oct. 23, at 7 p.m. Hart’s five-man multimedia talent performers, who did not make it last year but prevailed this year, as well as freshman communication sciences and disorders major Lauren Krippner share their different experiences preparing for auditions and how this year’s performance differs from last year.

“At the end of our audition last year, [the panel] basically just said: ‘That was the strangest thing I’ve ever seen,’” said Michael Grieb, senior psychology major, recalling the group’s first try at making it into the show.

The group auditioned last year with an act titled “Heat Speaks: Hart’s Premier Mixed-Media Art Collective,” and unfortunately did not make the cut. This year however, the group upped their game and made it into the show.

“We practiced a few times before we did it last year, but I feel like we didn’t have as much structure,” said Jacob Lucca, senior studio arts major and a member of the Hart talent group. “We definitely took more artistic license this year.”

UNIQUE AND DRAMATIC

Being on this side of the cut after auditions proved both rewarding and challenging for the group. The members explained their performance was unique and dramatic enough to add to the entertainment factor of the show.

“We’re making a thanksgiving dinner of sorts — of sound, and word, and movement,” Lucca said.

Compared with how the men of Heat Speaks saw last year’s failed auditions, first-time auditioner Krippner felt her experience was extremely encouraging. Krippner, the only freshman performer to make it into the show, said the panel of judges was very kind.

“They were so sweet, they gave me time to set-up and they were asking me questions and I asked them how their day was,” Krippner said. “They said they weren’t musicians and so I just went for it, and then they were like ‘Can we hear more? What else do you have?’ It was really cool.”

Krippner is utilizing a loop pedal to layer her voice and a drum in order to build a complex song before the audience’s eyes. Her experience with the “looper” has been long-since developed, having performed at farmer’s markets and coffee shops at her hometown. While loop pedals are notorious for being temperamental and unpredictable, Krippner said she is confident in her experience and she will certainly rehearse until she feels her performance is perfect.

PREPARE ENORMOUSLY

Hart’s talent group offered some advice to future performers auditioning for Student Programming and Activities events, simply stating to be yourself and be confident in your talent, whatever it may be.

“Jesus still loves you, despite how auditions go,” said Brendan Ashley, junior English major and another member of Heat Speaks.

Krippner advised future acts to prepare enormously beforehand, in order to be more surefooted in their performance.

“Make sure that you are confident in what you’re doing before, because if you’re going to do something that you haven’t really practiced, you’re going to go into it and be a lot more nervous than you would be if you had practiced well,” Krippner said.