August 2010 - Contemporary A Cappella

Contemporary A Cappella News
University of Central Florida
INFORMATION: WWW.CONTEMPORARYACAPPELLA.COM
CONTACT: CONTEMPACAPPELLA@GMAIL.COM
Vol. 2 Issue No. 1.
A Word from our
President
"Hello CAC! I hope that
everyone thoroughly
enjoyed summer break and
is raring to kick off another
year of singing and good
times! I have immensely
enjoyed watching all four of
the CAC groups grow by
great lengths this previous
year, and I can barely wait
to see what new heights we'll
reach this year. The pool of
talent and friendships we've
collected truly boggles my
mind; I couldn't be more
honored to be your
president. Let's make this
the best year CAC has ever
seen! Can't wait to see you
all in person,
Ryan Grajo
In this issue
Upcoming Events pg. 1-2
Officers 2010-2011 pg. 2
Print out Calendar. pg.3
A Cappella Feature of the
month: “Past, Present,
Future” pg. 4-7
So Noted........... Pg. 4
Gemini Blvd….. Pg. 5
KeyHarmony... Pg. 6
Crescendudes.. Pg. 7
Happy Birthdays and Final
Announcements ………Pg. 8
Upcoming Events
August 2010
“Opening Knights”
Place: Brooklyn Pizza at
UCF
Date: Sunday, August
22, 2010
This is our chance to
sing, perform, and show
our prospective
members what each
group is all about! So
print out flyers and pass
them out to your
classmates, friends, or
whoever comes your
way. We have reserved
Brooklyn Pizza from 4 to
10:30 for sound checks
and performances.
Time: 4-6:30 p.m.
Place: Student Union
“Welcome Expo
2010”
Date: Wednesday,
August 25th, 2010
Time: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Place: Student Union
Pegasus Ball Room
We have reserved a
table for both events
and will showcase our
organization by passing
out flyers, putting up
posters, and having
email signups for
auditions. This will be a
great way for us to
make CAC a prominent
name for the upcoming
freshmen and UCF
community. Be on the
lookout for tabling
signups in your email.
“Brooklyn Pizza
Showcase”
Date: Friday, August 27,
2010
Time: TBA
“ICCA”
Applications are due
November 1. With your
application you need to
include the following:
$35 non-refundable
application fee with
check payable to Varsity
Vocals, an entry fee of
$175, and CDR or
audiotape of 3-4
performances. Starting
on September 1st, groups
will be selected on a
“semi-rolling” basis so
there is an incentive to
apply as early as
possible. A final list of
groups selected will be
posted on November
15th. For my information
go to
http://www.varsityvocal
s.com/acappellaapply.html
Edited and Formatted by Lisa Sagardia
“SoJam”
Date: Friday November 12-14th
In Durham, North Carolina
SoJam will be hosting its
annual weekend-long
extravaganza. There
will be performances,
workshops, concerts,
and after parties.
Specific information
regarding audition
deadlines and ticket
prices are currently
under construction
on the main SoJam
website but CAC will
keep you updated so
you can prepare for
this event. For more
information check out
this link:
http://www.sojam.net
Presenting our CAC officers for the 2010-2011 school year
President: Ryan Grajo
(ryangrajo@yahoo.com)
Vice-President: Allison Walbrown
(allison.walbrown@gmail.com)
Secretary: Lisa Sagardia
(lsagardia@knights.ucf.edu)
Treasurer: Robert Draper
(draperr1@gmail.com)
Event Coordinator: Kaitlin Dunning
f (kdunning@knights.ucf.edu)
Marketing Director: Kelsey Wilson
(kawilson7@gmail.com) and Lauren
Amberson (lamberson@knights.ucf.edu)
Travel Chair: Logan Emlet
(emletlog@knights.ucf.edu)
Webmaster: Bryan Lin
(novionsolarius@cgot.com)
Music Directors (Crescendudes): Bryan
Lin, Ryan Grajo, Logan Emlet
Music Directors (So Noted): Allison
Walbrown, Lauren Amberson
ffff
Music Directors (Gemini Blvd): Robert
Draper
Directors (KeyHarmony): Allie
Shernoff , Sydney Johnson
loMusic
“This year is going
to be great and we
want you to make
it better! Blog
about it, speak
about it, or even
sing about it
whatever it takes.
Speak your mind!
Got a social in
mind? Got some
decorating or
theme ideas for
our concerts? We
want to know and
we want to use
them. Email us
with your ideas,
facebook us,
whatever your
style. We’re
listening.”
Infinite Acalove,
Your CAC officers.
August/ September 2010 (Partial Month)
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
FIRST DAY
OF CLASSES
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
5
Audition Call
Backs TBA
6
“OPENING
KNIGHTS” @
STUDENT
UNION
4-6:30 PM
-REFER TO
31
“WELCOME
EXPO” @
STUDENT
UNION
PEGASUS
BALL ROOM
10AM-2PM
-REFER TO
TABLING
SCHED.
SEPTEMBER 1
2
3
TBA
Auditions
4
TBA
Auditions
7
8
9
10
11
TABLING
SCHEDULE.
“BROOKLYN
PIZZA
SHOWCASE”
@ BROOKLYN
PIZZA
TIME: TBA
November 2010
Sunday
Monday
1
ICCA
Deadline
Tuesday
2
Wednesday
3
Thursday
4
Friday
5
Saturday
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
SoJam
13
SoJam
14
SoJam
15
ICCA final
groups
selected
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
C UT OUT THESE C ALENDARS FOR EASY RE FERENCE TO IMPORTANT DATES AND
DON ’ T FORGET TO CHECK FO R UPCOMING TABLING S IGNUPS .
Volume 2. No. 0001
Issue Date: August 2010
“A look to the past, present, and future,” by Keristen Black, Steve
Ekblom, Allie Shernoff, Ryan Grajo, and Logan Emlet.
So Noted
“I joined Contemporary A Cappella
the Spring semester of my freshman
year, looking for an opportunity to
continue singing outside of high
school. At that time the successful
female group, Bellatones, had
broken apart as most of its members
were graduating. It wasn't until the
Fall semester of my sophomore year
that we started to look like a group
again. I missed auditions but spoke
with Courtney Berkeley, who had
also sang with me the previous
semester and she allowed me to join
her group without audition.
It started rough, none of us really had much experience with leading a college level musical
group, much less a cappella, a very difficult form of musicality. Our first year we did our best
to become competition ready. We named ourselves (fun fact, "So Noted" was a name I came
up with at one of our picnics but I passed the name to Allison to suggest, because she
couldn't think of one and I had thought of a few) and went to ICCA with the Crescendudes.
We had a great group of girls and balanced voice parts but we had NO experience with
ICCA. We definitely consider our first competition a learning experience- after which the
game definitely changed for us. The next year, my junior year, Allison and I became director
and assistant director. Allison and I made a good team, she had the musical aspect mastered
and I had the leadership aspect mastered.
We put a lot of hard work into building a more polished, practiced group of girls (and not
without complaint from the group). But we knew that when it became competition season for
us, the girls would appreciate the hard work. It doesn’t really matter what we do at rehearsal
as long as we are together, because the girls in our group really love each other. Its almost as
if the music comes second which some may not understand, but to me, love and friendship
are WAY more important than the business.
We started preparing to compete at SoJam and did put a lot of preliminary work into that.
However, Allison, Aja and I were VERY involved in SoJam's planning, fundraising,
organizing (basically everything) and really couldn't put our ALL into rehearsals. We
decided not to compete and to use SoJam as a research project for this Fall (we are definitely
planning to compete, if we make it). We stretched ourselves technically last semester, doing
some of our most difficult arrangements yet-we also scheduled a lot of face time at events
around campus, to build knowledge and pride of our program at UCF.
This is a critical growth period for our club and I am glad to have had a part in its
strengthening. I know that CAC will become a force to be reckoned with at UCF, throughout
Florida, the Southeast and beyond!”
Keristen Black
Gemini Blvd
“I’ve been a band person my whole life. I
was never much of a singer beforehand, but I
knew that singing in an a cappella group
would be an excellent way to work on my
ear and learn more about singing.
Immediately, I knew that a cappella music
was a very me thing. I took to it well, loving
the diversity of the human voice. Ready to
use the flexibility of all ranges, filling almost
the entire piano, I set out with Robert to
creating Gemini Blvd.
The group went through many changes, even
before it was really established. Robert and I
pieced together a whole group, it fell apart, we filled in holes, more holes were created but I
was not about to become just another failed project.
Nothing really satisfied, however, until the Spring semester. By then, we had started to
create an identity within the group. We started to develop strong friendships, spending a lot
of time together outside of rehearsal doing anything and everything. The big eye-openers,
however, were our trips to UF and FSU. We first went to Florida State to see the ICCA
Regional, featuring some of the country’s best groups. While I had been to the same
competition the year before, it was a mind-blowing experience for Gemini Blvd. We found
our focus and had a real model for our sound. Taking advantage of friendships at UF, we
went out to Gainesville a few weeks later to perform with and learn from No Southern
Accent, UF’s own co-ed a cappella group and the second place winners at the ICCA
Regional.
With our focus shifted, now having a much more concrete idea of what we wanted to be we
were all on the same page and got stuff done quickly and efficiently, able to learn and clean
music much better. We grew closer as a family, which went immediately into our group’s
sound.
So now, a year into the life of Gemini Blvd., our goals are much more focused. We’re
working on being successful competitively, making ourselves known both through live
performance and word of mouth. This summer, we did an in-house experimental recording
of one of the songs we performed in the Spring and have some plans to continue recording
during the coming year. Our repertoire will continue to expand as more and more members
begin to arrange their own songs. Gemini Blvd. is here to stay, and we mean business.”
Steve Ekblom
Key Harmony
“The beginning of KeyHarmony was a surprise to all of us! Because an overwhelming
amount of awesome girls decided to audition for CAC, a new group was created in order to
give more people the opportunity to showcase their talent! For the first month and a half, we
were under the welcoming wing of the girls of So Noted. While practicing and performing
with them, we gained experience and learned what it takes to have a really great group that
not only works well,
but works well
together!
When November
1st arrived, we
began running our
own rehearsals and
working on the
music that we
would perform on
our own at the
winter concert. We
also came up with
our name! We
brainstormed a
bunch of unique and
corny names, but
eventually decided
on KeyHarmony- a
play on the online
matchmaking service, eHarmony, figuring that our music would be a "perfect match" for our
audience! Though we had great chemistry from the beginning, there has been a definite
increase in our bond, not only as musicians but as friends!
In its first year, KeyHarmony made a great start of not only establishing itself as a group of
talented performers, but as a group of friends! A few of us had the opportunity to attend So
Jam in the fall, and really learned a lot from that experience! In December, we had our first
official performance at the CAC winter concert. Along with the rest of CAC, we performed
at UCF’s homecoming Skit Knight, helping to show the rest of the school our talent and
potential! In March, we performed at the Multicultural Student Center’s All-American Week
event. Finally, we finished the school year with CAC’s Aquaticappella Fest!
This coming year, we hope to expand our repertoire so that we have even more great songs to
perform for our audiences! We also hope to perform as often as possible, and
participate/compete in more events and competitions that can help us to increase the presence
of CAC both on and off campus! Finally, we want to continue to have a ton of fun, bond with
members both within and outside of our group, and get t-shirts so that we can look as
awesome as we sound.”
Allie Shernoff
Crescendudes
the south quarterfinals of the 2008
International Championship of Collegiate
A Cappella--it was the first time we had
real acknowledgment for our efforts, and
ever since we've grown by leaps and
bounds having had that first taste of what
we can accomplish. The Crescendudes
have been the best part of my UCF
experience, and I can't wait to see (and
hear!) how far we'll grow this year."
Ryan Grajo
"We Crescendudes come from humble
beginnings, when CAC was just forming
in 2005 and contemporary a cappella as
we know and love it had not previously
existed at the UCF campus. Those first
couple years were rough in all respects,
and we had to learn a lot through trial and
error while making our way towards being
the group we wanted to be. The turning
point for the 'dudes was placing third in
“The Crescendudes are a dynamic (ha ha!
aca-pun!) group of guys who are always
having fun, both in and out of rehearsal.
Going to SoJam last year really inspired
us, and we are determined to make
ourselves into a big name on campus as
well as off. It was really cool when some
random person in the elevator asked me:
"Hey, aren't you in the Crescendudes?"
We have a big year ahead of us, from
possibly competing at SoJam, to an album
release in the fall, to a return to ICCAs in
the spring in an attempt to reclaim our
Best Choreography crown of years past (as
well as the championship, of course!).
Add in all the CAC concerts, gigs, and of
course a lot of singing around campus,
The Crescendudes are bound to have a
busy and exciting year!”
Logan Emlet
Happy Birthdays All Around!
Happy Birthday! We’re thankful that you’re alive and singing another year!
If you run into these lovely people, don’t forget to say Happy Birthday. Next
Issue, we’ll feature our late fall and early spring birthdays. If anyone’s
birthday is missing from the months below please send me an email and
you’ll be featured in next’s issues birthdays. lsagardia@knights.ucf.edu
Can’t stop the
music
Blog, speak,
watch, listen,
get involved!
With
competitions
around the
corner, there
are a ton of A
Cappella
videos out
there to watch
and learn
from as well
as critiques
and
comments
from music
directors all
around. Your
challenge
this month?
Ask yourself:
What is
something
new you can
incorporate to
your group?
Bottoms up, Summer
Birthdays
Max Herskovitz – June 6
Emily Cleary- June 6
Allison Walbrown –June 7
Logan Emlet –June 9
Olivia Murphy – June 19th
Kaitlin Dunning – June 21
Gina Gomez –June 21
Alex Restifo –June 25
Jayne Doborowlski- August
2
Jessie Pardo- August 7
Ryan Grajo – August 9
Sydney Johnson-August 10
Robert Draper – August 23
Tricia Samuels – August 26
Brittany Hamilton -- August
27
Lindsey Mutert – august 27
Angele Maraj – September 5
Lisa Sagardia – September 6
Justin Mousseau –
September 21
Tom Whitten –September 27