GROUP DYNAMICS

The music directors of So Noted and Gemini Blvd. talk about ICCA prep and their goals for the new semester
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soundbites
a bi-monthly update from Contemporary A Cappella @ UCF

Pitch Perfect book review

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Member profile: Rose Nguyen

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PLUS: Ask Brobert questions; hell tell no lies

Cover photo credit: Emilie Finney, SoJam 2010

ON BACK

JAN/FEB 12

notes from the president

successful non-fiction book by Mickey Rapkin as reviewed on the next page), or our own UCF performance groups making a name for themselves on campus and beyond. First, Id like to extend a long overdue welcome to both our no-longer-sonew members and to the return of the CAC newsletter. It is my hope that everyone is enjoying their time with Contemporary A Cappella, in whatever capacity that may be. This past semester has been a whirlwind of events - we sped from auditions, it seems, straight to the amazing, immersive experience that was SoJam. That weekend of inspiration through workshops, competition, and performances carried us through to one of our most successful winter concerts to date, where we ended up with a standing-room only audience and a renewed passion doing what we love most: singing and entertaining an audience. Believe it or not, weve got even bigger things in mind this year. All four of our performance groups are participating in Varsity Vocals International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella, and we have several big performances and projects in the works. This semester, CAC will host several workshops open to all UCF students on a variety of a cappella subjects, and were even working on a possible local aca-festival right here in Orlando (but shh, more on that later). I am so honored to serve as president for such a talented and wonderful group of people who are so passionate and dedicated to what they do, and I cant wait to see what we have in store for the next few months. Bring it on, 2012.

Pitch Perfect hits the right notes

a non-fiction book about a cappella? What a novel idea. That was Mickey Rapkins concept behind Pitch Perfect, in which Rapkin follows the happenings of three collegiate a cappella groups over the course of a year: the famed Tufts Beelzebubs; the bad boys of a cappella, UVA Hulabahoos; and U of Oregons determined all-female Divisi. The book not only does a fantastic job of dramatizing the events that affect these three groups, but it gives readers great insight into the history and workings of collegiate a cappella. While I did enjoy those aspects of the book, my favorite moments were the more human ones - Divisis mounting frustration as ICCA quarter- and semi-finals loom near and the Hullabahoos and Beelzebubs quite literal pissing match outside of an a cappella afterparty spring to mind. Final verdict: If collegiate a cappella is part of your past, present or future, I would recommend this book. -Angele Maraj

CAC bookshelf

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C

A CAPPELLA SPOTLIGHT

New to the world of a cappella? Just looking for a way to stay updated? Worry not; Mouth Off is just the podcast youve been looking for. In the words of its producers: Mouth Off is the weekly podcast show that brings the world of contemporary a cappella right to your ears. From news to reviews to personal views, Dave Brown and Christopher Diaz dish it out every week with characteristic sarcasm and wit. Get more info and listen in at www.mouthoffshow.com.

Fall 2011: A recap of last semester

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CAC PRESIDENT, soundbites EDITOR

Angele Hema Maraj

contempacappella@gmail.com

ongratulations, everyone: weve made it to the year of the acapocalypse! A cappella is slowly but surely taking pop culture by storm, whether it be through NBCs The Sing-Off, the upcoming film Pitch Perfect (based on the

MEMBER PROFILE: Get to know Rose Nguyen

Rose says her favorite memory with CAC would have to be SoJam 2011 because she knew a lot of CAC and got to hang out and enjoy the showcases and professional concerts with her friends; she also particularly enjoyed the the Boxettes Improv class. Rose found out about CAC at Opening Knight and watched groups perform at Brooklyn Pizza. After that she was invited by a former So Noted member to attend SoJam 2010. Some of Roses favorites songs from CAC groups would be Tornado sung by Gemini Blvd, Good Day sung by the Crescendudes, Hallelujah sung by So Noted, and Chain of Fool sung by Key Harmony. What made Rose want to join CAC? The music that surrounds it, she says. Rose has always been a singer and was in chorus in high school. Im glad I joined CAC because I wanted to become involved in music again, Rose said. - Emma Scaglia
Favorite movie: I have tons of favorites, so Im going to go with Disney movies as a whole - I can watch those repeatedly. Favorite book: The Great Gatsby; Enders Game; Eat, Pray, Love Favorite food: Anything with pasta/noodles Favorite hangout spot: Theme parks/beach Favorite memory with CAC: SoJam 2011. I got to spend a full on weekend with all my CAC friends in an intimate setting, whereas in 2010 I was still trying to make friends. Song Id like to hear a cappella: Breathe Me by Sia What I look forward to in the upcoming semester: Taking on new projects with my new officer positions and internship; being able to catch up with friends

my favorite things

CAC poses in front of the Carolina Theatre in Durham, NC after the 2011 SoJam Collegiate Competition. Photo credit: Allison Walbrown

Rose Nguyen SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR

ose Nguyen is in the Contemporary A Cappella spotlight for this month. She is an Event Management major who has been part of CAC for 2 years now.

ACs fall 2011 semester was jam-packed for each of our groups with amazing performances, intense rehearsals, good fun, and, of course, wonderful music. It got off to a great start as each of the groups took some amazing new members into our family. They were in for a treat because just a few weeks into the semester we got to travel to

Durham, NC for SoJam, an a cappella festival held at Duke University. It was a weekend full of exciting performances by collegiate groups such as FSUs Acabelles and Berklee College of Musics Pitch Slapped, and by professional groups such as The Boxettes and Naturally 7. The groups of CAC also were able to take part in workshops taught by these professional groups and other greats of the

a cappella world on all sorts of subjects: arranging, choreography, vocal play, vocal percussion, etc. For example, Emma Scaglia of So Noted said, My favorite was the Boxettes workshop on creative improvisation because it allowed me to discover new things I could do with my voice in a safe, comfortable environment. Each of the groups also did a master class during which they

had the chance to work through and hone one of their pieces with a professional in the a cappella industry. The Crescendudes had their master class with Julia Hoffman in which they worked Still Fighting It by Ben Folds. According to Ryan Grajo, it was particularly valuable because it gave an outside voice to the dudes that helped us go farther than ever before in

our emotional interpretation of and commitment to the piece. The semester came to a close with our Winter Concert. It seems that the word about CAC is getting out on campus, because even though the concert was held in a larger venue than was used for the most recent Spring Concert, the show still turned out with standing room only!

-Amelia Strickland

soundbites // Jan-Feb 2012 // www.contempacappella.com

So

So Noted

Noted has hit the ground running this semester! With four brand new arrangements and only five weeks to prepare them for ICCA, weve been rehearsing almost non-stop. Were hoping not only to step it up in quality of performance, but in quantity of performances as well. Last semester, we performed once a month in the breezeway on campus. This semester, we hope to perform once a week on the free speech lawn! We have other performances coming up as well; we will be singing at an event called America Sings, a local music festival that aims to raise an interest in the arts for youth. We have also been offered many exciting on-campus performance opportunities, at events such as Java Jives and President Hitts 20th Anniversary party. Stay tuned for when and where you can catch us next!

GEMINI BLVD.

-Lauren Amberson

upcoming events
MARCH 12: So Noted, Crescendudes, and KeyHarmony will be performing a joint concert with Colgate 13, a visiting all-male group from Hamilton, NY. The concert begins at 7:30 PM; location TBA. APRIL 13: Contemporary A Cappellas Spring Concert; theme and location TBA. APRIL 21: The 2nd Annual CAC Prom will take place in the Ferrell Auditorium starting at 8 PM. Formal dress is required; CAC members and their dates only. APRIL 22: Contemporary A Cappella will have their Field Day at Jay Blanchard Park. Stay tuned to our email updates to find out about more concerts, events, performances, etc. !
soundbites // Jan-Feb 2012 // www.contempacappella.com

Gemini

Blvd. is excitedly getting ready for the South ICCA Quarterfinals in Athens, Georgia. We are so eager to share the stage in competition along with KeyHarmony and a half dozen other immensely talented collegiate a cappella groups from the South. January simply flew by and it has been a challenge to get ready for this competition in time. Gb is looking forward to enjoy-

ing the rest of the semester by calmly arranging music and rehearsing for our Spring Concert. As far as upcoming performances, Gemini Blvd.s good friends in No Southern Accent from the University of Florida have invited the group to open for their concerts in Gainesville on the evening of February 23rd. We are most excited to increase both Gbs and CACs visibility on campus and in the world of collegiate a cappella.
-Chris Szczerba

CONTACT US

BIRTHDAYS

ll of our board members strive to be in touch with our members, fans, and friends as often as possible. If you have any questions, comments, requests or concerns, feel free to email any of the members listed below.

President

Angele Maraj Lisa Sagardia Emma Scaglia Robert Draper Stephanie Trull Allie Shernoff Rose Nguyen Logan Emlet Lauren Amberson Jessica Silva Chris Szczerba Dan Kiefer

angele_hema@knights.ucf.edu lsagardia@knights.ucf.edu emma.scaglia@knights.ucf.edu draperr1@gmail.com strull@knights.ucf.edu ashernoff@knights.ucf.edu rnguyen@knights.ucf.edu emletlog@knights.ucf.edu lamberson@knights.ucf.edu jessilva@knights.ucf.edu christopher.szczerba.jr@gmail.com kieferdl@gmail.com

nother year older, another year wiser! Wish a happy birthday to the following members:

January 3rd January 19th January 20th January 21st February 13th February 13th March 14th March 15th March 24th

Jacqueline Nguyen Zack Merritt Mark Reilova Megan Cahuasqui Sarah Zorilla Stephanie Trull Amanda Breivogel John Dwyer Emilie Finney

Vice President Secretary Treasurer Travel Chair Events Chair Social Media Sound Designer So Noted Director KeyHarmony Director Gemini Blvd. Director Crescendudes Director

ASK BROBERT Q: Dear Brobert,

I have terrible stage fright. I have a pretty good voice, but whenever I get on a stage, my throat closes up and I feel like Im going to vomit up the Macys Day Parade. How can I be as fearless as you are when I perform for others? -Stage Fright

Need advice about literally anything? Email Robert at draperr1@gmail.com for his POV!
Dear Stage Fright, This is one of the most common afflictions faced by people speaking or performing in front of others. The first recommendation that I have to calm your nerves before a performance is to not ever eat the Macys Day Parade. Overall the performing community agrees that eating parades is a beginners mistake, and not eating them is a step frequently overlooked. Though the aforementioned suggestion is likely to take care of your problems, there are many other techniques to calm your nerves. If youre panicking about a performance, just remember BRO: Breathing, Routines,Ostrich. If all else fails, I recommend you watch the movie Fearless with Jet Li. I havent actually seen the movie, but Im assuming it has to do with overcoming stage fright.

B R

AMATEUR ADVISOR

Robert Draper

-Brobert

reathing. Studies have shown that regulating your breathing can reduce your adrenaline levels, slow your heart rate, and lower your blood pressure. Slow breathing alters the rate that your body receives oxygen and emits carbon dioxide, and can help calm your nerves. The slower you breathe, the more you reduce your heart rate. I try to not breathe at all to ensure a flawless performance. outines. Establishing good routines while practicing can help trigger muscle memory when it gets to performance time, regardless of your nerves. In other words, you perform as well as you practice. I try to emulate the nervous feeling of unpreparedness during practice by not practicing ever. strich: Ostriches are flightless birds that can run up to 43 mph for a half hour, and have been known to kick lions so hard that they die. Ostrich isnt afraid to perform, and you shouldnt be either.

soundbites // Jan-Feb 2012 // www.contempacappella.com