Spring Break
The Voices of Brandeis
by Sarah Bayer
Assistant Arts Editor
Arts | 3/11/08
Posted online at 2:21 AM EST on 3/11/08
The groups click perfectly, though, there exists fierce affection among their members, which everyone describes in their own effusive terms. "We're all super-good friends," says Newman. Jennifer Faber '09 calls the members of Voices of Soul her "truest friends here." Bryan Wexler '09 says Jewish Fella A Cappella has "given me an opportunity to form friendships that hopefully I'll keep forever." Mulhern agrees: "It's like family."
As a result of their friendly dynamic, Newman says, "We all enjoy being at rehearsal because we like each other." Some admit that this summer-camp spirit can also be distracting. The members of Starving Artists "sometimes don't get as much done as we'd like to" at rehearsals, Eli Matzner '08 admits, because diversions overtake discipline. Sniderman describes how TCFI also struggles "to maintain the balance between being goofy and being productive ... At rehearsal we joke around a lot; we make fun of each other," she says.
Ultimately, though, Brandeis a cappella groups infuse their trademark casual mood into musically polished performances. Wexler describes how JFA's "pretty relaxed, laid-back" atmosphere translates into "playing up the fun, goofy, awkward part and then surprising people with some really good music" on-stage. "Joking around in rehearsal" often inspires choreography that makes it into performances, according to Winer. There's a "very thin line between good choreography and tacky choreography," Newman acknowledges.
RBG members continually negotiate that line during practice sessions.
Really, though, our a cappella singers just love to sing for an audience. "That's physically you that they're hearing, but it's also the time and effort that you've put into it," says Shuster. Faber reminisces how last semester Voices of Soul ambitiously debuted three new songs with a brand new music director, Lisa Fitzgerald '10. "We couldn't believe how we sounded at the coffeehouse," remembers Faber. "It just felt so good."
As a result of their friendly dynamic, Newman says, "We all enjoy being at rehearsal because we like each other." Some admit that this summer-camp spirit can also be distracting. The members of Starving Artists "sometimes don't get as much done as we'd like to" at rehearsals, Eli Matzner '08 admits, because diversions overtake discipline. Sniderman describes how TCFI also struggles "to maintain the balance between being goofy and being productive ... At rehearsal we joke around a lot; we make fun of each other," she says.
Ultimately, though, Brandeis a cappella groups infuse their trademark casual mood into musically polished performances. Wexler describes how JFA's "pretty relaxed, laid-back" atmosphere translates into "playing up the fun, goofy, awkward part and then surprising people with some really good music" on-stage. "Joking around in rehearsal" often inspires choreography that makes it into performances, according to Winer. There's a "very thin line between good choreography and tacky choreography," Newman acknowledges.
RBG members continually negotiate that line during practice sessions.
Really, though, our a cappella singers just love to sing for an audience. "That's physically you that they're hearing, but it's also the time and effort that you've put into it," says Shuster. Faber reminisces how last semester Voices of Soul ambitiously debuted three new songs with a brand new music director, Lisa Fitzgerald '10. "We couldn't believe how we sounded at the coffeehouse," remembers Faber. "It just felt so good."
Be the first to comment on this story