DU may have surpassed CU-Boulder in this year’s college rankings, but for some Lamont School of Music students, it is still falling behind other Colorado schools-that is, in the number of a capella groups on campus. That’s one reason freshman Brandon Lopez and sophomore Chelsea Smith formed DU’s third a capella group, Unchained Melodies, at the beginning of October.
The group is composed of 12 members, about half of whom are music majors. Smith, Lopez and others were disappointed when they didn’t make the final cut for DU’s two existing a capella groups, Idiosingcrasies and Exit 205, and decided to form their own group so they’d have a chance to sing.
Unlike the existing a capella groups on campus, Unchained Melodies focuses not only on pop, but is also developing a repertoire of Broadway, Jazz and even Dubstep.
Lopez, who is a vocal performance major from Thorton, is arranging the song “Uninvited” by Alanis Morisette, and Smith, a B.A. in voice and English secondary education, is arranging “True Colors” by Phil Collins for the group.
In addition to bringing musical variety to campus, Lopez and Smith hope to leave a solid group after they graduate that will continue to grow.
Although the group is young, composed of mostly freshmen and sophomores, they plan to outlast many of the a capella groups that are formed and fail each year at DU.
“We try to keep the drama low and the work ethic high. Because of that, we have a group that is not only musically gifted, but has solid compatibility of personalities,” Smith said.
As a testament to their work ethic, Unchained Melodies practices four times a week for 2-3 hours at a time, including both group rehearsals and sectionals. They film every rehearsal and go through the tapes to see how they can improve.
Unlike most a capella groups that she has been in, Smith said that Unchained Melodies has become a very tight group of friends. Nathan Crowder, a freshman Vocal Performance major from Arvada, Colo., recalled fun memories, such as dressing up to take funny pictures together outside of rehearsal.
“What I really want people to know is that we hang out socially, as well. I love that it’s a group where we can perform well, but also have a rough day, and people will support you and help you work through it. I can see myself being friends with these people in ten years. It’s especially great that the freshmen can have that strong support system, because freshman year can be such a difficult time,” Smith said.
The group plans to perform a showcase for the other a capella groups on campus, and eventually perform in the Mile High Jam Fest next year. From there, they hope to expand their performance schedule to include on and off-campus events.
At the end of winter quarter or the beginning of spring quarter, Unchained Melodies plans to have auditions to expand their group for next year. Lopez encouraged any music lovers to try out.
“It’s a really great way to get involved in music as an extracurricular. Music is so emotional and inclusive-anyone who listens is participating. That’s what draws me to music and what makes it so meaningful to so many people,” Lopez said.
