This upcoming weekend, on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m., the Idiosingcrasies, one of DU’s own a cappella groups, will be showing off their talent and introducing new members in a fall showcase in Davis Auditorium featuring a variety of music ranging from dance songs to ballads to even a Justin Timberlake song. Going strong in their eighth year on campus, the group will have a total of twelve members when the two abroad return according to President Kathleen Hooper, a senior from Portland, Ore. studying sociology. This will be their largest group yet, with last year’s having previously been the largest at eleven members. According to Hooper, the size of the group has ebbed and flowed over the years.
“We are the longest standing a cappella group at DU, and a lot of groups didn’t get past the five year mark. We’ve continued the legacy as long as possible,” said Hooper. “Having a large group gives us a lot to work with.”
The Idiosingcrasies have already performed this year at the DU Night of the Arts, along with multiple other student singers and student a cappella groups. The fall showcase, however, will be the group’s first individual show of the year. As they typically put on one show per quarter, the fall showcase will be the show for this quarter.
According to Hooper, the Idiosingcrasies will be performing new songs at the fall showcase as well as some that they have done previously, including original songs written by a previous member of the group.
“We’re trying to bring back some songs that our group has done in the past but people of our generation at DU haven’t heard, from before we were in the group,” Hooper said.
The fall showcase will also be a chance to introduce the four new members who joined the group this fall, according to Hooper. She said that the members are all excited for freshman Brad Becker, sophomore Lauren LaBanca, junior Lauren-Claire Poitevent and freshman Je Yoo to join the group. Additionally, Hooper said that the members of the group have a range of interests that create a diverse dynamic.
“A majority of students are not music majors. Right now, we have three out of 12 members of the group who are music majors, and we’re an eclectic group of people which makes it really fun,” said Hooper.
The Idiosingcrasies generally put on at least one show per quarter, according to Hooper. After the fall showcase, there will be a competition in the winter between a cappella groups from all over Colo., which will be open to students to attend. That will be followed by the spring show which is the biggest show of the year.
“It’s a combination of everything that we’ve worked on throughout the year and our way of showing off our new members,” Hooper said of the spring show.
Hooper said that the group is putting on the show this quarter for free as they are trying currently to get the word out to more students.
“We hope that it’ll be really good turnout. We have a wonderful fan base which is really fun. All of the students’ friends and families come out to see what we’ve put together,” said Hooper.
As a part of the effort to expand their fan base, the Idiosingcrasies have been working to update and grow their social media, according to Hooper. She said that the group has released two CD’s in Hooper’s time at DU and they are now hoping to increase their YouTube audience. They recently had their website redesigned and are additionally aiming to gain more “likes” on Facebook and bring more students to the shows.
“We really strive to become a family. So it’s not just a bunch of random people who sing together. It’s more of a community and family based. People you can rely on and call whenever you need,” said Hooper. “It’s been a really big and rewarding part of my college experience.”
