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Friday, March 29, 2024
A cappella benefit

UW’s a cappella deserves applause

Varsity Hall in Union South hosted the UW-Madison A Cappella Benefit Concert: Music for Mahanaim Saturday. All proceeds from the concert were given to the Wray Family at Camp Mahanaim in Les Cayes, Haiti and the Tomah Haiti, Mission Team in Tomah, Wisconsin. These groups have been providing care and education to many Haitians and continue to host medical, work and ministry teams. Gabby Enos, from Tangled Up In Blue, organized the event and gladly invited all of the a cappella groups at University of Wisconsin–Madison to perform. This included a set list of Redefined, Pitches and Notes, The MadHatters, Jewop, Tangled Up In Blue and Fundamentally Sound. 

I have always been a lover of a cappella music, from seeing groups perform at Minnesota Orchestra Hall, to the choir kids in my high school annually taking part in “Singing Valentines.” Since being on this campus, I have actually come to know quite a few members and I have seen groups perform prior to the benefit concert.  

Redefined, one of UW’s co-ed a cappella group, kicked off the night with a beautiful solo by Haley Drozdowicz. Her talking voice was angelic and harmonious, transitioning from speaking to singing effortlessly. Haley definitely set the audience at ease and was very confident in her abilities. The group was great at opening the show and I liked the songs they chose, but I was concerned about how their set was arranged. Sam Fleischman, one of their male singers, had a majority of the guy solos and I wished they had highlighted some of the other voices in Redefined. I enjoyed their set but the energy didn’t seem all there. It was clear they are a very talented group, but more confidence and diversity would have been appreciated.

Dressed in black with red heels on their feet, Pitches and Notes arrived on stage. I had seen their winter show, Pitchmas!, and watched them perform just a few weeks earlier at ICCAs and I have always been thoroughly impressed. Kelsey Pulera was their first soloist and she definitely outdid her own performance from last semester. Pitches and Notes seemed polished and their prowess was clear. They came across as fun girls you’d want to hangout with and I had no doubt in my mind their set would be amazing.

Much anticipated throughout the night was the performance by The MadHatters. Their reputation precedes them and they lived up to my expectations. The MadHatters sang during welcome week at Night at the Overture and I hadn’t seen them since. I enjoyed that they performed current songs because it definitely helped the audience. They were having fun, we were having fun and we had the ability to sing along. It’s always impressive when a guy can sing the high notes and continue to use his falsetto voice, and Jayden Cline’s solo in “Uptown Funk,” and especially during “Latch,” was truly captivating. As wonted, The MadHatters performance was extremely lively and it is obvious they have mastered this craft. 

Post intermission I was eager to see Jewop sing and all I have to say is that they are adorable and charming. The main thing their set did for me was remind me that it is okay to like a song that doesn’t have English words in it. Of all the groups performing that night, I liked how they stepped away from the norm and sang a piece that was neither from the Top 40 nor in English. It was evident they were having a good time and I also loved their choice to scat on stage, which is wordless vocal improvisation. I appreciated Jewop’s more unique qualities. 

Tangled Up In Blue had one of my favorite lineup of songs from the night. These girls were amazing and their soloists were perfect. I hadn’t seen a performance from them before and I was blown away. Christiane Buethe sang “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder and she didn’t mess up once. Her voice was smooth and clearly represented the powerful women feeling. “Pusher Love Girl” is one of my favorite songs by Justin Timberlake and the girls pulled it off wonderfully. My one critique of their performance is that I wish they had used the stage more during each song. They have perfected their voices, I just would have liked some more movement throughout. 

Last but not least, Fundamentally Sound closed the show. Like Pitches and Notes, I had seen their winter show and attended when they hosted ICCAs here in Madison; I’ve always been a huge fan. While I have seen them sing the same songs before, they always manage to make each performance fun and I love when they interact with the audience. Whether it is clapping along, walking through the crowd or bringing people up on stage, they always have a good time. Related to what was said earlier about guys who can sing high pitched, Leland Raymond absolutely dominated his solo in “Bang Bang,” hitting the high notes every single time. Fundamentally Sound sends out a strong brotherly vibe.

Overall, I was unequivocally impressed by all six a cappella groups that performed last Saturday. Whenever there’s another performance, expect that I will be there. Round of applause to Redefined, Pitches and Notes, The MadHatters, Jewop, Tangled Up In Blue and Fundamentally Sound.

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