What exactly do Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, The Civil Wars and Imogen Heap have in common? Not much, except campus a cappella group Redefined will be performing songs from each during their upcoming spring show.
Redefined began in 2001 to fill a need for co-ed a capella at UW-Madison, and current President Alec Hoge believes the group has covered a lot of ground in the last decade.
“We’ve been building a fan base over the years,” he said. “We’ve traveled to a bunch of different places, and each performance has been a chance for group members to hone their skills and discover new things.”
Hoge also points out that having both male and female vocals allows the group to span a large range of music.
“We’re able to feature a lot of guy-girl duets,” Hoge said. “Which I think is some of the most beautiful music in the world.”
To be ready for the spotlight, the members of Redefined spend at least six hours per week practicing together, according to Music Director Kelly Nelson.
“For me, it’s a challenge to get 18 excited college kids to settle down and focus on rehearsal,” Nelson said. “But they’re so funny and enjoyable that it’s a welcome challenge.”
Once the group gets down to business, they develop a repertoire of old favorites and new tunes to round out their concert setlist. Each semester, six to eight new songs are chosen and arranged by Redefined members.
“All the music we have is arranged by someone in the group,” Hoge said. “Let’s say a member hears a song on the radio they like. They make up an arrangement on the computer and pass it out and then we begin work on it.”
In addition to choosing and arranging their music, the students of Redefined manage the group. Hoge and Nelson see this as a benefit, as it puts direct control in the hands of the members.
“There’s a very cooperative feel to it,” Nelson said. “We don’t follow the instructions of someone who isn’t a part of the group. If something isn’t working, we can just make the decision to switch it ourselves.”
Hoge says the student leadership in Redefined also keeps their sound youthful.
“We do some things that a 40-year-old might be like ‘why?’” Hoge added. “It’s just us doing something we really love and it makes for an overall younger feel.”
One concert habit Redefined emphasizes is mixing up their musical selections to include music that may be novel to audience ears.
“We try to take three or four songs that we don’t think our audience has ever heard before,” Hoge said. “So people might feel like ‘Oh my gosh, what was that song?’ and they YouTube it, and it might actually become one of their favorites.”
Along with the new, Redefined holds onto its concert staples. For example, people may associate the group with their rendition of “Sweet Caroline,” which Nelson feels is an appropriate choice to perform for Badgers.
“The song is great, especially for Madison because everyone knows what it means to our campus,” Nelson said.
The May 4 spring show will combine a carefully crafted playlist as well as other forms of entertainment, according to Hoge.
“A lot of people think going to an a capella show means hearing, whatever, 18 songs in a row,” he said. “It’s not just music, though. There will be video, and we’ll involve the crowd. They won’t just be listeners. They’ll be participating.”
To see Redefined live at their biggest performance of the semester and perhaps join in with some harmonies of your own, head to the UW Redefined website for information. Tickets are $10 for the May 4 show at the Orpheum.
