Absolut A Cappella made their voices heard in McKenna Theatre last weekend.
The co-ed vocal group hosted a night with SUNY Plattsburgh’s Minor Adjustments and The Axies from Vassar.
“A lot of planning [went] into this event,” Natasha Lende, president of Absolut A Cappella, said. “This is my first year as president, and actually it’s the first invitational the five officers of Absolut have had to plan.”
The E-board asked for funding from the Student Association, planned a theme and worked with the Theater Department to book McKenna Theatre last semester.
“We actually asked about [the date] in August, so it’s a lengthy process,” Lende said. “We asked a couple groups last semester if they’d be willing to come to our invitational.”
Lende said Minor Adjustments was a group they had never met before.
“We like to get a good mix of groups when we can,” Lende said. “We ask groups members for suggestions [because] so many of our members know friends in college who are [also] in a cappella groups.”
Music Director Andrew Stein said Absolut A Cappella was as careful with their song choices as they were in planning their invitational. Stein said the concert set list is compiled by the group through a voting process.
“First, [we] make a list of the songs we feel most comfortable singing that we also feel will fit the occasion,” Stein said. “Eventually we narrow it down to, in this case, a six-song set, and from there it’s up to me to pick the order we sing the songs in.”
Stein said the group opened the show with “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder and during their set they sang “Sweetest Girl” by Wyclef Jean, “Who You Are” by Jessie J, “Sweet Disposition” by The Temper Trap, “Breakeven” by The Script and “Battlefield” by Jordin Sparks.
Vice President Emma Corey said the group has been rehearsing six hours each week since January for this invitational as well as future spring performances.
“Though we’re … confident in the group’s abilities, we’re always looking to better our act,” Corey said. “This year was no exception. We delivered a really exciting and passionate set, but I think we all noticed small things … that could stand to be worked on.”
Corey said Absolut still tries their hardest to put on the best performance they can despite the non-competitive nature of the invitational.
“Though we like to bring our A-game,” Corey said, “[invitationals] are merely a communal show with talented groups.”