The Department of Music has added a new performance ensemble to the mix, providing students with a unique opportunity to sing some of their favorite songs.
Visible Voices is an all-girls group that specializes in acappella arrangements of contemporary pop hits, jazz standards and Broadway show tunes.
Jordan Smith, a senior music education major from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, formed the group in fall 2014. Smith leads the group as a student teacher with the help of Dr. Juliette Singler.
“I wanted to provide an outlet for people who aren’t in the music department to just sing and also an outlet for people who are in the music department to sing something that’s not classical,” Smith said.
Visible Voices covered a variety of pop music during their first semester, ranging from “Roar” by Katy Perry to “Respect” by Aretha Franklin.
This semester, Smith said she will try to tap into the group and focus on their voices, and she plans on trying out some softer tunes, such as Regina Spektor’s “Fidelity.”
“I think that this group has the potential to really just be a place where people can come and sing and be creative,” Smith said.
Donnely Lewis, a freshman music education major from Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, joined the ensemble because she participated in show choir during high school.
“I thought it would be super cool, because it’s pop music and that’s what I like to sing on my own time,” Lewis said. “Show choir was crazy and I loved it, and I feel like this is as close as I’m going to get to it.”
Lewis said she is really looking forward to small group rehearsals that will allow the group to perform acoustic versions of songs, such as “Latch” by Sam Smith and “I Choose You” by Sara Bareilles.
For Lewis, Visible Voices also provides her with experience that she can take into the future.
“I will become a better musician because of participating in [Visible Voices],” Lewis said. “I know it sounds cliché, but this really does help my musicianship.”
The ensemble is planning a few events for this semester, including a concert of their own in April and performing at SGA Coffeehouse.