“[T]he most fascinating thing to a scientist is a mystery,” says Percy Fulford, an engineering student at the University of Toronto. “[M]usic, you can break it down to frequencies and vocal chords and everything like that, but [there’s] no explaining why it has any effect on emotions and why it’s so ingrained into human [society].”
Fulford is a member of New Resonance, a choir made up of New College students, residents, and alumni. It is one of four a cappella groups at U of T. On March 1, 2015, New Resonance, the Varsity Jews, TBA (Tunes. Beats. Awesome), and Onoscatopoeia (the Hart House Jazz Choir) got together to perform at the tenth annual Acappellooza, a showcase dedicated to celebrating the genre.
The choirs are very different, but they do have one thing in common: they’re strong communities that love to sing, with no accompaniment required.
“[W]e all come from very different backgrounds, we all come from different areas of study, and we’re all very different people and individuals,” says Nick Kotoulas, member of TBA. “[M]usic is kind of that glue that sticks us all together.”
Acappellooza is a charity concert: this year, proceeds were donated to UNITY, a not-for-profit that organizes school and community programs to support youth empowerment. With programs from art to dance to, of course, music, UNITY promotes diversity in Toronto communities.
Rena Ashton is musical director of the Varsity Jews, a U of T group that sings both traditional Yiddish songs and pop music “with a Jewish twist.”
“I was really amazed to find the diversity of ability and the diversity of talent in the Varsity Jews,” she says. “[I]t’s really amazing to get to see people who come from totally different backgrounds [who] just love singing and want to do it.”
The concert had a dynamic and engaging program. The groups were given a chance to showcase their strengths by performing three songs from their repertoire. Memorable acts included the Varsity Jews’ “Jews Do It That Way” (a play on the Backstreet Boys’ “I Want it That Way”), New Resonance’s beautiful rendition of “Moon River”, and Onoscatopoeia’s take on the Bellas Final, the closing number from Pitch Perfect.
The choirs all featured a variety of soloists, demonstrating the incredible individual talent on campus. Lucinda Qu and Nick Kotoulas perfectly complemented the choir in TBA’s original mash-up, “JeaLatch” (a Chromeo and Disclosure ft. Sam Smith mix), while Emma Lawrence and Chara Tan delivered powerful performances in New Resonance’s rendition of Fergie’s “Clumsy.”
A phenomenal guest performance from Yonge Guns Quartet — a successful barbershop group of singers from multiple universities, including U of T, tied all the pieces of the event together.
“Everyone who’s in Varsity Jews… sings all the time,” says Mira Kates Rose, who has been a member of the group for ten years. “In the grocery store, in the shower, in the bathroom… It’s almost the bigger question of when do I not sing, why do I not sing. It’s first nature.”
Yet many members of acappella ensembles are primarily university students: for them, singing is just a part-time gig. Most are not professionally studying music, but come from a variety of different departments, at all levels of study. It is the dedication of the singers, as well as a shared passion for song, that ultimately bands the choirs together.
“I think music is an outlet,” says Jeff McGee, musical director for Onoscatopoeia. “It gives people a way to feel. It gives people a way to express themselves, and to kind of communicate in a way that they may not be able to with their [normal] speech.”
“[Music is] something that anybody can understand,” says Rob Sniderman, member of Onoscatopoeia. “Even if the text or the lyrics or whatever are in a certain language, everybody can comprehend the idea of a beat, or a rhythm, or a melody… [It’s] something that everybody’s able to participate in.”
There is immense potential for music at the university level. As a universal language, it has succeeded in bridging the gap between students of all backgrounds. At U of T, a sense of belonging can be difficult to find and foster. But by bringing singers together, a cappella has successfully overcome the obstacles of a large-scale institution to form something invaluable: community.
“There are things that keep you up through [even the] hardest and most stressful times,” says Eugenia Barkova, manager of New Resonance, “and I feel music is definitely the one.”
“Music is that kind of thing that just changes who you are and you have no idea where it’ll take you,” says Dominic Ebona, co-director of TBA. “[Y]ou just know that it’s gonna be a good place.”
