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Soulfege and Quintessence, two student a cappella groups founded this school year, will give a concert 8:30 p.m. tonight at Gilbert’s.
Soulfege, a mixed a cappella group, was organized by Lisa Oliveri ’04, a psychology major from Oradell, N.J., and Quintessence, an a cappella jazz group, is the brainchild of Dave Mitchell ’05 a double major in music and economics & business from Bear Creek, Pa.
Both groups practice two or three times a week and are advised by Amy Ahart ’97, special assistant to the dean of students. They performed at Gilbert’s Café Night in April, and Soulfege also sang last Tuesday at the 21st annual Shad Fishing Tournament in Easton (see related story), gave a concert at a local senior center, and made a special guest appearance at a Chorduroys (Lafayette male a cappella group) show last semester.
“I sang co-ed a cappella with a group in Boston,” says Oliveri. “I had a lot of fun with it and wanted to make the same opportunity available to Lafayette students.”
“I wanted to join an a cappella group because I’ve been singing for many years,” adds first-year student Jacquelyn Goodwin of Green Pond, N.J. “The people are really great and make rehearsals fun. The group is also very democratic. We all have a say in the songs we sing and how the group is run.”
Female members of Soulfege include alto Amanda Driscoll, a first-year student from Princeton Junction, N.J.; alto Danielle Charysch, a sophomore neuroscience major from East Setauket, N.Y.; alto Ashlee Snyder, a sophomore music major from Gilbertsville, Pa.; soprano Danielle Wyckoff, a first-year student from Reva, Vir.; soprano Adrienne Nagy, a sophomore psychology major from South Plainfield, N.J.; soprano Rashada Norman, a senior computer science major from Bethlehem, Pa.; soprano Antoinette Regan, a sophomore biology major from Basking Ridge, N.J.; Oliveri, soprano; and Goodwin, soprano.
Soulfege’s male roster consists of tenor Dave Castelletti, a sophomore government major from Martins Creek, Pa.; tenor Mike Koumaras, a senior history major from Philadelphia, Pa.; bass Ricardo El-Darwish, a senior computer science major from Ferney-Voltaire, France; and Mitchell, bass.
“There’s a good number of talented jazz singers on campus,” says Mitchell. “To sing this type of music, you need to have a good ear because the jazz idiom is sometimes a little harder. I was delighted by the turnout for Quintessence auditions. The decision was very hard.”
Members of Quintessence are alto Alison Ahart, a senior music major from Phillipsburg, N.J.; mezzo-soprano Megan Conway, a first-year student from North Caldwell, N.J.; Castelletti, tenor; Mitchell, baritone; and Oliveri, soprano.
Anyone interested in learning more about the concert or in auditioning for either a cappella group should contact Lisa Oliveri at x4953.