Today: Mar 28, 2024

NOTEorious offers opportunity to sing with peers

J’Mari HughesReporter

NOTEorious is an a capella singing group that was formed in fall 2016. According to the club’s OwlConnect page, they are a group of students who are passionate about music and performing as well as devoted to hard work, but love to laugh through every rehearsal and value their bond as an ensemble.

“It’s laid back and casual, but at the same time serious, and we’re just having fun experimenting with different genres of music,” said senior and social work major Benjamin Yambao. “It’s all about grooving together.”

Yambao said he has been a part of the club since spring of 2018. He said he used to sing musical theater in high and school and had friends that were apart of NOTEorious. He wanted to join a club that was student driven, rather than ran by professors or those outside of Southern.

“It challenges me as a musician, it challenges me in terms of collaborating with other people,” said Yambao. “The reason I love this club is all the people involved and all the work we have accomplished so far together. NOTEorious is a relatively new club so we’re still trying to establish ourselves and being apart of the process of establishing our brand is really exciting to be apart of.”

Freshman and psychology major Megan Latte said she joined after having participated in choir and an all-girl a capella group in high school. She said she was excited to join a unisex singing group, and that after her second time auditioning, she was inducted into the group.

“I really love making music and I think everyone here is really passionate about it,” she said. “In high school choir, people would just take it because it was a requirement whereas here everyone’s enjoying it and that makes it a lot more fun.”

Unlike Latte, Karina Peña said she did not get to join a music club in high school. Being a singing-lover and commuter, she said joining NOTEorious was an easy way to make friends. She called her club members amazing, saying they show so much support even on days where she may not be able to attend meetings.

NOTEorious rehearses Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Peña said practices typically begin with warm-ups followed by going over a song or parts of one.

“Sometimes we go into what we call ‘sectionals’ where we group off based on voice types,” she said. “I’m an alto so I’d go with the other altos and learn all our parts and then when everyone has finished learning that section, we’ll come together and practice it together.”

Cameron Rho, a junior and computer science major, said he joined because he loves to sing and that he discovered the club through OwlConnect.

“It’s a great opportunity to sing with a group of other like-minded individuals and I haven’t regretted it for a moment  since,” he said.

Rho and junior music major, Patricia Castle, are both also part of Southern’s choir. Rho said in NOTEorious they are more likely to sing pop songs or whatever genre they desire, while choir is more formal. In addition to the difference of not using instruments, the a capella club has a smaller number of participants than the choir.

“We’re a relatively new group, this is only our third year,” Castle said. “It’s kinda like a new upcoming thing rather than something that’s already got a big name. We’re making our names for us.”

Rho, who said he has been singing since he was a child, said he has a strong belief that everyone can sing if they practice and give themselves a chance, and that if they do, they may see how much the love to sing.

Castle said she joined because, when she transferred to Southern, she wanted to find an activity that had to do with music, specifically, singing. She said she loves to perform with her friends and participate in the club’s activities like karaoke night.

“The smaller group means it’s more intimate,” Rho said. “My favorite part is the thinking and the fact that we sound amazing when we all sing together.”

Photo Credit: J’Mari Hughes

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