Carleton College Exit 69
Exit 69 is a top-notch mixed group out of Carleton College. Members of the group took the time to answer questions from The A Cappella Blog.
The A Cappella Blog (ACB): Where did the group name Exit 69 come from?
Exit 69: Exit 69 is the highway exit by which you can get to Northfield, Minnesota, where Carleton is located. Of course, there's also a humorous element to the title (we'll let you figure that one out on your own).
ACB: Are there any unique traditions or pieces of history attached to your group?
Exit 69: Although we make lots of beautiful, high-quality music, we're also known as the "quirky" and "fun" group on campus, and we have been known to perform our concerts dressed in costumes. Some of the highlights were the XMen and Lord of the Rings concerts. If you've never seen Gandalf sing a sexy love song, you've clearly been missing out.
ACB: As a co-ed group, what advantages do you enjoy? What challenges does the nature of the group present?
Exit 69: We LOVE being a co-ed group. It's wonderful to have the opportunity to perform fabulous solo pieces for both men and women, and in many cases we can perform a wider repertoire of songs because of the diversity of our group. Plus, we have so much fun! The one challenge is that it can be more difficult to ensure good blending, but we spend lots of warm-up time doing what we call "blendy exercises" and we also try to pick new members who blend well acoustically with the group in addition to being good soloists.
ACB: What would you say is the most important element to having a successful collegiate a cappella group?
Exit 69: First and foremost is the ability to get along and enjoy the company of your fellow singers--and we definitely do enjoy each other. We frequently have group parties and find lots of time to see one another outside practice, despite the fact that we already spend at least six hours per week together! In addition, you have to love the music you sing, and we try to always pick songs that group members are passionate about. It just guarantees better performances when you love what you do!
ACB: If you could have any contemporary singer join your group to sing the solo for one song, who would you pick and for what song?
Exit 69: Wow... hard to say. Every individual in Exit has really distinct musical likes and dislikes, so it would be hard to pick just one... Although I know certain Exit members who would be pretty excited to perform with some rap artists. Oh, and we had a former member who seemed to have a little crush on Katy Perry...
ACB: Is there anything else you would like to share with the readers of The A Cappella Blog?
Exit 69: If you're ever up in Northfield- the town of "Cows, Colleges, and Contentment," come check us out!