Clemson University TakeNote
TakeNote is a top-notch all-female a cappella group out of Clemson University. Music Director Laura McQuiston took the time to answer questions from The A Cappella Blog.
The A Cappella Blog (ACB: Describe a typical TakeNote rehearsal. How often do you guys practice and what do you do to achieve such success by the time you hit the stage? Do rehearsals change before a big show? Before you guys go into competition?
Laura McQuiston (LM): TakeNote has two and a half hours of scheduled class time each week. However, we often add extra rehearsals because we never seem to have enough time! I think the key to our success on stage is practice, practice, practice. Besides practicing, our enthusiasm for the music, and our awesome chemistry with each other as a group always allows us to have fun on stage and perform our best.
Rehearsals do change before a big show. We schedule a lot of extra rehearsals a few weeks before the show, and we practice every day the week before the show. Before big competitions, we may also schedule extra rehearsals, but practice changes in that we just focus on what we'll be singing in the competition. Our time is devoted to our competition set in order to be the best we possibly can.
ACB: Are there any unique traditions or pieces of history attached to your group?
LM: Yes. We have an "alumni song," that we sing at our show every semester. We invite all of our alumni to come on stage and sing with us. The song is “Helplessly Hoping” by Crosby, Stills and Nash. Also, before big competitions and shows, we have a special way of linking hands to say a prayer or blessing before we perform. It is very calming and connects us as a group.
ACB: What is the audition process like for TakeNote?
LM: We have two days of auditions. The first day is open to anybody wishing to audition. Each girl comes in individually and sings a verse and a chorus of a song of her choice. After we hear her sing, we do vocal exercises with her to test her range. We also do pitch and vowel matching. The second day of auditions is callbacks. Any girl who we wish to callback will audition again with another piece that we usually request is a different style than her initial audition song. For the second half of callbacks, we select a song that we want to sing with the girls auditioning as a group. We split the girls into parts, and have members of TakeNote teach them a part of the selected song for about 10-15 minutes. Then, we reconvene and sing with the girls a few times. After they get comfortable, we let them sing the song alone and listen to how they blend as a group. It is a great way to measure how a girl sings in a group after we have already heard her solo audition.
ACB: What would you say is the most important element to having a successful collegiate a cappella group?
LM: I believe the most important element to having a successful collegiate a cappella group is dedication, both to the group and to each other. TakeNote is lucky in the sense that we get class credit from Clemson University for our scheduled class times. However, we meet for so many hours outside of class that each girl has to really want to be there, otherwise rehearsal is unproductive. It takes a lot of support from each other, especially before big shows and competitions when we are feeling tired or stressed. If everyone is responsible for their parts in the group and remains dedicated to supporting the other girls, we always find success and are able to enjoy the satisfaction of the final product.
ACB: What is your favorite song to perform with TakeNote, and why?
LM: My favorite song to perform with TakeNote is “Mexico,” originally performed by Jump, Little Children (now known as Jump). It was arranged for us by Nick Lyons, and it is simply beautiful. I have never met a girl who did not absolutely love singing Mexico with the group and feel some kind of connection to the song. The lyrics are so powerful--it talks about being in love with a person who keeps leaving and coming back, only to leave again. The soloist decides that the person with whom she is in love can come back one more time, but it is the last time. If he leaves her again he can never return to her; he should go as far away as Mexico so the girl can move on. It is a personal and group favorite!
ACB: Is there anything else you would like to share with the readers of The A Cappella Blog?
LM: Yes! We just released our newest CD, called Life's A Pitch. We are really excited about it; our track “Showstopper” was just picked to be on Voices Only 2009, which is a great honor! If you'd like to purchase our new CD, you can email tknote@clemson.edu to place an order.
If you would like to learn more about TakeNote, you can visit the group online here.