The UC Berkeley Golden Overtones

The Golden Overtones are UC Berkeley's only all-female a cappella group. The women will compete in an International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella quarterfinal this Saturday night at UC Berkeley in Wheeler Auditorium.

Golden Overtones Music Manager Allison Hill took the time to answer questions from A Cappella Blog co-founder Mike Chin.

A Cappella Blog (ACB): Your group performs every Friday under Sather Gate. Can you describe these shows? How does performing weekly affect the group, and do you find it challenging to do so?

Allison Hill (AH): Every Friday at one, we sing in front of Sather gate. Usually we begin with a Cal song, and then sing for 30-40 minutes. These performances are a blast because the give us a chance to interact with our audience in an informal setting. We love to sing together, and we love to share music with others, and our Sather Gate performances allow us to do both. One of the many things I like about these performances we make sure every girl has a solo song. Weekly performances have forced our group to sing louder, become better performers, and learn the art of focusing on a song which is no small task when there are hundreds of loud and distracting college students walking past us.

ACB: At the end of October, the Overtones co-hosted the West Coast A Cappella Showcase. For the uninitiated, how would you describe this event?

AH: The West Coast A Cappella Showcase is an annual event which displays performances by the best a cappella groups this side of the Mississippi (seriously). This is one of my favorite performances of the year because it gives us a chance to see how different groups perform a cappella, and strengthen ties within the a cappella community. The Overtones and UC Men's Octet hosted the event, so we were very busy learning new songs, publicizing, organizing performances, etc.

ACB: With a new CD coming this winter, what can fans expect from your newest recording?

AH: Fans can expect a fabulous CD full of a variety of songs including Carole King, Frou Frou, En Vogue, and even a Cal song! Please check our website or e-mail us for more information.

ACB: What have the newest additions to your group, Barrett Briske, Rachael Robertson and Amy Henry contributed to the group? What parts do they sing? How does the addition of new members affect the chemistry of your group?

AH: This year's Overtones group is special for a number of reasons. Last year we only had two returning members, and we took three girls at both our spring and fall auditions to make our group of eight. In essence, we're basically starting from scratch! As a result, we've really had to work on listening to each other and creating a blend. Each girl (Barrett, Rachael R, Amy, Rachel F, Sonia, Penny, and Saira) brings a strong dedication, work ethic, and love for music to the group. As a music manager, I couldn't ask for a better group of girls. I love them all!

ACB: How do the Overtones co-exist with other a cappella groups at Berkeley, specifically as the only all-female ensemble? Is there much collaboration? Any friendly competition?

AH: The Overtones peacefully co-exist with the other a cappella groups at Cal. As a matter of fact, many of our members, after singing for a year or two in the Overtones, will sing in other a cappella groups. There isn't much competition, but I think this is because each a cappella group has its own unique style. We all support each other because although a cappella is fun, it's a lot of hard work, and most outside the a cappella community have no idea how much time and energy it takes to sound good and perform well.

ACB: What is the audition process like for the Overtones?

AH: The Overtones hold auditions towards the end of April and in early September. Auditions vary slightly from year to year, but we always ask girls to sing a solo which best displays their vocal talents (preferably not a classical solo, though), and be prepared to stay all day for various call-backs.

ACB: How does your group go about deciding which songs to add to its repertoire? Who is responsible for arrangements?

AH: Most of the new songs in our repertoire come from songs that we've learned for either our fall or spring show. (Our spring show dates vary from year to year--please check our website for more information.) At our fall and spring shows, members of the group either arrange songs or ask friends to arrange songs for us, and some of these songs become standards in our repertoire. (By the way, spring show is another one of my favorite performances because each girl has a solo song which she usually arranges herself.)

If you would like to learn more about The Golden Overtones, you can visit the group online at http://ucchoral.berkeley.edu/ucchoral/overtones.