The William and Mary Cleftomaniacs

The Cleftomaniacs are a mixed group out of William and Mary College in Williamsburg, VA. Claire Frederiksen, a member of the group, took the time to answer questions from The A Cappella Blog.

The A Cappella Blog (ACB): If you were to describe The Cleftomaniacs in just three words, what words would you use?

Claire Frederiksen: Spunky, outgoing, creative.

ACB: What can listeners expect from The Cleftomaniacs' most recent CD, Button Up?

CF: A little bit of everything--oldies but goodies, classics, and new age pop, in addition to a little bit of William and Mary tradition.

ACB: Each year, The Cleftomainiacs conduct a musical "boot camp" away from campus. How would you describe these weekends? What do they mean for the group?

CF: They are basically time for the group to come together in one place and focus on getting to know each other better, while also spending quality time with our music and incorporating our time together with our dedication to improve our music.

ACB: As a mixed group, what advantages do you enjoy? What challenges does the nature of the group present?

CF: We have an amazing range of voices to draw from when arranging pieces and there is never a song that we can't do because of lack of a certain voice part. One challenge is blend simply because men's and women's voice don't blend as well as all women or all men alone would.

ACB: What drew you, personally, to collegiate a cappella in the first place?

CF: It seemed like a great environment to come together and sing great songs for others while learning through leadership and musicality

If you would like to learn more about The Cleftomaniacs you can visit their official website here.