UC Santa Barbara Vocal Motion

Vocal Motion is a top notch all-female group out of UC Santa Barbara. Members of the group took the time to answer questions from A Cappella Blog co-founder Mike Chin.

A Cappella Blog (ACB): What challenges does Vocal Motion face as an all-female a cappella group? What advantages do you enjoy?

Vocal Motion (VM): Sometimes I feel as though we aren't taken as seriously because we are all girls, as if we can't handle our situations as ably as co-ed or all male groups. However, as all girls we have more opportunities for big diva-y solos, which can be fun.

ACB: Vocal Motion began by singing all 80s music. Why did the group start with this music? Why did the group decide to broaden its repertoire since?

VM: We wanted to do 80s music in order to differentiate ourselves from the other 2 groups on campus, and have a unique sound. However, we found it difficult to find good songs, and we really wanted to sing and enjoy songs from other genres, so we changed it the next year and I think we have been much more successful.

ACB: Being one of the three a cappella groups at UC Santa Barbara, how do the different groups co-exist? Is there any competition between them?

VM: The groups co-exist very positively and we often promote each other and perform together. The three groups have formed a sort of a cappella community and we are all friends. additionally several people participate in more than one group. There is no competition because we are all completely different groups with different personalities and styles.

ACB: What can we expect to see from Vocal Motion in the future? Any new songs in the works? Any upcoming gigs of note?

VM: Vocal Motion hopes to grow musically and to always become better! We have new songs in the work and we are trying to expand into genres/styles that we haven't tried before and we are very excited about that.

ACB: What is the audition process like for Vocal Motion?

VM: It is fairly simple, we just have auditioners sing a song of their choice and test their range, then we have callbacks to see how well they blend and test their general musical abilities (sight reading, pitch accuracy etc.).

ACB: How does your group go about deciding which songs to add to its repertoire?

VM: We have a discussion where people bring suggestions, and then we vote.

ACB: What would you say is the most important element to having a successful collegiate a cappella group?

VM: Compromise, commitment, and a love/passion for music and singing.

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

VM: I love to sing, and sharing that singing and harmonizing experience with others is an amazing feeling, both aurally and emotionally.
If you would like to learn more about Vocal Motion, you can visit the group online at http://www.geocities.com/vocalmotionsb/.