University of Oregon Divisi
Founded in 2001, University of Oregon Divisi is a premier all-female a cappella group. Among the group's accomplishments was a trip to the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) finals, where they finished in second place in 2005. They both hosted and competed in an ICCA quarterfinal last night, at the Hult Center in Eugene, OR.
Divisi musical director Sarah Klein took the time to answer questions from A Cappella Blog co-founder Mike Chin.
A Cappella Blog (ACB): How would you describe Divisi's upcoming CD release, Undivided? Why did the group choose this name for the recording?
Sarah Klein (SK): Undivided was released in 2005. It won the 2006 CARA award for best Female Collegiate Album. "Yeah" won the CARA for best Female Collegiate Arrangement and was the runner up for best Female Collegiate Song. Undivided was recorded and produced by Peter Hollens and Bill Hare. The tracks include two originals and range from sassy to soulful to peppy to edgy. Undivided breaks the boundaries traditionally associated with female a cappella.
Divisi decided on the name Undivided because of the emotional bond we had built through our combined music-making experiences. We appreciated the irony in the title, because Divisi literally means "divided," but in the year this album was released, Divisi was anything but divided.
ACB: Divisi offers Birthday and Valegrams. What gave the group the idea to put out these unique services? How successful have they been?
SK: Birthday and Valegrams have been much less a part of our business over the more recent years. We have a fun "Happy Birthday" song arranged by Suzie Day, which we sing for each other and at public performances when there is an audience member celebrating a birthday. Rather than finding music unique to holidays, we gig with songs that are already in our repertoire. More often than not, the songs we already sing fit the occasion.
ACB: Your group performs each Friday at the EMU amphitheatre. Can you describe these performances? Why was the group performing weekly and what were some benefits or challenges to keeping this schedule?
SK: This is a tradition that was started by the UO men's group, On the Rocks. Every week at 4:00 pm on Friday, both groups perform about a half hour set at the EMU. We perform rain or shine, but recently we've been performing inside when it's really rainy. We look forward to EMU performances because they motivate us to learn new repertoire and they give us a chance to connect with our fans in an intimate atmosphere. We enjoy sharing our music with the community at no charge during these performances. It can be challenging for all of our members to keep this hour free, but so far it hasn't caused any major problems.
ACB: Divisi's rendition of "Yeah" was featured on the 2006 Best of Collegiate A Cappella compilation. What did this recognition mean for the group?
SK: This was a major and very exciting accomplishment for Divisi. Being recognized in this manner showed that our hard work had paid off. With "Yeah," we did something unheard of in the realm of female a cappella--ladies getting down and dirty with Usher. It was an honor for us to be put on BOCA, and we pride ourselves on having the capability to go beyond the boundaries.
ACB: With your eclectic catalog of songs, how does Divisi go about deciding which songs to add to its repertoire?
SK: This choice depends on what our arrangers bring to us. When one of our members brings in a new arrangement, we will vote it in and then begin learning it. Sometimes we decided on a song we really want to sing and have it professionally arranged. A couple of times we have had listening sessions where we each bring in a track or two we think would make a good arrangment. We then vote on as many songs as we are financially capable of having professionally arranged.
ACB: What would you say is the most important element to having a successful collegiate a cappella group?
SK: Dedication. At least in Divisi's case, our lives end up revolving around the group. It takes a lot of time together to coalesce. Divisi not only rehearses together for hours each week, but we also gig often and socialize outside of our music making. It is absolutelynecessary for Divisi to be a priority for each member, which it always is, because Divisi is so rewarding and so much fun!
If you would like to learn more about Divisi, you can visit the group online at http://www.uodivisi.com.