A cappella group performing on stage
The A Cappella Blog

University of Oregon On The Rocks

Interviews

In 1999, Leonardo Silven and Peter Hollens co-founded The University of Oregon's first a cappella group, an all-male ensemble called On the Rocks. The group has gone on to accomplish a great deal, earning to the trips to the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella finals, and recording three full length CDs. The group will compete in an ICCA quarter-final this Saturday at the Hult Center in Eugene, OR.

On the Rocks members took the time to answer questions from A Cappella Blog co-founder Mike Chin.

A Cappella Blog (ACB): What can listeners expect from On the Rocks' most recent CD release, Full Coverage?

On the Rocks (OTR): It's a very diverse collection of songs from '80s legendary songs like "Kyrie" to modern hits such as "Stacey's Mom" and "Somethin Like That." Also included on the album are 3 originals.

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?

OTR: The group performs every Friday to keep our roots based in our local fans. It's a wonderful relationship that we have with the campus population, and Friday shows help keep that relationship alive. It's challenging to come up with new songs and presentations to keep our "regulars" entertained, but we do our best to please them because fans are the reason we are who we are.

ACB: Each year, On the Rocks sings the National Anthem for a University of Oregon basketball game at Mac Court. What does this tradition mean to the group?

OTR: This performance is a wonderful experience because it started the first year that OTR was around, and a lot of people get to see our group that would not regularly come to a show.

ACB: On the Rocks has a history of strong performance in competition, including trips to the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella finals in 2002 and 2003. What led to such success for the group? Does the group prepare differently for competition than for other performances?

OTR: Success in our competitions comes from extreme dedication on the current group's part, and a lot of organization between the leaders of the group. During a competition year, we focus much more heavily on our three competitions pieces, as a opposed to a non-competition year where we like to share our time evenly among our entire repertoire.

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

OTR: Typically, a group vote is made and we use both arrangements from members of the group, as well as professional arrangers.

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

OTR: Dedication and longevity are key. It's best to have singers who plan to commit to multiple terms in the group, so there is less "reteaching" involved. Also, when a group is dedicated, they can accomplish much more and move much quicker than those less driven.

ACB: What is your favorite song to perform with On the Rocks?

OTR: One of my favorite songs to perform would be our newest "closer," which is "Karmastition." It's a blend of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" and Alicia Keyes "Karma". It's a wonderful arrangement, and it keeps the audience captivated throughout with clever and subtle choreography.

ACB: Is there anything else you would like to share with the readers of The A Cappella Blog?

OTR: The world of Collegiate a cappella grows everyday, and the only way to help it get even bigger is to help support the smaller groups, trying to make their way into the world that we "established groups" already live in. With support and encouragement we can make our specific musical genre even more present on today's campuses.

If you would like to learn more about On the Rocks, you can visit the group online at http://www.uoontherocks.com.

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