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Issue date: 10/27/08 Section: Tempo

"When we went and talked to administration about the idea, they liked the idea of people coming together in the musical sense, because the administration is really excited about what this group could possibly do for bringing music into the student organization, into the rest of the campus and just kind of bringing everyone together here at Lewis," said Schmidt.

Though the group just performed their first performance during Family Day on Oct. 18, Schmidt explains that the group
is still working on finding material to perform.

"There's two ways that I've started arranging songs. First I [think] about what songs I really like and think about what would be good to hear as an a cappella arrangement, and then I also listened to a lot of a cappella music and I hear songs by other groups…But when it actually comes down to it, I try to find sheet music version of it," said Schmidt.

In deciding what songs the group is going to work on, Schmidt added, "A lot of that comes from popular music, like stuff we hear on the radio…there's certain ideas that pop up, and we try to bounce them around and try and figure out the best thing and most interesting for us to sing for people to hear."

Currently Schmidt explained that the group is working on songs like "Over You" by Daughtry,
"Harder to Breathe" by Maroon 5, "Seasons of Love" from the musical RENT and a Sara Bareilles medley that includes "Love Song," "Many the Miles" and "Gravity."

But in learning these songs and working together as a first year group, come some challenges.

"This group is new to everybody; it's just a style that no member of the group has ever really sung before. There's a lot of members of our group that have a lot of vocal experience…but nobody's really been in this type of group, and I myself haven't been in this type of group," said Schmidt.

"So, in directing, we're figuring out how we need to learn the songs and finding time for everyone to have the songs in parts so everyone can learn their individual parts, and then coming together and singing as a group so we can hear everything, like as it balances against everybody's part."

But despite these first year challenges, Schmidt remains hopeful about the group's potential, especially about it bringing people together on campus.

"I really hope that it can give people a different outlook into a different genre of music, but also bring different types of people together," said Schmidt. "There's the commuters and then there's the resident students, and a lot of the resident students are athletes, and bringing those two different types of people together, just bringing everyone together in general, would be really nice just to see who can come and just enjoy the show and music."

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