Orland A. Jacome’figueroa
Contributing Writer
The Tonesetters, an acappella group blending vocals with synchronized dance, held their first official audition this last Friday at The Abeloff Center. Students of many talents, from inspired singers to energized dancers, filled The Ableoff Center for their chance to prove their skills and set a place for themselves among the group.
Starting at 4 p.m., Brandon Hamilton, a sophomore psychology major, was one of the judges for the evening. He prepared the students with stretches and vocal exercises. “We’re here to be spontaneous and have fun so don’t be nervous,” said Hamilton.
Once warm-ups were done, each of the contestants prepared themselves to show off their talents. The first contestant, Juliana Valdez, a freshman marketing major, took to the center of the stage to sing a karaoke version of “Copacabana,” by Barry Manilow.
Before her performance, Valdez shared her thoughts on why she was auditioning: “In high school, I did a lot of advanced choirs including acapella, and I wanted to find an acapella group here because it was a lot of fun and it kept me busy.”
The performance resonated with her contestants and judges as both parties nodded, and some did little dances in their seats. After her performance of “Copacabana” when asked how she felt during and after her performance, Valdez said, “ During the song I was getting really bad stage fright up there, but I love performing and I forced myself to just finish. Once I was done and everyone clapped, all that anxiety went away.”
The judges were all members of The Tonesetters and made sure that every contestant felt comfortable while still being constructive with their feedback, allowing some contestants not to perform in the center of stage. Instead, some opted to perform where they felt most comfortable; Shahada Merit, a sophomore hospitality major, judge and fellow team member, provided this insight on their decision: “We’re dealing with a lot of diversity and the last thing that we want as a team is to have anyone feel left out. So if you work with me, I’ll work with you.”
Auditions continued throughout the evening, but two students stood out amongst their peers.
Emily Simons, a sophomore majoring in early childhood development, was a late arrival to the auditions. She performed a rendition of Adele’s song “Remedy.” The sophomore’s vocal talents did not go unnoticed, and when judges asked about her background, she explained.
“Growing up, I did theater, choir and barbershop quartet,” she also expressed how it had been a while since she’d performed. “ I was really excited about today’s audition, I was nervous but excited because I haven’t performed since my senior year of high school, which was three and a half years ago.”
Another standout of the evening was Brienne Prezeau, a freshman studying musical theater; Prezeau did a karaoke version of the song “Time Stops” from “Big Fish The Musical.” Her voice was just what you wanted to hear when in a Broadway show. The inflections and stage presence amazed everyone so much that she was given an encore and performed the song a second time.
Reflecting on her performance: “This was a last-minute decision, I wasn’t sure if I was going to show up today because I didn’t know if there was going to be a lot of people here and if the environment was going to be comfortable, but just in case I changed my mind, I picked a random song and spent all morning warming up. It turned out for the best in the end. Instead of me just staying home and being worried.”
After the auditions wrapped up, names and numbers were written down and the members of The Tonesetters thanked everyone for coming and trying out. There will be a deliberation before the results are released.