Less than a year ago, they were up on stage singing their hearts
out.
On Saturday, these former members of Random Voices, an on-campus
all-female a capella group, were part of the audience, loudly
cheering on the performing groups that sang during the fifth annual
California A Capella Festival.
The event, hosted by Random Voices, featured performances by
various a capella groups from several California universities,
including various University of California schools, University of
Southern California, California Institute of Technology and San
Diego State University.
CAF has developed since its conception in 2002 to become a major
event for Random Voices.
Alumni from all the performing groups had the opportunity to
attend the event to show their support for their group as well as
listen to other groups.
Though the event is only in its fifth year, CAF attracted a
large crowd in the Ackerman Grand Ballroom for the evening
show.
Sharleen Higa, the group’s current music director said
founder Molly Jones, who also established the CAF, started a
tradition years ago by returning to watch the group’s
performances.
She added that Jones still visits the girls occasionally, though
she did not attend this year’s festival.
All of last year’s Random Voices graduates “”mdash; 2004
music director Tina Lin, Jeyling Chou, Jenise Gragera, Diana Li,
and Valerie Moy “”mdash; showed up for at least one of the
performances this year.
“It was strange to be in the audience for once “”mdash; to
be on the other side of the curtain,” Chou said. “All
of us in the audience were itching to be up there.”
Chou, a former Daily Bruin editor, was one of several recent
Random Voices alumnae who traveled to Los Angeles to show their
continued support for their former a capella group.
Among the Random Voices alumnae, the tradition of watching new
performances allows them to meet the new members, who become
“automatic friends,” said Chou, who traveled from San
Jose to attend the events.
At the end of the more casual afternoon portion of the festival,
Higa surprised the group’s alumnae by inviting them to stage
for a rendition of Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “Baby Got
Back,” a song they all remembered performing.
She said she thought it was great that they come back. Though
she tries to keep in touch with the graduates, it is difficult
after they move away.
“We get so close, so when people (graduate), it’s
upsetting,” said Higa, who will graduate this year.
One of the alumnae in the afternoon audience was Moy, who came
down from San Francisco for the festival. Though she had little
warning, she drew on her recollections of past performances and
rehearsals.
After the earlier show, Moy helped clean up. She wanted the
singers to be able to prepare for their more formal performance
later that night.
And after their evening show, while fans, friends and family
congratulated current Random Voices members, Moy worked the CD
sales table so the singers would not have to.
“I know what it’s like running around after a
performance,” she said.
Moy said she attends Random Voices events because she still
feels a connection with the current members, and plans to keep
coming back as long as she knows someone in the group.
Besides Random Voices concerts, Moy said she attends a capella
performances put on by other groups.
“There’s an a capella community out there,”
she said. “A capella group members tend to go to other a
capella group activities.”
Though Moy has not actively tried to pursue singing, other
Random Voices alumnae such as Chou and Lin have.
Lin attends recording school, and Chou has been searching for a
singing group to join. However, finding such a group can be
difficult outside of the college setting, Chou said.
Also, integrating into a new group can be challenging after
growing so close to the members of another group.
“I discovered that … new groups are never as good as the
old ones,” she said.