UCLA’s Random Voices is accustomed to being defined by its all-women status. Though the a cappella group embraces an image of female empowerment, its members said they hope viewers can see beyond that and focus on the skill and hard work that goes into each performance.
For the group, six months of preparation will culminate in a four-minute performance at Saturday’s annual Spring Sing. With complete creative control over their sound and image, the all-female a cappella group said its upcoming rendition of “Lady Marmalade” is emblematic of their group’s spirit.
“(The song) has a very strong confidence aspect to it, and I think every single person in Random Voices is confident in themselves in some way, shape or form,” said Megan Gaumond, a third-year neuroscience student and Random Voices’ music director.
Gaumond said her musical arrangement “Lady Marmalade” draws largely on the original Patti Labelle version of the song, which she said is complex and showcases the strength of the group members’ voices.
“The (Labelle version) has a very social aspect to it, and it’s very soulful with a lot of R&B background,” Gaumond said.
This social component helps define Random Voices, said third-year world arts and cultures/dance student Sarah Summers. The group of 13 members spends free time together and considers each other among their best friends. Summers said they wanted to convey this cohesion through the performance.
“(In the music video of Labelle’s version, they are) dancing together and laughing, and this year we have a really, really close group, so it’s interesting to find ways we can harness (our) camaraderie,” Summers said.
Morgan Rose, a second-year international development studies student, said they also drew on the “Moulin Rouge!” 2001 version to convey sass and appeal to a younger audience.
Summers, who choreographed the group’s performance for the second consecutive year, said last year’s movements were more focused on the upper body, while this year’s choreography is grounded in the pelvis to allow for this spunk and freedom of expression.
“We’re focusing on getting low and just being really, really sassy and having as much fun as possible without taking away from the arrangement,” Summers said.
Though small and cohesive, Rose said Random Voices is not lacking in diversity. With its members majoring in everything from psychobiology to musical theater, the group brings a wide array of perspectives and energies that come together on stage.
“That’s one of the amazing things … like some people bring sass and some people bring more seriousness, and some people bring positivity and it all comes together to form this big happy family,” Rose said.