Category Archives: Music

Blaring lights, a screaming audience of 7,000 and a stage bigger than most imagine: The chance to perform in such circumstances rarely presents itself even for some of the most talented singers and a cappella groups at UCLA. But with Spring Sing fast approaching, Signature A Cappella, Bruin Harmony and Random Voices must prepare to take on such a stage.

From the Grammy Museum and the Roxy Theatre to high school auditoriums and living room spaces, this year’s Spring Sing soloists and duos have performed just about everywhere. But for many, this will be their first time on the stage of the Los Angeles Tennis Center.

A 5-year-old sits down at his grandmother’s piano. He begins to improvise, moving his fingers over the keys. He has never played before, but it is as if he already knows what to do. From that moment on, he is hooked. He enrolls in lessons and at age 12, his instructor tells him he is old enough to reach the pedals of an organ.

This year’s Spring Sing competition will give the stage to bands whose styles and influences include post-hardcore, folk, jazz, blues, rock and opera, reflecting the diverse range of music of the Los Angeles music scene.

Scattered, chaotic drum beats echoed around the courtyard as 20 high school students tried out their first percussion sets. By the end of the quarter, however, this incoherent clamor became cohesive rhythms as SLAM! volunteers watched their students transform into musicians right before their eyes ““ and ears.

Video game consoles are meant to be played, but for a “chip” artist, playing means taking one of these devices and constructing a music scene using only nostalgic “bleeps” and “bloops.”