#Byu noteworthy album plus#
#Byu noteworthy album free#

Recording that song came at one of the most difficult moments of my life. I Can Only Imagine was a really big one for me. What has been your favorite song to record or perform?Įllie: I have so many favorites honestly. If we could collaborate with someone who is now deceased…Judy Garland. Kelly Clarkson? Demi Lovato? Or maybe Barbra Streisand. If you could collaborate with anyone on a song, who would it be?Īmy: Oh MAN, I love this question. It’s like a big puzzle to make sure every piece is there that you need, and then it’s this opportunity to explore the female singing voice, to try new things, to evoke certain feelings & emotions with syllables, with vocal style, with harmony, with unison. I think arranging for Noteworthy has been one of the most fulfilling creative ventures of my life. Sometimes I sit down to arrange a mash-up of two songs, but one just rises to the top and starts to arrange itself. How do you choose songs and come up with arrangements?Īmy: The arranging process is super unpredictable.

Letting themselves be vulnerable, letting themselves be heard, be seen…there’s just so much soul in a cappella.

#Byu noteworthy album plus#

So couple that with nine plus people doing the same thing. It’s this means of expression that isn’t forced. Because the voice is like a window to the soul.

#Byu noteworthy album free#

The resulting success of groups like Pentatonix and Home Free have shown that A capella isn’t just a niche market anymore.Ī cappella is no joke. Prime time television coupled with the rise of streaming platforms made it easier for A capella groups and soloists that may have never seen commercial success. While A capella has been around a long time, shows like NBC’s The Sing Off catapulted the voice-only music into America’s living rooms. It is a HUGE team effort because, especially in a group of 8, you will stick out if you don’t know your part.” There is something so beautiful about creating a product that is solely made from individual voices. “A cappella is unlike any other type of music, and in my opinion, the most fun to be a part of. Amy has played an enormous role in helping us explore who we are individually and as a group As women, we often hold ourselves back, without even realizing, because we are fearful of what the world is going to think of us. And we remembered our purpose.īrittan: The biggest change from Noteworthy’s start to now, in my opinion, is how much we have embraced individuality and purpose.

When I came in to direct, we reconnected with our roots, we re-branded, we found our modern, feminine edge. Once BYU Performing Arts Management adopted us in 2014, Noteworthy made some of its most successful music videos, yet sort of lost sight of the sisterhood tradition, the purpose of connection with women everywhere. When we first started, Noteworthy was ALL HEART. Since Noteworthy’s early days and its appearance on The Sing Off, what do think the biggest changes have been?Īmy: Noteworthy has been growing and evolving for the last 15 years. For about a year, I was getting the strongest prompting that Noteworthy was exactly where I needed to be, so when the time came to sign up for auditions, I didn’t hesitate. She focused on female empowerment, authenticity and performing for the love of music, and not the desire for views. Since then, Noteworthy has always been my heart & soul.īrittan: Noteworthy was never really a set part of my plan, but when we got our new director, Amy Whitcomb, I started to see changes in the group that reflected exactly what I wanted as a musician and person. But once I auditioned and made it to callbacks, I was like “I HAVE to be in this group.” It was meant to be. I didn’t know much about a cappella and really just wanted the audition experience. No two of us are alike, and that makes us special.”Īmy: I saw a flyer in one of the bathrooms in a building that no longer even exists on BYU campus, and I was immediately intrigued. We are fierce, soft, compassionate, and determined. We have a lot to say when it comes to standing up for women and all people that stand in need of comfort or recognition.

“It’s easy to compare Noteworthy to our male counterparts, but there’s no one out there like us. Joining me for this interview are Amy Whitcomb (Artistic Director), Ellie Hughes (Soprano) and Brittan Wawro (Alto).īYU Noteworthy Members: Brittan Wawro, Skylar Mertz, Megan Ackerman, Lizzy Newbold, Augustine Larsen, Anna Slezak, Ellie Hughes and Grace Ibarra. I reached out to Amy to see if she would be willing to answer some questions about the group, and she graciously agreed to help.