Voices in Your Head
| Voices in Your Head | |
|---|---|
| Origin | University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Genres | A Cappella |
| Years active | 1998 – present |
| Labels | A Cappella Records |
| Website | http://voicesinyourhead.org/ |
Voices in Your Head is a student-run, co-ed a cappella group from the University of Chicago. Founded in 1998, the group consists of both undergraduate and graduate students whose studies range from Economics to Music to MD/PhD programs. Voices arranges all of its own music, spanning several genres. Its unique repertoire includes original pieces, as well as an eclectic mix of pop, R&B, rock, and alternative music. Voices competes annually in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA), and travels nationally for a cappella festivals and tours.
Contents |
History [edit]
Voices in Your Head was formed in the fall of 1998 . They released their first live album, Sesquipedalia, in 2000, their first studio album, On Point, in 2002, and their second studio album, ‘’Songs for Padded Rooms,’’ in 2005.
‘'Note To Self'," released on May 23, 2008, received a strong Recorded A Cappella Review Board review[1] and contained a track (“Magic”) selected for the 2008 edition of the international a cappella compilation, Voices Only.[2] Noted author Nick Hornby also included "Magic" from Note To Self in his 2008 playlist for the New York Times.[3]
On February 17, 2009, Ben Folds announced that "Magic" would appear on his 2009 album Ben Folds Presents: University A Cappella!, calling it "a hell of a cool place to live for three and a half minutes".[4] NBC Washington[5] commented on the group's contribution, "Magic," saying "the arrangement is so different from the original that the song is a completely unique artifact–which should be the goal of any group, a cappella or otherwise, when attempting a cover." Entertainment Weekly[6] interviewed Ben Folds about the project, commenting, "There’s a group from the University of Chicago called Voices in Your Head that sings 'Magic' on the record, and to me they’re in a different league from the rest of the groups." As part of the tour to support the album release, Voices in Your Head performed live with Ben Folds on March 19, 2009 in Milwaukee, WI at the Eagles Ballroom.
That year, Voices In Your Head competed for the first time in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella,[7] a competition featuring groups from all over the country and overseas. In 2011, Voices finished third at their Midwest Quarterfinal; in 2012, they came in first at both the quarterfinal and the semifinal, progressing to ICCA finals in New York City, where they finished fourth overall. In addition, they competed in the inaugural Boston Sings collegiate competition, where they came in first.[8]
The group's newest album, I Used to Live Alone, was released on May 21, 2011, and marked Voices' emergence into the national a cappella scene. Several tracks met critical acclaim in the a cappella community up to a year before its release: the tracks "I'd Like To," "Boomerang" and "Sharp" were all selected for national a cappella compilation albums.[9][10][11][12] "Boomerang" was also the winner of the 2011 CARA (Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award) in the category of Best Scholastic Original. After its release, the album received positive reviews from the Recorded A Cappella Review Board (RARB), and was selected as one of RARB's picks of the year. In 2012, "I Used To Live Alone" was nominated for five CARA awards, winning Best Mixed Collegiate Arrangement (Chris Rishel, for "I'd Like To") and runner up places for Best Mixed Collegiate Album, Song, and Solo.
They are currently working on a new album of covers and originals, set to be released in Spring 2013.
Co-Founders [edit]
- Amanda Grossman, Musical Director
- Jennifer Berktold
- Sean Slayback
- Loren Shevitz, Director of Shircago
Awards [edit]
| Year | Presenter | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | CARAs (Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards of CASA)[13] | ||
| Best Mixed Collegiate Arrangement | Winner, Chris Rishel for "We Found Love" | ||
| Best Mixed Collegiate Song | Winner, "We Found Love" | ||
| Best Scholastic Original Song | Nominated, Chris Rishel and Brianne Holland for "Life of the Mind" | ||
| 2012 | Sing[14] | Sing 9: Supernovem | "We Found Love" |
| Voices Only | Voices Only 2012[15] | "Titanium" | |
| Boston Sings (BOSS) Collegiate Competition [16] | Overall | 1st Place | |
| ICCA (International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella) Midwest Semifinal [17] | Overall | 1st Place | |
| Outstanding Arrangement | Winner, Chris Rishel | ||
| Outstanding Choreography | Winner, Alex Gilewicz and Ryan Bober | ||
| CARAs [18] | Best Mixed Collegiate Arrangement | Winner, Chris Rishel, "I'd Like To" | |
| Best Mixed Collegiate Album | Runner-Up, I Used to Live Alone | ||
| Best Mixed Collegiate Song | Runner-Up, "I'd Like To" (opb Corinne Bailey Rae) | ||
| Best Mixed Collegiate Solo | Runner-Up, Elspeth Michaels, "I'd Like To" | ||
| Best Scholastic Original | Nominated, Chris Rishel & Zachary Madden, "Sharp" (opb Voices in Your Head) | ||
| ICCA Midwest Quarterfinal [17] | Overall | 1st Place | |
| Outstanding Arrangement | Winner, Chris Rishel, "We Found Love" (opb Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris) & "Titanium" (opb David Guetta feat. Sia) | ||
| Outstanding Choreography | Winner, Alex Gilewicz and Ryan Bober | ||
| 2011 | RARB (Recorded A Cappella Review Board) Picks of the Year [19] | Album of the Year | I Used to Live Alone |
| Song of the Year | "Boomerang" | ||
| Song of the Year | "I'd Like To" | ||
| Sing[20] | Sing 8: Too Cubed | "Sharp" | |
| ACAs (A Cappella Community Awards of CASA)[21] | Favorite Mixed Collegiate Group | Nominated | |
| Favorite Female Vocalist | Nominated, Elspeth Michaels | ||
| Favorite Original A Cappella Song | Nominated, "Boomerang" (opb Voices in Your Head) | ||
| BOCA (Best of Collegiate A Cappella)[22] | BOCA 2011 | "I'd Like To" | |
| CARAs[23] | Best Scholastic Original | Winner, Chris Rishel & Elspeth Michaels, "Boomerang" | |
| ICCA Midwest Quarterfinal[24] | Overall | 2nd Runner-Up | |
| Outstanding Arrangement | Winner, Chris Rishel, "Break Your Heart" (opb Taio Cruz) | ||
| 2010 | Sing | Sing 7: Lucky[25] | "Boomerang" |
| Voices Only | Voices Only 2010[26] | "I'd Like To" | |
| 2009 | Ben Folds | Ben Folds Presents: University A Cappella[4] | "Magic" |
| Voices Only | Voices Only 2009[27] | "Supermassive Black Hole" (opb Muse) | |
| 2008 | Voices Only | Voices Only 2008[28] | "Magic" (opb Ben Folds Five) |
References [edit]
- ^ [1] RARB review of Note To Self
- ^ [2] Voices Only 2008 Official Website
- ^ [3] Nick Hornby's 2008 Playlist
- ^ a b [4] Ben Folds Presents: University A Cappella!
- ^ [5] NBC Washington review
- ^ [6] Entertainment Weekly interview
- ^ [7] ICCA 2010 Midwest lineup
- ^ [8] BOSS 2012 Competition results
- ^ [9] Voices Only Official Website
- ^ [10] Sing 7 track list announcement
- ^ [11] Sing Compilation official website
- ^ [12] Sing 8 track list announcement
- ^ [13] 2013 CARA nominees
- ^ [14] Sing 9: Supernovem Tracklist Announcement
- ^ [15] Voices Only 2012
- ^ [16] Boston Sings
- ^ a b [17] ICCA 2012 Results
- ^ [18] 2012 CARA nominees
- ^ [19] RARB Picks of '11
- ^ [20] Sing 8: Too Cubed Tracklist Announcement
- ^ [21] 2011 A Cappella Community Awards Nominees
- ^ [22] Best of Collegiate A Cappella
- ^ [23] 2011 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award Winners
- ^ [24] 2011 International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella Results
- ^ [25] Sing 7: Lucky Tracklist
- ^ [26] Voices Only 2010
- ^ [27] Voices Only 2009
- ^ [28] Voices Only 2008
