- What is a cappella?
- Who are the Keynotes?
- What is your repertoire?
- Does the group work with precisely notated music, or do you improvise?
- How big is your group? How big do you want it to be? How many people are you looking to add to the group this year? Are you looking for particular voice parts?
- What kind of commitment is expected from members of the group?
- Are you strictly singers, or do you include comedy/dancing/choreography as part of your performances?
- Is the group somehow sponsored by the School of Music or is it an independent student group?
What is a cappella?
A cappella is a style of singing without instrumental accompaniment. Unlike the movie Pitch Perfect, this particular a cappella group does not dance (much), compete, or spontaneously burst into complex harmony, alas.
Who are the Keynotes?
Most of us are graduate students, but we’ve also had post-docs, visiting scholars, friends of members, folks from the Chicago area, and former grad students in the group. A wide number of disciplines and areas of study have been represented in our group, from law to engineering to counseling.
What is your repertoire?
Pretty much anything we want! Our current set list includes both traditional and classical works and arrangements of oldies, jazz, and pop songs. We get together at the beginning of each year to brainstorm and vote on songs for the year. Check out a sample list of songs on our Music page and videos of previous shows on our Shows page.
Does the group work with precisely notated music, or do you improvise?
We usually work with notated arrangements. Our members are on a spectrum of musical experience that runs from absolute zero to folks who’ve had years of vocal training, music theory, and experience running a cappella groups. So some of us are more comfortable learning an arrangement one way and sticking with it fairly closely. Also, because we rehearse only once a week and sometimes take longer breaks in the summer, it’s easier for us to use written music so that we can pick up right where we left off the last time. However, we often tinker with the arrangements we use, so we don’t think of our music as set in stone. Also, we often have plenty of solo opportunities, which are very open to improvisation.
How big is your group? How big do you want it to be? How many people are you looking to add to the group this year? Are you looking for particular voice parts?
We don’t set limits when we audition, but we wouldn’t want to have the group to get much larger than 24 people total. Because graduate student schedules are so zany, we rarely have everyone at a performance, so we don’t put too much emphasis on “balancing” parts in choosing our members. Several of us can sing multiple voice parts, which offers flexibility for our performances.
What kind of commitment is expected from members of the group?
Unlike many a cappella groups at Northwestern, the Keynotes understand that graduate students have unique demands on their schedule. We usually have two rehearsals per week (one weeknight, one weekend) that are 1.5 hours each. While we would love for everyone to be at every rehearsal, we definitely understand if you miss a bunch especially if we know ahead of time. Our rehearsal time changes from quarter to quarter. For example, last year, we rehearsed on Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons in the fall.
We usually perform twice a year – usually the gigs are short, 1 hour or less.
Are you strictly singers, or do you include comedy/dancing/choreography as part of your performances?
Despite the fact that we have some wonderful and talented people in the group, we stick to singing. Of course, we are always open to trying something new!
Is the group somehow sponsored by the School of Music or is it an independent student group?
We are sufficiently funded by SOFO (Student Organizations Financial Office), given that we have a President and Treasurer every year.