There is a new all-female a cappella group at UP that is tuning themselves for greatness. These aca-awesome women have come together to form an a capella group, Under a Rest, and hope to bring pitch-perfect melodies to The Bluff.
Sophomore drama major Tori Dunlap has a passion for a cappella that led her to pursue developing a female singing group at UP.
“There has been various a cappella (groups), male or co-ed, at UP in the past,” Dunlap said. “However, I was like ‘Why is there not a female a cappella group on campus?’ It was kind of ‘If not now, then when?’ sort of thing.”
Dunlap began to gauge interest for a female a cappella group at the end of last year by holding an informational meeting where 20 to 25 girls showed up.
“It was really incredible to have so much interest,” Dunlap said. “I really wanted the group to be inclusive of all types of passion for creating music. We have some incredible talent musically and vocally and we are excited about where it takes us.”
Sophomore Marissa Kelly joined Under a Rest for a different singing experience.
“I’m currently a member of the University Singers,” Kelly said. “That is great, however, working in an a cappella group is a very different vocal setting than a traditional choral group and I really wanted to be a part of it.”
Under a Rest is conducting weekly practices on Sunday evenings and is aiming for a cohesive group of around 20 women. If you are so musically inclined or interested in learning the art of a cappella, the group prides itself on inclusivity.
“One of the most fun things about this is that we are all kind of learning together,” Dunlap said. “We are all new and figuring out what we want it to be. It’s been so great having so many similarly passionate singers and performers really wanting to develop this group together.”
Dunlap finds a lot of a cappella inspiration from such groups as Pentatonix, with their unique sound and various approaches to the creative process.
“None of us have a lot of beat boxing experience,” Dunlap said. “So we are really going to be focusing on developing various sound developments in our next couple practices.”
Although Under a Rest has just begun development and practice, they are striving to be heavy hitters at Christie Pub and other singing events around campus. Keep your ears open for perfect pitch and try not to avoid treble. This singing group is sure to be talented.
