Club strives to promote a capella groups at USU
Many different styles of music can be heard on the campus of Utah State University. Those who enjoy an a cappella style of music may be interested to note there is a club on campus, organized specifically for those students – the USU A Capella Club. “The idea behind it, [the A Capella Club], is just to promote the a cappella groups on campus. The club was formed to provide support for groups having concerts or CD releases – the club can work with them to get a table in the TSC or other on-campus promotional aids,” said Shayne Taylor, a senior and co-founder of the club. Taylor said he and Kevin Jones, a former USU student, started the club in the spring of 2001. Because it is still new, the a cappella remains relatively small compared to those on other Utah campuses, such as BYU. The club works to help those few groups involved receive recognition and promotion on campus, he said. The club works mainly with the two major a cappella groups on campus, Eclipse and Chorderoy, Taylor said. These groups will be participating and performing for the Olympics, he said. Both groups will be singing at the live sights and venues, providing entertainment and a pleasant atmosphere for the crowds, Taylor said. Eclipse, which Taylor is a member of, will be performing in the opening and closing ceremonies along with such names as Sting, the Dixie Chicks and LeAnn Rimes, he said. They will also be singing at the medals presentations on Feb. 16, 17 and 18, he said. Taylor also noted the group would spend four to six hours a day working as one of the two “A Cappella Bobsled Teams,” traveling and performing around the sites and venues. With international scrutiny and front-page reviews, these performances could be somewhat intimidating. “It’s impossible to fathom performing in front of so many people, so you don’t even try. With over 60 thousand [people] in Rice-Eccles Stadium, you work with what you can see, and forget about the other millions [watching on TV],” Taylor said. In addition to promoting such groups as Eclipse and Corderoy, the USU A Capella Club is in the process of putting together an a cappella jam on an undecided date in March, Taylor said. This jam will give a cappella groups on campus a chance to perform together and entertain students, he said. The A Capella Club is open to anyone on campus and serves as a go between for the singers and the school, Taylor said. Anyone wanting to get involved with the club can e-mail Shayne Taylor at shayne@cc.usu.edu, or call him at 752-5801.