Walking into the Battelle-Tompkins Atrium on a Thursday evening might very well be a cure for even the worst of moods. When Treble in Paradise - AU's only all-female a cappella group - meets for rehearsals, the exuberance level is at 10.
"It's almost like we're a singing sorority because we're just such great friends," explained Treble's president, senior Meredith Gray.
That friendship is evident in the joyful comportment of the ladies of Treble in Paradise. The eclectic mix of personalities and styles of the group's 13 members has meshed into one sound that is both playful and professional.
Treble in Paradise originated from the group Philomela, which eventually became defunct. Not content to let all-female a cappella die out at AU, then-junior Gray took the initiative to reform Philomela under a new name and with a more focused group of women.
In only one year, Treble in Paradise has made great progress in establishing itself as a member of the D.C. a cappella community. With two on-campus performances every semester, corporate and other private events, and a concert at Penn State under their belts, Treble's singers have much to be happy about.
But not content with these achievements thus far, Treble's members are working on getting a Web site up and running to make their music more accessible. Gray would like to see Treble involved with other D.C.-area schools' a cappella groups in the future. Also, the group would like to produce a professionally recorded album within the year.
"[We] hope to record a CD ... eventually," said sophomore Lauren Jacobs, co-musical director.
Through all these endeavors, the group's members are each other's support system.
"Being able to team up and do something collectively all together that we couldn't do on our own is really cool," said Treble sophomore Annie Gardner.
Surprisingly, most of the women of Treble in Paradise are not music majors. Though they all sang in choir or musicals in high school, the group's members are academically focused on other areas. It's their love of music and performing that explains their dedication.
"It's an obsession," business manager Courtney Romain professed.
Co-musical director Chrissy Hassel said that the challenge of musical arrangement is part of what makes a cappella-style performing so enjoyable.
"It's really fun to take songs on the radio and actually work to arrange them and make them your own," Hassel said. "It's really great to have something that is all voices coming together to make something so wonderful."
Sophomore Stephanie Visconti agrees that there is something special about a cappella performance.
"It's a good chance to do something different instead of just being in chorus," she said.
All-female a cappella is also different from coed singing.
"With [all-female a cappella], you get to do a different style of music, and it's a little bit more challenging working with only female voices," sophomore Aimee Ghosh explained.
Treble's musical repertoire is focused on contemporary pop music, with the occasional Paul Simon thrown in for good measure. College staples such as Guster are covered, as are the Cranberries, Michael Jackson, the Dixie Chicks, Billy Joel and En Vogue.
Despite the carefree feeling at a Treble rehearsal, there are certain performances that simply defy expectation. Hassel takes listeners to church during her lead on Annie Lennox's "Walking on Broken Glass," and the group's cover of "I Can't Be with You" by the Cranberries is every bit as sorrowful as it is sweet.
While they take their craft seriously, it is clear that the women of Treble in Paradise stop short of taking themselves too seriously.
"I just like being in Treble because I can dance around and be a goofball for an hour and a half twice a week," said junior Corinne St. Angelo. "And then at the end of the semester, we get to stand up in front of people and be goofballs all over again."
The joy that the members of Treble in Paradise get from performing and their shared friendship is what makes it such a wonderful experience seeing them all together. It is also what keeps them motivated to put in the many long hours it takes to fine-tune their sound.
"It seems like it would be really hard to fit in [to my schedule], but just because I love this so much, my heart and soul is this group, that it's not hard to make the time because I want to do it," Gray said of her time commitment as president.
Gray also said that she relishes the freedom of being in a student-run club.
"We get to take liberties with songs and be creative and do songs in new ways. ... I think it's just a really special kind of music because you don't have to worry about instruments or anything - we are our own instruments."
As Gray gets ready to graduate in the spring and end her tenure as Treble's president, she has high hopes for the future of the group and the abilities of its members.
"I would like for us to become more of a force on campus," she said. "Going into On a Sensual Note concerts at the end of the year, Kay [Spiritual Life Center] is absolutely packed. So I would love to come back and visit next year and see Kay filled to capacity for Treble. That would be awesome."
Treble in Paradise's end-of-the-semester performance is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 10 in Kay.
