The Sophian

Issue date: 11/12/09 Section: Arts

Although the temperature is steadily dropping and snow is imminent, Groove, one of Smith's a cappella groups, plans to remind us of warmer days this Saturday at their Nautical Jam.

"The event is a mostly musical performance in which Groove will showcase our existing repertoire and premiere new music we've been working on during the semester," explained Samantha Noble '12. "Premieres for this show will include 'The Chain' by Ingrid Michaelson and 'December 1963 (Oh What a Night)' by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons."

The youngest of Smith's a cappella groups, Groove draws all of its members exclusively from either Chorus or Glee Club, and Groove is the only a cappella group on campus that is affiliated with the music department. Although they may not get the most attention on campus, Groove is a collection with a lot of heart, eager to perform and entertain.

This year, Groove has already performed at Arch Sing, Montage and most recently at Celebration. During each show, Groove's members strive to perform to the best of their abilities to engage and entertain their audience. They place an emphasis on the music, of course, but the group says there is more to it than that. They do their best to create a show they feel will get people laughing.

According to Noble, Saturday's show will "involve a short skit to link the songs together in a cohesive story. The theme of the skit changes every year."

Caroline Framke '10, business manager, said, "This semester, after previous concerts with themes following MTV dating shows and beauty pageants, we're going with a nautical theme - think pirates, vikings, creatures of the deep."

"We sound amazing. I'm really excited about our upcoming concert - it's going to be so much fun," added Becca Kim '13, one of Groove's newest members.

The show will be doubling as a CD release shindig. Their new CD, Off the Record includes songs from their past and present repertoire and will be sold for the one-time price of $10 at this jam. This is Groove's second CD release in less than two years.

The album, Grove's follow-up to Proof, is a collection of more contemporary music with that same clever Groove twist. The album encompasses their diverse repertoire, which includes "Fidelity" by Regina Spektor, "Portions for Foxes" by Rilo Kiley and "Stop" by the Spice Girls, to name a few.

Joining Groove will be guest performers Route 9, an all-male a cappella group from Amherst College.

The combination of great music and nautical-themed fun will surely make for an entertaining performance with something to offer everyone. Best of all, in an effort to encourage attendance by music-lovers everywhere, the show is free.

Framke has high hopes for the evening. "We're really excited about this jam, what with our new songs, new CD, new leadership - musical directors Teresa Huang '10 and [Elizabeth] Smith '10 - new soloists and new members - Katie Castagno '12 and Becca Kim - we think it'll be a great, fun representation of what Groove 2009-10 is all about," she said.

So hop on the boat and catch Groove's Nautical Jam this Saturday at 8 p.m. at Helen Hills Hills Chapel. For more information on Groove, Off the Record and other upcoming shows, visit the group's Web site at http://sophia.smith.edu/groove.

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