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Ladies First by Frank Kwarcinski with video by Matt Mikus
The small space of room 102 within the music practice building may not look like much at first glance. However, to the Ladies First a cappella group, it provides the perfect opportunity to come together and to be a part of a unique campus experience. A cappella groups have each member sing a part of a song based on their own voice part without instrumental accompaniment. The different tones and pitches of each performer make the group an amazing blend of wonderful vocals. MSU’s Ladies First is an audition based sub-group of the Women’s Glee Club, and they have been performing at MSU for the past 22 years. They are the campus’ only all female a cappella group, and they sing a wide variety of songs, ranging from pop and classic rock hits to a large number of Motown favorites. Carmen Gillespie, a junior communications major, is the president of Ladies First and has been involved with the program for six semesters. She leads practice and provides leadership for the lesser-experienced members of the group. Gillespie, along with the group’s vocal coach, senior choral music education major Brittne Tyl, have prepared the group for their upcoming performance called Divas Live on Saturday at the Music Building Auditorium at 8pm. The show is free, but all donations are welcome. The ladies usually choose their own motif for each performance, such as the sleepover theme that they selected last year. This Saturday though, each group member will look to channel her own Diva during the show. They will do this by performing about 20 songs, so it’s definitely worth the price of admission. In preparation for the show, the 11 ladies (not including the vocal coach Tyl) are required to attend three practices a week, including a three-hour time commitment on Sunday. By adding eight new songs to their song list this semester, the group has been forced to work some extra hours on their own as well. Ladies First can be seen at various University Activities Board (UAB) events, and other community events such as Relay for Life and the Chili Cook off in Lansing. They want to become a known member of the MSU campus, and the community. Also, if a cappella groups are really your thing, Ladies First is coming out with a CD entitled “The Ladies Room?” which will go on sale for a price of $10. Just e-mail ladies@msu.edu to buy the CD or to get more information about auditions for the group. Every time the group practices or performs they always keep in mind the goals of Ladies First. “We want to have fun, make good music and entertain and please our audience,” said Gillespie. To find out more information, please check out the Ladies First Web site at; http://www.freewebs.com/msuladiesfirst/index.htm Want to join? Here’s what you need to know.
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