By Annie Wong
It is 11 p.m., and a group of nine girls are still practicing in the basement of the Harris Fine Arts Center. Being part of this premier BYU women?s a cappella group takes a lot of time, but none of the members are
complaining.
Noteworthy, the female response to BYU?s hugely popular Vocal Point, is in its third year of performing. They have gained popularity by going on tours to other states, such as California and Colorado. They have also sung for the Utah Jazz and so far, have performed for more than 15,000 people.
?Vocal Point is amazing and hopefully someday, we can become what they have become,? said Mikelle Young, a Noteworthy member. ?We try our best to become known by singing once a week on campus. We also practice hard so that people will want to stop and hear our music.?
Noteworthy performs a variety of music, from jazz and pop to spiritual. One of the best features of an a cappella group is the freedom to add their own style to the music, said Megan Schmidt, another Noteworthy member.
?Our sound and style is so unique,? said Schmidt, a sophomore from Escanaba, Mich. ?I love that we are able to blend and recreate so many awesome sounds with just our voices.?
Their talent not only brings joy to their audience, but also has won them recognizable awards.
Last year Noteworthy performed at the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) where they placed second in their division. They went on to compete at regional semifinals where Esther Yoder received the award for ?Outstanding Vocal Percussion.? She was the first female to be honored for that award.
?These ladies are incredible,? said Amanda Grish, executive director of ICCA. ?One of the best groups I”ve ever seen.”
Noteworthy?s success is remarkable considering the group was founded only two years ago. When Yoder, a recreational management major from New York, saw the performance of Vocal Point, her love for music and singing motivated her to create a cappella group just for girls.
With the help of Bob Ahlander, co-founder of Vocal Point, Yoder founded Noteworthy in January 2004, and the group has become part of the BYU A Cappella Club.
Another group member, Ashley Tanabe, said their music group is similar to the Vocal Point, but she doesn?t mind people comparing the two.
?We strive to put forth the same effort into songs the way they do,? said Tanabe, a senior from Maui, Hawaii. ?Their audience can feel their tremendous energy during performances which permits them to sing what they truly feel. They inspire us to sing our hearts out so that we too can touch people through music.?
Vocal Point has been supportive to the girls, Tanabe said, including involvement by Vocal Point member Jimmy Dunn as their director.
Tanabe said Noteworthy changes the lives of the girls who participate in it. She also said that because the group is together so often and they get to know each other so well that she has met some of her best friends through the group.
?The best thing that I am learning is that Noteworthy is not just a bunch of girls that sing songs, but that we are all friends having a common interest, bringing light into each other?s lives and sharing of our joy with others,? Tanabe said.
Their next performance will be this Saturday at 4 p.m. at the Tahitian Noni Auditorium. Admission is free. For more information, please visit www.noteworthyladies.com.
