University of Chicago Voices In Your Head

'Magic' satisfies its 100,000th listener

Russell Becker — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 16:06:07 -0600

Our hit single 'Magic' (featured on Note to Self, Voices Only 2008, and Ben Folds Presents: University A Cappella!) is about to reach 100,000 views on YouTube. Help us get there today! Thanks so much to all those of you who have watched, listened, commented, liked, subscribed, and recommended us!

Auditions for 2010-2011

Russell Becker — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 09:27:29 -0600

Voices In Your Head will be holding open auditions for the 2010-2011 season from 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM Tuesday, September 28th & Wednesday, September 29th. We are pleased to invite any and all interested individuals to sign up for a time slot at the RSO Open House during orientation week, or if you miss us there, you can reserve a time on our Auditions Page. Also check out our Audition FAQs! Be sure to catch all of the UChicago groups performing at the A Cappella Showcase Concert during orientation week (Time and location TBA). In the meantime, you can listen to clips from our critically -acclaimed latest album, Note To Self, or watch some of our videos on YouTube. We're excited to hear you!

“I'd Like To” on Voices Only 2010

Russell Becker — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 22:19:54 -0600

Voices Only, an annual compilation album with songs selected from a competitive pool of a cappella groups from around the world, has chosen “I'd Like To” as one of the 38 featured songs for Voices Only 2010. “I'd Like To” joins “Supermassive Black Hole” and "Magic" as the third Voices In Your Head track to be featured on a Voices Only compilation. This achievement makes Voices In Your Head one of only seven a cappella groups to appear on Voices Only three times in a row since the compilation's inception in 2005 (the other groups being Tufts Beelzebubs, Stanford Harmonics, Northwestern Purple Haze, UPenn Penny Loafers, UC-Santa Barbara Naked Voices, and USC Reverse Osmosis). For more information about Voices Only, click here.

Voices Only 2010 will begin shipping in August. “I'd Like To” will be available on our upcoming album slated to be released this fall. In the meantime, catch some sneak preview clips of I'd Like To on the June 27 and August 1 episodes of the a cappella podcast Mouth Off!

New album in the works!

Raphael Wilson — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 18:25:04 -0600

We are currently in the process of recording our fifth album, which is set to be released this Fall. Check back for more updates about this project later!

ICCAs!

Raphael Wilson — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 17:25:48 -0700

Voices In Your Head has been selected to compete in the 2010 International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella. Our quarterfinal is set for February 20th, 2010 at Northwestern University. For more information, check out our Events page.

Autumn Concert

Raphael Wilson — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 01:05:01 -0700

We'd like to thank everyone for coming to our Autumn concert! We had a great time and we hope you did too. We'd especially like to thank the Northwestern X-Factors for opening for us! If you're interested in receiving email notifications about upcoming performances and concerts, send us an email at voices@voicesinyourhead.org and tell us that you'd like to be added to the fans listhost. You can also find out about our upcoming events by visiting our Events page.

New Members for 2009-2010 Announced!

Pieter Ouwerkerk — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 23:15:00 -0600

Voices In Your Head is proud to announce the following new members for the 2009-2010 season: Russell Becker
Liza Connolly
Naomi Gorfinkle
CJ Hodnefield
Anne Toledo
Congratulations to our new members! We'd also like to encourage those of you who we didn't end up accepting to audition for us again next year. As we said, our decisions were very difficult, and some of our members didn't make it in on the first try either. Hope to see everyone at auditions next year!

Callbacks for 2009-2010

Pieter Ouwerkerk — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 02:00:00 -0600

Voices In Your Head would like to thank everyone who came out to audition for the 2009-2010 season. We heard a lot of great singers, and after lengthy consideration, we would like to call back the following people for our next round of auditions: Russell Becker
Liza Connolly
Ely Fish
Aaron Ganz
Naomi Gorfinkle
Jon Hodnefield
Brianne Holland
Lanie Kagy
Sam Scarrow
Jeremy Southgate
Anne Toledo
Congratulations to those called back! If you weren't called back, please realize that it is very hard for us to pick just a few names from such a large audition pool. Some of our current members weren't accepted on their first try either, so please consider auditioning again next year!

Auditions for the 2009-2010 Season

Raphael Wilson — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:31:04 -0600

Voices In Your Head will be holding auditions for the 2009-2010 season from 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM Wednesday, September 30th & Thursday, October 1st. Sign ups for time slots are now open, so check out our Auditions Page for more information! And check out our Audition FAQs! Also, don't miss all of the groups at the University of Chicago perform at the a cappella showcase concert on Tuesday, 9/29 at 8:30 PM in the McCormick-Tribune Lounge in the Reynolds Club. In the meantime, you can listen to clips from our critically -acclaimed latest album, Note To Self, or watch videos of some of our performances on YouTube.

“Supermassive Black Hole” on Voices Only 2009

Pieter Ouwerkerk — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 22:00:00 -0600

Voices Only, an annual compilation album with songs selected from a competitive pool of a cappella groups from around the world, has chosen "Supermassive Black Hole" as one of the 38 featured songs for Voices Only 2009 from a “record number of submissions.” “Supermassive Black Hole” joins "Magic" as the second song from Note To Self (2008) to be featured on a Voices Only compilation. This achievement makes Voices In Your Head one of eight a cappella groups to have two songs selected for Voices Only compilations from one album. For more information about Voices Only, click here.

Voices Only 2009 will be shipping soon. "Supermassive Black Hole" is available on iTunes.

Ben Folds Presents: University A Cappella! Reviews

Pieter Ouwerkerk — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:00:00 -0600

Today, Ben Folds Presents: University A Cappella!, was released featuring Voices In Your Head's "Magic," and 13 other a cappella groups from around the United States. Reviews of the album have been generally positive and some of which pay particular attention to "Magic."

Statements about 'Magic' and Voices In Your Head:

	"Hitting lots of highs, the group Voices In Your Head from the University of Chicago delivers a performance to match the song title on 'Magic.'"
	"It's only when the groups take chances that the arrangements transcend the originals: The digitally tweaked harmonies on Voices in Your Head's 'Magic' give the song a hypnotic electro-pop sheen…"
	"The record has its bright spots, too; for starters, 'You Don’t Know Me' works perfectly in an a cappella setting, as do 'Selfless, Cold and Composed' and 'Magic,' and this new version of 'Landed' does a terrific job of highlighting the quality of a single that should have been a hit."
	"Folds' songs translate to vocal arrangements remarkably well: the cover of 'Magic' by the University of Chicago group Voices in Your Head is even more haunting than the original."
	"14 different college a cappella groups singing songs like 'Brick' and 'Magic.'"
	"'Magic' sounds like a Philip Glass variation when performed by The University of Chicago’s Voices in Your Head"
	"Stand-outs include 'Magic,' 'Landed' and 'Not the Same.'"
	"The 16-song set features…intricately arranged renditions of Folds songs such as 'Brick,' 'Magic,' 'Evaporated,' 'Fair' and 'Army.'"
	"The tight harmonic clusters at certain points [of "Magic"] and the neat little walking bass counterpoint toward the end is just spine-tingling. LOVE IT."
	"The arrangement of ["Magic"] is so different from the original that the song is a completely unique artifact–which should be the goal of any group, a cappella or otherwise, when attempting a cover."

General Reviews:

	"Ben Folds returns with an entourage—they intonate their voices at breathtaking levels, overlapping in a seamless harmony throughout the album."
	"A courageous and ingenious move for a performer who rarely strays from his 88 keys."
	"He's commissioned a cappella arrangements of his music from some of the country's best college vocal troupes."
	"It would be hard to find a more original idea than this album. Worth every atmospheric, epic moment. Buy it!"
	"Folds' album doubles as a best-of set, but instead of using his versions, he decided to showcase interpretations from groups around the country."
	"The a cappella movement appears to be having a moment."
	"The release is a fantastic experiment that pays off brillaintly."
	"Ben Folds finds perfect harmony."
	"It is…a “must buy” for fans of Folds’ music and fans of a cappella."
	"The North Carolina native picked 15 ensembles from 250 submissions for "Ben Folds Presents: University A Cappella!" (Epic), which came out Tuesday."

Buy Ben Folds Presents: University A Cappella! on iTunes or Amazon.com.

Voices In Your Head featured on UChicago Homepage

Pieter Ouwerkerk — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 09:00:00 -0600

In an article featured on the University of Chicago's homepage, "Pop star puts campus singers in limelight," author Phil Rockrohr describes the process behind Voices In Your Head's selection for Ben Folds Presents: University A Cappella. Members from the group describe their a cappella experience and what it was like performing at a Ben Folds concert. Read "Pop star puts campus singers in limelight".

Lloyd DeGrane/UChicago News Office

Voices In Your Head on Twitter!

Zack Madden — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 23:30:00 -0600

For cutting-edge Voices updates and trivia, subscribe to our shiny new Twitter page!

Entertainment Weekly on Voices In Your Head

Pieter Ouwerkerk — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:01:14 -0600

Entertainment Weekly's blog, The Music Mix, has posted an interview with Ben Folds focusing on Folds' new album Ben Folds Presents: University A Cappella!.
In a question about the range in recording on the album, Music Mix writes, "there's a group from the University of Chicago called Voices in Your Head that sings "Magic" on the record, and to me they're in a different league than the rest of the groups."

Read "Ben Folds' wacky new a cappella record". Listen to "Magic".

Kim Tonelli

Performance with Ben Folds (Part 2)

Chris Rishel — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 04:41:05 -0600

Raphael Wilson

We had an awesome time opening for Ben's show in Milwaukee tonight. The crowd was great and Ben and his crew were all fantastic to work with!

Performance with Ben Folds!

Chris Rishel — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:17:01 -0600

Voices In Your Head will be singing a 3 song set at the Ben Folds concert on 3/19/2009 at the Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee, WI. Tickets can be purchased here.

'Magic' has made the final cut, Voices is on Ben Folds next album!

Chris Rishel — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 21:15:27 -0700

We just received notification today that Ben Folds has finalized his tracklist and Voices In Your Head's arrangement of Magic will be featured on his next album. The album is slated to be released on 4/28 in stores nationwide.

More information on Ben's MySpace blog here.

'Magic' a finalist for Ben Folds A Cappella Album!

Chris Rishel — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 03:27:52 -0700

After considering over 200 submissions, Ben Folds has chosen Voices In Your Head's Magic to be one of 18 finalists that will be recorded for his upcoming all a cappella album, slated for release in spring 2009. To read more and see the other groups selected, check out Ben's MySpace blog here.

High Fidelity and About a Boy author Nick Hornby Praises 'Magic'

Chris Rishel — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:41:12 -0600

In his New York Times blog, "Living With Music", Nick Hornby, author of High Fidelity, About a Boy, Songbook and many other books had high praise for our cover of Ben Folds Five's Magic. Listing the a cappella cover alongside songs from Queen, James Brown, and Ben Folds himself, Hornby called it "a heartstopping cover of one of [Ben Folds'] most affecting songs." The full article can be found here. Magic was arranged by Chris Rishel, with both Chris and Lily Baker singing the solos.

Alistair Grant/Associated Press

New Members!

Chris Rishel — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 16:34:44 -0600

Voices In Your Head is proud to announce the following new members for the 2008-2009 season: Zach Denkensohn
Pieter Ouwerkerk
Nick Balay
Alexandra Gilewicz Congratulations to our new members! We'd also like to encourage those of you who we didn't end up accepting to audition for us again next year. As we said, our decisions were very difficult, and some of our current members didn't make it in on the first try either. Hope to see everyone at auditions next year!

Callbacks Announced!

Chris Rishel — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:48:05 -0600

Voices In Your Head would like to thank everyone who came out to audition for the 2008-2009 season. We heard a lot of great singers, and after lengthy consideration, we would like to call back the following people for our next round of auditions: Nick Balay
Isaac Cheng
Zach Denkensohn
Lauren Fish
Alexandra Gilewicz
Jimmy Hoke
Amanda Jacobson
Persephone Ma
Pieter Ouwerkerk
Clara Spera
Ali Ekrem Yesilkanal
Congratulations to those called back! If you weren't called back, please realize that it is very hard for us to pick just a few names from such a large audition pool. Some of our current members weren't accepted on their first try either, so please consider auditioning again next year!

Auditions for the 2008-2009 Season

Chris Rishel — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 13:21:25 -0600

Voices In Your Head will be holding auditions for the 2008-2009 season from 5:00 PM-9:00 PM 10/1 & 10/2 in Cobb Hall. Sign ups for time slots are now open, so check out our Auditions Page for more information! Also, let us know you're coming on our Facebook Event.

Voices In Your Head Featured on Voices Only 2008

Chris Rishel — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 01:09:11 -0600

We've accomplished another major milestone this year by making the first a cappella compilation album of any group at University of Chicago! 'Magic' from Note To Self has been selected for the 2008 edition of Voices Only! As soon as the compilation is released, we will be selling it, along with our new album Note To Self.

From the Voices Only website: "Voices Only is an annual two-disc collegiate a cappella compilation album comprised of selected excellent tracks released by various collegiate groups from around the World. A new Voices Only CD is produced and released at the beginning of each school year, and includes songs recorded, mastered or released during the previous year. Groups who have appeared on the compilation include such acclaimed and award-winning ensembles as the Dartmouth Aires, USC Sirens, Duke Pitchforks, Tufts Beelzebubs and Stanford Harmonics."

Spring Concert!

Chris Rishel — Sun, 25 May 2008 19:36:20 -0600

Thanks to everyone who came out to our spring concert this past Friday night! The audience was fantastic and we all had a great time singing for everyone! Our newest album, Note To Self, is now available to purchase. We will be selling in the Reynold's Club over the next few weeks, or you can buy one directly from any Voices member. For our fans off-campus, you can either purchase our album directly from our website on the albums page, on a-cappella.com. Also keep an eye out for our album to be available on soon iTunes, Rhapsody, and acaTunes.

New Website!

Chris Rishel — Tue, 13 May 2008 13:59:37 -0600

Welcome to our brand new website! Expect more content to be added soon!