News Releases
Indiana University a cappella group Straight No Chaser competes for international prize
April 21, 2005
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Straight No Chaser, a men's a cappella group comprised of Indiana University students and sponsored by the Indiana University Alumni Association, will compete in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella's international finals. The competition will be held on Saturday, April 30, 2005, at Alice Tully Hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City.
Straight No Chaser will compete against five other a cappella groups from universities across the country. SNC earned first place in the divisional competition at Penn State University on February 5 and in the Midwest Region finals held at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on February 19.
In the international finals, each group will have 12 minutes to perform a set of songs of any music style. In a cappella, vocalists perform without instrumental accompaniment or a soundtrack.
Straight No Chaser will perform a choreographed medley reflecting "The Life and Times of Straight No Chaser" — songs spanning the years from SNC members' births to their college years. The set was arranged and developed by SNC's 11 members:
- Adam Basey, a senior from Shelbyville, Ind., majoring in informatics
- Corey Frye, a sophomore from Indianapolis majoring in voice
- Sargon Isho, a senior from Detroit and Las Vegas majoring in trumpet performance
- Andrew Landau, a freshman from Northbrook, Ill., majoring in psychology
- Luke Mechling, a junior from Bloomington, Ind., majoring in sociology
- Adam Rich, a sophomore from Urbandale, Iowa, majoring in business
- Chris Ryan, a senior from Indianapolis majoring in cognitive neuroscience
- M. Adam Stulberg, a junior from Chagrin Falls, Ohio, majoring in telecommunications
- Jeff Tanski, a senior from Buffalo, N.Y., majoring in music education
- Tyler Trepp (SNC's director), a sophomore from Urbandale, Iowa, majoring in telecommunications
- Steve Wolf, a senior from Chesterfield, Mo., majoring in telecommunications
Founded in 1996, Straight No Chaser has released five CDs and performs frequently at IU Bloomington, other IU campuses, and events throughout the country. In 1998, the group earned second place in the ICCA international finals.
"We are proud to have been the sponsor organization of this outstanding group since shortly after its founding," says Ken Beckley, president and CEO of the IU Alumni Association. "So much attention is given to athletics at a university, and rightfully so, but Straight No Chaser is an outstanding example of student achievements in other areas of talent and skill."
Ladies First, an a cappella group of IU women also sponsored by the IUAA, earned fourth place in the ICCA divisional competition and third place in the regional semifinals. Sarah Schmidt and Joanna Jacobs earned individual awards for outstanding soloist at the divisional and at the regional semifinals, respectively. Ladies First was the only all-female group in the Penn State divisional to advance to the regional.
At the ICCA international finals, Straight No Chaser will compete against the Achordants from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, the Dear Abbeys from Boston University, Divisi from the University of Oregon, the Duke's Men of Yale from Yale University, and the Midnight Ramblers from the University of Rochester.
Tickets are available by calling CenterCharge at (212) 721-6500 or on the ICCA Web site, www.varsityvocals.com/icca/index.shtml.
The New York Chapter of the IU Alumni Association is hosting a reception to welcome current and past members of Straight No Chaser on Friday, April 29, from 8 to 11 p.m. All IU alumni are invited to attend. The reception will be held at CYBERCAFE Times Square, 250 W. 49th St. (between Broadway and 8th Avenue) in New York City. There is a $12-per-person minimum for food and/or drink purchases.
For more information about Straight No Chaser, visit www.sncproductions.com.
The Indiana University Alumni Association serves the university and its more than 466,000 living graduates through programs, services, and communications. One of the nation's largest alumni organizations, the IUAA strives daily to connect alumni and serve IU. For more information, visit www.alumni.indiana.edu or call (800) 824-3044.