Amazin' Blue
| Amazin' Blue | |
|---|---|
| Origin | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
| Genres | A cappella |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Website | http://www.amazinblue.org/ |
| Members | Emma Aboukasm, Jonathan Bach, Megan Becker, Kyle Beyer, Ben DeGroot, Abby Drumright, Matt Fleisher, Isaac Hecker, Grace Kendall, Aldon Knolls, David Magumba, Nina Peluso, Tristan Rewald, Allison Salk, Megan Smania, Mackenzie Swart |
Amazin' Blue is a student-run mixed-voice a cappella vocal ensemble affiliated with University of Michigan - Ann Arbor and the only a cappella group affiliated with the University Activities Center.[1] Of the eighteen a cappella groups at UMich, it is the oldest of the mixed-voice groups and the third oldest overall. The group has entertained audiences in twenty-five states and provinces within the United States and Canada. It competes frequently in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella, has been featured on ten Best of Collegiate A Cappella Albums, and has recorded fourteen albums of its own, earning seven Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards. These awards make Amazin' Blue the most decorated a cappella group at UMich.
Amazin' Blue is the only a cappella group at UMich whose outstanding members are awarded the Lawrence E. Quinn Memorial Scholarship. The other groups whose members are so awarded are the Men's Glee Club, and the Women's Glee Club, curricular choirs.[2]
History
Amazin' Blue was founded on Thursday 22 January 1987 by Mike Wang. Wang had received his bachelor's degree from Yale University and had sung with Mixed Company while he was there. Observing that there were no mixed-voice groups at UMich, he posted flyers around campus for "The Amazin' Blue" (the "The" was dropped from the name almost immediately), and, after holding auditions, accepted twenty men and women into the group besides himself.
The school colors of UMich are maize and blue. "Amazin' Blue" is a pun on these colors. This pun is not unique to the a cappella ensemble. There was a show choir at UMich in the 1970s called "The Amaizin Blues." In the early 1990s, members of the UMich basketball team recorded a single under the group name "The Amazin' Blue." The pun has also been used by sportscasters to describe various athletic teams or their fans. As the popularity of the a cappella ensemble has increased, other uses of the pun "Amazin' Blue" have decreased to an extent, but not completely.
Amazin' Blue initially performed a repertoire consisting primarily of jazz standards and 1950's doo-wop but, in a few years, embraced a repertoire consisting primarily of contemporary pop.
Amazin' Blue took the initiative in 1991 of founding, along with The Friars and The Harmonettes (the only two a cappella groups at UMich older than Amazin' Blue), the Monsters of A Cappella concert, the first annual concert featuring multiple UMich a cappella groups as well as guest groups. This event continued until 2001, by which time the number of groups at UMich had increased to the point of considering a retooling of the event to feature more of the UMich a cappella talent than just the three oldest groups.[3]
Over the course of its existence, Amazin' Blue has shared a stage with such groups as The Chieftains (1990, 1992, 1994), Straight No Chaser(1998,1999), Ivri Lider (2006), Michael Buble (2007) Diane Birch (2010), and m-pact (late 1990's).[4][5]
The total number of members of Amazin' Blue, past and present, is two hundred six.[6]
International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella
Amazin' Blue has taken first place in the ICCA regional quarterfinals five times (1998, 2000, 2010, 2011 and 2015), second place three times (2001, 2003 and 2004), and third place three times (2002, 2005, 2013). Placing first or second in the quarterfinals allowed Amazin' Blue to advance to semifinals eight times. Amazin' Blue took second place at semifinals in 2003, third place three times (2000,2001,2011), and first place in 1998, allowing them to compete in the final round.
Over the years of the competition, Amazin' Blue has also won numerous special awards, such as Outstanding Arrangement, Outstanding Soloist, Outstanding Vocal Percussion and Outstanding Choreography.[7]
BOCA compilation albums
Amazin' Blue was featured on ten albums in the Best of Collegiate A Cappella series:
- Englishman in New York - BOCA 1995
- Kyrie - BOCA 1996
- Drive - BOCA 1997
- Precious Things - BOCA 1998
- Crazy Love - BOCA 1999
- Taco Bell Canon - BOCA HUMOR
- Millennium - BOCA 2001
- She - BOCA 2002
- China - BOCA 2004
- Angel - BOCA 2005
Amazin' Blue's 1991 recording of "Taco Bell Canon" was mentioned in Mickey Rapkin's Pitch Perfect.[8][9]
Albums
Amazin' Blue has released fifteen albums:
| Album Title | Year |
|---|---|
| Little Black Box | 1989 |
| Coed Naked A Cappella | 1991 |
| Amazin' Blue's Compact Disc | 1992 |
| Amazin' Blue Is A Little Crazy... | 1994 |
| Earidescence | 1996 |
| All-Nighter | 1998 |
| Raising The Bar | 2000 |
| South U And State | 2002 |
| <Self Titled> | 2004 |
| Shades Of Blue | 2006 |
| Lost In Sound | 2008 |
| The Blue Album | 2010 |
| The Best Of | 2012 |
| ABaker's Dozen | 2013 |
| ABEP | 2015 |
Coed Naked A Cappella, Amazin' Blue's Compact Disc, Amazin' Blue Is A Little Crazy..., and Raising The Bar all received Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards.[3]
References
- ↑ "UAC | University Activities Center". Umuac.org. Retrieved 2015-05-27.
- ↑ "Giving | Scholarships || University of Michigan Men's Glee Club". Ummgc.org. Retrieved 2015-05-27.
- 1 2 "Amazin' Blue" (PDF). Philos.nmu.edu. Retrieved 2015-05-27.
- ↑ "More Tales From the Road; Diane Birch". dianebirch.com. Retrieved 2015-06-06.
- ↑ "University Of Michigan Amazin’ Blue Sings With Michael Bublé". www.casa.org. 2007-08-10. Retrieved 2015-06-06.
- ↑ "The 206 members of Amazin' Blue" (PDF). Philos.nmu.edu. Retrieved 2015-05-27.
- ↑ "Events". Varsityvocals.com. 2014-12-29. Retrieved 2015-05-27.
- ↑ "Albums". Varsityvocals.com. Retrieved 2015-05-27.
- ↑ Rapkin 2009, p. 67.
- Rapkin, Mickey (2009). "Pitch Perfect: The Quest for A Cappella Glory", Gotham.