The New Blue of Yale

Infobox musical artist
Name = The New Blue of Yale University


Img_capt =
Img_size = 225
Background = group_or_band
Origin = Yale University
Genre = A Cappella
Years_active = 1969 – present
URL = http://www.yale.edu/newblue/
Current_members = Lauren Hartman: Pitchpipe Stephanie Strauss: Business Manager Ann Lee Caroline Minkus Christina Avellan Emily Cooley Gussie Binns-Berkey Hilary Faxon Juliet Buesing Justine Leichtling Katherine Terrell Maia Karo Mairen Foley Monica Qiu Natasha Paterson Nina Beizer Rachel Cohen Samantha Sanders Sara Edwards

The New Blue of Yale University is the oldest undergraduate female a cappella group in the Ivy League. Founded in 1969 [ [http://www.yale.edu/newblue/history.html The New Blue Website History Page ] ] as Yale's first women's organization of any kind, The New Blue is proud to uphold almost four decades of professional entertainment and inspiring musicality. Notable for its uniquely rich, deep sound and eclectic repertoire, The New Blue looks forward to another four decades of sharing its elegant and spirited performances with venues around the world.

The New Blue is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization [Search the [http://www.guidestar.org/index.jsp GuideStar Nonprofit Listing] for New Blue, Inc. ] ] .

History

The first historic auditions for The New Blue were organized by Fenno Heath, then director of the Yale Glee Club [More on Heath's role in musical gender equality can be found [http://research.yale.edu/gleeclub/whoweare.html here. ] ] , Amee Wood, a member of a women's a cappella group at Skidmore, and Jim Weber of The Whiffenpoofs. The eleven dynamic women selected from these auditions were informed of their success, and then immediately left on their own to either sink or swim.

Dubbing themselves "The New Blue" to represent a new breed of Yalies reforming the mold of Yale's "Old Blue," the original group struggled to create a place for itself within the well-established male music scene. At first, it was difficult for New Blue to be taken seriously. Without any start-up money or a model to go by, the group had to find a distinctive sound, create a new repertoire for the female voice, and compete with the other Yale groups for gigs. Yet The New Blue did not give up.

When they were barred from performing at the famous New Haven restaurant "Mory's," where male groups performed weekly, The New Blue rewrote the Mory's song and performed it instead at Naples Pizza nearby. After hearing the omnipresent quip "the new who?" for a year, the group responded with it's first album entitled "Since You Asked..." in 1970. Finding venues wherever they could, New Blue opened for the Yale Glee Club on its tours, sang joint concerts at other universities, and gained entry to "Mory's" in 1975. The level of ability and musicianship continued to evolve until the group was able to afford its first tours to Cornell University, Chicago, and Florida. Soon, the group was making a name for itself, and gaining the momentum they needed to become one of the most respected groups on campus.

Repertoire

In the 1980's, The New Blue's repertoire underwent a dramatic transformation. More arrangements that experimented with complex harmony and rhythm were added, and a new style was developed. The group embraced a more empowered image, and boasted a new deeper sound that was richer and more womanly--the sound that defines the group to this day [ [http://www.yale.edu/newblue/history.html The New Blue Website History Page ] ] .

Today, The New Blue's repertoire remains almost exclusively arranged by members and ranges from traditional arrangements to jazz to pop. Not a group to shy away from a challenge, The New Blue includes complex trios, scatting, and beat-boxing in many of its arrangements; and takes on both famous women soloists like Aretha Franklin and modern male icons, like MIKA. From Cole Porter's "Antoinette Birby" and the haunting "Scarborough Fair" to the twang in "These Boots are Made for Walkin" and Sara Evan's "Born to Fly" to the soulful "Always Be My Baby" or "With or Without You" by U2, The New Blue never fails to surprise [See a complete listing of New Blue's [http://www.yale.edu/newblue/repertoire.html Current Repertoire ] ] .

In addition to these varied arrangements, The New Blue also has eight different Valentine's quartets in its repertoire. Every Valentine's Day, The New Blue travels around campus delivering live singing Valentines to students. Whether serenading a classmate in the dining hall, singing a short quartet during a lecture, or even delivering a song over the telephone, The Yale singing Valentine is a long-held New Blue tradition.

Membership

Comprised yearly of about 15 undergraduate women from across the country and the globe, the group is well-known for its elegant and spirited performances at a variety of venues, from schools to country clubs to women's organizations. Membership is determined by an audition process unique to Yale a cappella groups..."Rush." [The New Blue's [http://www.yale.edu/newblue/rush.html Guide to Rush 2008 ] ]

The "Rush" period officially begins when freshman arrive on campus and ends about three weeks later with one of the university's most well-known traditions: "a cappella Tap Night." Rush season [The SGC's [http://www.yale.edu/sgc/calendar.html Official Rush Calendar ] ] includes two large concerts featuring all 15 of the Yale a cappella groups, in addition to auditions, call-backs, a New Blue-specific concert called a "Singing Dessert," and weeks of rush meals in which auditionees dine with and get to know current members of their prospective groups. The rush process is organized by the Singing Group Council of Yale [The SGC's [http://www.yale.edu/sgc/faq.html Rush FAQ ] ] and is also open to current sophomores.

To help rushees through this exciting, but, admittedly, "long", process, each group has several Rush Managers [Meet the New Blue's [http://www.yale.edu/newblue/rushqandas.html 2008 Rush Managers ] ] to organize their group and serve as a resource for rushees. Rush is one of the most interesting experiences a freshman can have, and every year The New Blue is excited to meet and invite several new members into the group!

Tours

Each year, The New Blue takes two tours [Learn more about The New Blue's upcoming [http://www.yale.edu/newblue/business.html Tours and Business ] ] . Past tour destinations have included Canada, Florida, Turkey, Ireland, Jamaica, California, England, Puerto Rico, and Greece. The group has performed from the White House to the Empire State Building, opened for notable comedian Bill Crosby, and last summer sang for presidential hopeful Barack Obama.

Albums and Awards

The New Blue has released 8 CDs, in addition to numerous cassettes and albums, in its history [ [http://www.yale.edu/newblue/music.html The New Blue Website Discography Page ] ] . To follow up The New Blue's most recent CD, "Delta Tango Romeo," the group will be recording its 40th anniversary album this coming spring.

The group's 30th anniversary CD, "Can't Stop," named after one of the tracks on the album ("Can't Stop Thinking About You" by Martin Sexton) received the Contemporary A Cappella Society's national award for "Best Female Collegiate Album." [The New Blue's [http://www.casa.org/index.php?option=com_casaawards&Itemid=155&showyear=2000 2000 CARA Listing ] ] The Contemporary A Cappella Society also named one of The New Blue's arrangements, "Sweet Love" by Anita Baker, "Best Female Collegiate Arrangement." "Sweet Love" can be heard on 2007's "Delta Tango Romeo," and CASA had this to say about the arrangement: "Sue Kwok's arrangement is a lush, jazzy translation of the Anita Baker original. Listening to it, you are transported to some smoky blues bar (and you can almost see Dan Akroyd mingling with the crowd). This mood provides a rich setting for the song."

External Links

[http://www.yale.edu/newblue The New Blue of Yale's Official Website]

[http://www.yale.edu/sgc The Singing Group Council of Yale]

[http://www.ycnh.org/ The Yale Club of New Haven]

[http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-New-Blue/41846714568?ref=mf The New Blue's Unofficial Fan Page]

References