Voices in Your Head

Voices in Your Head
Background information
Origin	University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Genres	A Cappella
Years active	1998 – present
Labels	A Cappella Records
Website	http://voicesinyourhead.org/

Voices in Your Head is a student-run, co-ed a cappella group from the University of Chicago. Founded in 1998, the group consists of both undergraduate and graduate students whose studies range from Economics to Music to MD/PhD programs. Voices arranges all of its own music, spanning several genres. Its unique repertoire includes original pieces, as well as an eclectic mix of pop, R&B, rock, and alternative music. Voices competes annually in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA), and travels nationally for a cappella festivals and tours.

History

Voices and Ben Folds at his March 19, 2009 concert in Milwaukee

Voices in Your Head was formed in the fall of 1998. From the beginning, Voices opened themselves to collaboration with a cappella groups from other universities, including the Tufts University Beelzebubs and Washington University in St. Louis's After Dark. Voices released their first live album, Sesquipedalia, in 2000, their first studio album, On Point, in 2002, and their second studio album, ‘’Songs for Padded Rooms,’’ in 2005.

‘'Note To Self, released on May 23, 2008, received a strong Recorded A Cappella Review Board review^[1] and contained a track (“Magic”) selected for the 2008 edition of the international a cappella compilation, Voices Only.^[2] Noted author Nick Hornby also included "Magic" from Note To Self in his 2008 playlist for the New York Times.^[3]

On February 17, 2009, Ben Folds announced that "Magic" would appear on his 2009 album Ben Folds Presents: University A Cappella!, calling it "a hell of a cool place to live for three and a half minutes".^[4] NBC Washington^[5] commented on the group's contribution, "Magic," saying "the arrangement 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." Entertainment Weekly^[6] interviewed Ben Folds about the project, commenting, "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 from the rest of the groups." As part of the tour to support the album release, Voices in Your Head performed live with Ben Folds on March 19, 2009 in Milwaukee, WI at the Eagles Ballroom.

That year, Voices In Your Head competed for the first time in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella,^[7] a competition featuring groups from all over the country and overseas. Additionally, a second track (“Supermassive Black Hole”) was selected from Note To Self for the 2009 edition of Voices Only.^[8]

The group's newest album, I Used to Live Alone, was released on May 21, 2011, and met critical acclaim in the a cappella community up to a year before its release. The track, "I'd Like To," was selected for Voices Only 2010,^[9] making Voices in Your Head one of only eight groups to appear on Voices Only three times since its inception in 2005. "I'd Like To" was also chosen to be featured on Best of Collegiate A Cappella (BOCA) 2011. In November 2010, Voices’ original track "Boomerang" was selected for the a cappella compilation album Sing 7: Lucky.^[10] Sing is an annual compilation album of recorded high school, collegiate, and professional a cappella produced by the Contemporary A Cappella Society of America (CASA).^[11] Then, in November 2011, Voices' original track "Sharp" was selected to be on Sing 8: Too Cubed. ^[12]"Boomerang" was also the winner of the 2011 CARA in the category of Best Scholastic Original.

Voices won third place at the 2011 ICCA Midwest Quarterfinal, and received the judges’ award for Best Arrangement for “Break Your Heart.” The group also received three 2011 ACA nominations in the categories of Favorite Mixed Collegiate Group, Favorite Original A Cappella Song, and Favorite Female Vocalist. In December 2011, Voices will be going on an East Coast tour.

Co-Founders

• Amanda Grossman, Musical Director
• Jennifer Berktold
• Sean Slayback
• Loren Shevitz, Director of Shircago
• Benjamin Stevens,^[13] Coordinator of RARB (The Recorded A Cappella Review Board)

Awards

Year	Presenter	Award	Result
2011	ACAs (A Cappella Community Awards of CASA)[14]	Favorite Mixed Collegiate Group	Nominated
		Favorite Female Vocalist	Nominated, Elspeth Michaels
		Favorite Original A Cappella Song	Nominated, "Boomerang"
	BOCA (Best of Collegiate A Cappella)[15]	BOCA 2011	"I'd Like To" (opb Corinne Bailey Rae)
	CARAs (Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards of CASA)[16]	Best Scholastic Original	Won, Chris Rishel & Elspeth Michaels, "Boomerang"
	ICCA Midwest Quarterfinal[17]	Overall	2nd Runner-Up
		Best Arrangement	Winner, Chris Rishel, "Break Your Heart"
2010	Sing	Sing 7: Lucky[18]	"Boomerang" (opb Voices in Your Head)
	Voices Only	Voices Only 2010[19]	"I'd Like To" (opb Corinne Bailey Rae)
2009	Ben Folds	Ben Folds Presents: University A Cappella[4]	"Magic"
	Voices Only	Voices Only 2009[20]	"Supermassive Black Hole" (opb Muse)
2008	Voices Only	Voices Only 2008[21]	"Magic" (opb Ben Folds Five)

Albums

Sesquipedalia (2000)

1. Only You
2. Stray Cat Strut
3. You Can Call Me Al
4. Seasons of Love
5. Break My Stride
6. Take on Me
7. Battle of Who Could Care Less
8. Moondance / Fever
9. She Blinded Me with Science
10. Possession
11. The Great Beyond
12. The Simpsons Theme

On Point (2002)

1. Green Man
2. Sexual Healing
3. Megamix (Send Me an Angel / Like a Prayer / Beautiful Day)
4. Tempted
5. Date Rape
6. Kryptonite
7. This Woman's Work
8. Oops! / Bad Touch
9. Jessie's Girl
10. Billie Jean / Smooth Criminal
11. Turn Off the Light

Songs for Padded Rooms (2005)

1. Heroes & Villains
2. Used to Love U
3. Brand New Key
4. Marley Medley
5. On The Couch
6. Demons
7. Toxic
8. The Weight
9. He Loves Me (Lyzel In E Flat)
10. Cry Me a River

Note to Self (2008)

1. Supermassive Black Hole - Muse — 3:27 (Selected for Voices Only 2009^[8])
2. Shut Up and Drive - Rihanna — 3:26
3. Hotel Song — 2:56
4. Commissioning a Symphony in C — 2:54
5. "I Will Follow You into the Dark" - Death Cab for Cutie — 3:08
6. "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley — 3:01
7. "The Way I Am" - Ingrid Michaelson — 2:18
8. "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" - KT Tunstall — 2:41
9. "What Goes Around...Comes Around" - Justin Timberlake — 5:21
10. "Magic" - Ben Folds — 5:03 (Selected for Ben Folds Presents: University A Cappella!;^[4] Selected for Voices Only 2008^[2])

I Used to Live Alone (2011)

1. I'd Like To -- opb Corinne Bailey Rae -- 4:25
2. Break Your Heart -- opb Taio Cruz -- 4:00
3. Home -- opb Zero 7 -- 4:35
4. Don't Bring Me Down -- opb Electric Light Orchestra -- 4:01
5. Boomerang—opb Voices in Your Head—5:18
6. Let It Rock -- opb Kevin Rudolf -- 3:57
7. Resistance -- opb Muse -- 4:52
8. Porcelain Fists -- opb Ingrid Michaelson -- 3:47
9. All At Sea -- opb Jamie Cullum -- 4:44
10. So What -- opb P!nk -- 3:09
11. Sharp—opb Voices in Your Head—4:44
12. Hallelujah -- opb Leonard Cohen -- 4:17
13. Hallelujah, Pt. 2 -- opb Voices in Your Head—1:53

References

1. ^ [1] RARB review of Note To Self
2. ^ ^{a b} [2] Voices Only 2008 Official Website
3. ^ [3] Nick Hornby's 2008 Playlist
4. ^ ^{a b c} [4] Ben Folds Presents: University A Cappella!
5. ^ [5] NBC Washington review
6. ^ [6] Entertainment Weekly interview
7. ^ [7] ICCA 2010 Midwest lineup
8. ^ ^{a b} [8] Voices Only 2009 Official Website
9. ^ [9] Voices Only Official Website
10. ^ [10] Sing 7 track list announcement
11. ^ [11] Sing Compilation official website
12. ^ [12] Sing 8 track list announcement
13. ^ [13] Ben Steven's RARB Biography
14. ^ [14] 2011 A Cappella Community Awards Nominees
15. ^ [15] Best of Collegiate A Cappella
16. ^ [16] 2011 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award Winners
17. ^ [17] 2011 International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella Results
18. ^ [18] Sing 7: Lucky Tracklist
19. ^ [19] Voices Only 2010
20. ^ [20] Voices Only 2009
21. ^ [21] Voices Only 2008

External links

• Official Website