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11/14/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 11/14/2024 20:05

Listen to BU Treblemakers A Cappella Arrangements of Songs by Coldplay, Sabrina Carpenter, and More

Listen to BU Treblemakers A Cappella Arrangements of Songs by Coldplay, Sabrina Carpenter, and More

Group hosts annual Night of BU A Cappella, Saturday at Tsai Performance Center

Photos by Arin Siriamonthep

Music

Listen to BU Treblemakers A Cappella Arrangements of Songs by Coldplay, Sabrina Carpenter, and More

Group hosts annual Night of BU A Cappella Saturday at Tsai Performance Center

November 14, 2024
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Last year was a banner year for the BU Treblemakers-they placed first in the 2023 International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICAA) Northeast Quarterfinals and traveled across the country to perform at the Los Angeles A Cappella Festival (LAAF). Add to that their hard work at their weekly rehearsals and concerts, and the Treblemakers have a lot to celebrate.

That's the genesis of the group's new album, Afterglow, which showcases a wide range of talent and features songs originally performed by popular artists like Sabrina Carpenter and Coldplay. Afterglow is the group's ninth album, and comes on the heels of 2023's EP CADENCE.

"For Afterglow, we really wanted it to be a project that encompassed all the work that we put in throughout the year," says Alli Zeoli (CFA'26), Treblemakers president. "So when we were picking what songs we wanted to do, we thought it could be really cool to have [the album] kind of show our whole journey from the beginning to the end of the year."

The Treblemakers, colloquially known as the "Trebs," are an all-gender group founded in 1996. The singers are gearing up to host their annual Night of BU A Cappella (NOBUAC), which shines a spotlight on each of BU's 13 a cappella groups, featuring most heavily (surprise) the Trebs. The show is Saturday, November 16, at the Tsai Performance Center, and seats are still available.

Zeoli has been part of the Trebs since her BU freshman year, and now, as president, is responsible for coordinating the group's administrative behind-the-scenes work, like securing gig opportunities and conceptualizing projects and albums, as well as organizing practices and performances. During the fall semester, she says, the Trebs rehearse in three-hour blocks twice a week, but spring is busier as the group is usually preparing for a competition.

In addition to the Trebs weekly rehearsals, there were recording sessions for Afterglow, which were held on campus in the College of Fine Arts basement practice rooms over the course of nine days. Each group member-there are 11 active members this semester, but 13 singers were involved in the recording of Afterglow-recorded individually or with one or two others.

"Recording is such an amazing experience because you really get to hear every single member's individual voice," Zeoli says.

She and the crew made sure that no time was wasted, allotting 45 minutes for ensemble members to record, hour-long periods for soloists to record, and 30-to-45 minutes for vocal percussionists to record. After these sessions, their recordings were sent off to the professionals.

"We contact our producer and editor in October or November to start scheduling stuff for the spring," Zeoli explains. "Once we're done recording, she edits it, she mixes it, she's kind of sending us drafts here and there that we can make revisions on. And then they send it off to mastering, and that's pretty much it."

Afterglow opens with "A cappella," a song originally written and released by artist Daniel Caesar, soloed by Elizabeth Reichman (CFA'25), Cooper Hassman (CDS'27), and Pia Hamel (CAS'24). Next is Sabrina Carpenter's "Read Your Mind," soloed by Zeoli, followed by JoJo's "Don't Talk Me Down," with solo by Kaanchi Parameswaran (Wheelock'27). Other songs include "Slip Away," by 5 Seconds of Summer's Luke Hemmings and soloed by Carlos Asencio (Sargent'26); Kwabs' "Forgiven," solo by Walter Nelson (COM'24); and Coldplay's "Human Heart," which doesn't feature a soloist.

All nine of the songs were performed by the Trebs at some point during the 2023-2024 academic year, either at an on-campus concert like NOBUAC, at LAAF, or somewhere in between.

The process of conceptualizing, recording, and finalizing the album was time-consuming, but more than anything, the Trebs are proud to share this tangible proof of their hard work and dedication to the group with their family, friends, the BU community, and beyond. Whether they sang a solo or contributed to the background ensemble, each member of the 2023-2024 group poured their heart and soul into Afterglow, Zeoli says, and the experience will stay with them as a reminder of their time on Commonwealth Avenue.

"It's just something really cool that we're all part of and that will kind of tie us together forever," she says.

The BU Treblemakers Night of BU A Cappella is Saturday, November 16, at 8 pm, at the Tsai Performance Center. Tickets are free for BU students and $3 for the general public.

Stream Afterglow here.

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