University choirs and bands are not the only groups belting out tunes around the campus. The MadHatters, Redefined and Tangled Up in Blue, all student a-cappella groups, have been singing the blues, jamming to hip-hop and rocking to punk for several years.
The MadHatters, the University of Wisconsin’s first male a-cappella group, was formed in 1997 by UW student Chris Yahng.
Yahng, active in a-cappella groups since his high school days, was disappointed by the absence of such a group on campus, so he took the initiative to create the MadHatters by seeking out other interested males.
With an intense schedule of practices and performances, the group has become a well-known campus commodity with an ever-growing fan base and increased national reputation.
As sophomore Joe Cavise said, though, the many hours spent with the group are nothing but good times full of laughs and fun.
“I’ve made a bunch of new friends, and rehearsals are a blast,” he said, adding that he looks forward to the Sunday practices as a chance to escape his troubles for awhile.
Business Manager and member Tony Ehrbar couldn’t agree more with Cavise and describes the group as 17 of his best friends.
With a released CD and an up-coming tour of the east coast, members say MadHatters provides for many educational opportunities.
“A lot of the guys are really, really musically knowledgeable,” Cavise said, noting that after seeing many members easily turn a song on the radio into sheet music, he now shares that ability.
Tangled Up in Blue, the exclusively female sister group of the MadHatters, was also formed by Yahng five years ago.
Just like their male counterparts, the group’s popularity has swelled over the years, notes Sarah Burns, who has been singing with the group since its beginning.
She recalled the group’s first performance, which only 250 people attended. Now, she said that performances are always sold out.
Burns is involved in various aspects of the musical field and feels that being a part of Tangled Up in Blue gives her a completely different taste of music than do her classical studies.
In addition, Burns said her fellow members and recording experiences have helped her fulfill her musical aspirations.
The “sisters,” who often work with the MadHatters, focus their endeavors on statewide and Midwestern areas.
Unlike the MadHatters and Tangled Up in Blue, Redefined combines the musical vocals of both males and females. Formed in fall of 2001 by Nate Mendl and Andrew Jarvinen, the group made its first debut at the International Championship of Collegiate A-Cappella.
“I like the camaraderie of the group members; that really helps the group chemistry,” said freshman Derek Buccholz.
Despite its relatively young age, Redefined plans on taking big steps in the musical field.
In February, the 15 vocalists will once again perform in the International Championship of Collegiate A-Cappella and is hopeful to have its music featured on the “Best of Collegiate A-Cappella” album.
“We have a couple of surprises up our sleeves and a bunch of new repertoire,” Buccholz said of future performances.
As senior Lucas Jensen said, such a repertoire is the appealing aspect of the group.
Jensen, who recently joined Redefined, was a member of the Wisconsin Singers for three years. He feels that the absence of instruments has helped his musical inclinations grow.
“It is such a wide variety of people with a wide variety of voices,” he said.
