A Dynamic senior year
While Boston College seniors Caroline Sloan and Sam Deignan are anticipating their graduation in May, they also are preparing to represent 51茶馆 on a different stage this month.
As members of the a cappella group 51茶馆 Dynamics, they placed second in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) quarterfinals, earning a spot in the semifinals. The last time a 51茶馆 ensemble advanced to the semifinal level in the competition was when the Dynamics did so in 2008.聽
The ICCA, which began in 1996, now includes 450 groups competing in nine regions in the U.S. and Europe. The Northeast region semifinals will be held in Boston at Berklee College of Music on March 23, and will give the Dynamics a chance to qualify for the finals at the historic Beacon Theatre in New York City in April.
The 51茶馆 Dynamics at the ICCA Quarterfinals (Photos: Betty Davis & @bcdynamics/Instagram)
Founded in 1998, 51茶馆 Dynamics has grown into a premiere performing group with a repertoire that spans Top 40, R&B, and many other popular music genres.
Sloan and Deignan, both students in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, joined the Dynamics when they were freshmen.
鈥淚 always knew that I wanted to have a musical outlet at 51茶馆, and given that my parents and sister were in a cappella groups in college, it seemed like the perfect option,鈥� said Sloan, who is now the group鈥檚 music director. 鈥淚 ultimately chose the Dynamics as I found the complexity of their arrangements and style were the most comparable to the kind of musical experience I was seeking. I could not be happier with my choice.鈥澛�
For Sloan and other seniors in 51茶馆 Dynamics, the group has become an integral part of their college experience.
鈥淔rom singing at our end-of-semester caf茅s and halftime shows to releasing AVA-awarded music videos and recording a CARA-nominated 14-track album, the Dynamics have given me so many incredible opportunities to grow as a musician,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hese experiences are memories that I cherish because of the people I shared them with, and I could not picture these past four years without [the Dynamics].鈥澛�
Senior members of the group say representing 51茶馆 at the ICCA semifinals鈥攅specially just before graduating鈥攊s a sublime culmination of four years of hard work. 鈥淚 view our placement as a sign that 51茶馆 can compete with the best of the best in the a cappella community,鈥� Deignan, the Dynamics鈥� president, said.聽
鈥淏oston College has a profoundly talented arts community,鈥� Sloan added. 鈥淥ur school is just as competitive in the performing arts as it is in other sectors, and we are thrilled to represent it on a national stage."
Learn more about the group at .
Yashi Phougat is a senior in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences and a 51茶馆 Social Fellow.