MidNight Snack gives students winter concert as study break

By SHELBY PENDOWSKI

Updated: December 5, 2012, 5:37 PM

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GVL / Robert Mathews
A Cappella group Midnight Snack rehearsing before their winter performence.

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It’s the type of music that uses just the harmony from a group of voices, no instruments, no background music to assist with pitch and volume. A cappella has grown in popularity the past few years from shows such as “Glee” and movies such as “Pitch Perfect.”

MidNight Snack, an all-female a cappella group at Grand Valley State University, is just one organization that’s bringing the melodic harmonies to campus.

The group of nine women practice twice a week for an hour and a half to perfect both their harmonies and their set list, and on Dec. 7 at 7 p.m., MidNight Snack is hosting their winter concert for students to take a study break from exams.

“I really hope that people come,” said member Melissa Houghton. “A cappella has been growing, I hope that gets more people involved and to attend.”

The group will be perform nine songs total, stretching across the spectrum of genre.

“A couple of throw backs will be included…Billy Joel and Backstreet Boys will be mixed in there,” said Bethany Matecun, MidNight Snack president.

And for the spirited attendees, the group will also perform a couple of holiday classics to set the mood.

“We have a good balance of fast and slow song,” said MidNight Snack’s Brianna George. “They are going to be songs that people know, and know by heart, and there is also going to be songs that people don’t know. There were songs I didn’t even know going into it.”

The group is completely student-run, including musical director Sam Pugia. She said the group voted on the songs they wanted to perform for the winter concert and then she made the musical arrangement for each song.

“I think it’s always cool for people to hear a song they like in a different way, it completely revamps the songs,” Pugia said.

The singing group depends on each girl’s voice to harmonize and create the needed sound. Members said that the group as a whole has put a lot of work into the concert.

“I think we have a nice balance of people who have a good work ethic, but there has to be fun in there, too. Both our director and music director do good at balancing that,” George said.

The group started in 2007, Matecun said, but only recently became an official club through GVSU’s Office of Student Life. Matecun said the group was started in 2007, but only recently became an official GVSU club. Since then, they’ve performed at events, such as an a cappella competition through GVSU’s Greek Life organizatons, Relay for Life and other community events.

“We try and have as much fun as we possibly can, since we have put so much work into it we aren’t thinking about messing up, but instead how much work we have put into,” Matecun said.

Their winter concert was specifically planned around exam time.

“This is going to be a really fun stress buster,” Matecun said. “We scheduled it at the beginning of the week so people can take a break before they have to buckle down.”

For those who have anxiety over taking a break from exam crunch, George said the concert wont take long; and besides – it’s like your Macbook, only better.

“It is no different than sitting in front of your laptop and listening to music, but it is in front of you,” she said.

Though MidNight Snack reflects the vocal ensembles seen in pop culture, the members said the group is unique, and their music will show that to audiences.

“The people who are going to come are going to expect what they see on ‘Glee,’ the singing and dancing, but the people in our group are talented and know that is a show and that isn’t what a cappella is,” George said.

The winter concert, which is free and open to the public, kicks off at 7 p.m. in the Kirkhof Center’s Pere Marquette Room. For more information contact gvsumidnightsnack@gmail.com.

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Published December 5, 2012 A&E