A cappella groups long have been a tradition at the University. Singing is what they do best, but it also takes a business-savvy mind to run these groups smoothly.
Each a cappella group on Grounds has a business manager who is in charge of all monetary transactions, publicity and promotional matters.
Mark Manley, outgoing business manager for the Academical Village People, described his job as being "an accountant for the group. I kept track of the money [and] set aside a budget for recording."
Virginia Belles Business Manager Heather Bates, "I try to keep the group updated financially and make sure that our account is kept balanced."
Publicity and planning promotional events are also a large part of the business manager's duties.
"We inform social groups, business organizations and charitable foundations of who we are, what we do and why, by sending out informational letters at the beginning of each semester," Bates said.
Each a cappella group also participates in first-year dorm sings which act as promotional events. These performances give first-year students the opportunity to learn more about the different groups on Grounds and what they have to offer.
"The first year dorm sings, charity gigs and concerts are the most successful in drawing crowds," Bates said.
Because each group generally gives one concert per semester, the business manager needs to keep budget records to make sure that the concerts are financially possible. Costs such as lighting, props and renting space shrink many of the group's concert budgets.
"While most concerts make money, they are also fairly expensive, so the margin is smaller," Hullabahoos Business Manager Jamie Gulick sad.
A cappella groups also benefit from sales of their CDs.
"We sell anywhere from 50-300 CDs at our concerts," Hullabahoos President Jeff Hall.
Manley approximates that roughly 90 percent of AVP's budget comes from the revenue of CDs and the semester concerts.
CDs are the most profitable venture, but simultaneously the most expensive. Hall estimates that the production cost of a CD can range anywhere from $3,000-6,000. The groups sell their CDs for about $12.
Frequency of CD production varies from group to group. Some, such as the Virginia Gentlemen, are able to produce a CD every year, while others space them farther apart. AVP and the Hullabahoos put out new CDs every three semesters, while the Belles and the Silhouettes put out new discs every two years.
Many groups promote themselves by going on a fall roll, in which groups travel to different schools over the fall reading break to promote themselves and to sing with a cappella groups at other schools.
"We contact restaurants and hotels that might be interested in letting us perform along the way during fall roll," Bates said.
The groups often advertise through their Web sites. Most groups have pages that contain an array of information, from ordering information to group history to calendars detailing their various engagements.
At this time, there are no e-commerce aspects to the sites, but a few groups are looking into the possibility of selling their CDs online.
Some groups have had the opportunity to travel abroad to widen their fan base and increase their selling potential.
Last summer, the Hullabahoos went to the Philippines, where a local advertising and marketing firm, Milestone Productions, did all of their promotional activities. They sang on variety shows on TV and at venues around Manila.
AVP traveled to Spain last summer. "We basically sang in different places --squares, parks and other public spaces -- and people would come up afterwards and ask us questions," AVP President Jason Baker said.
He emphasized that many in Spain had never seen a cappella before and they were very well received.
Although every group has business agendas, they don't limit their performances to profitable events. They also devote their time to helping organizations such as the Sexual Assault Resource Agency, Promoting Negativity and Operation Smile.
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