The University possesses a thriving a cappella scene — with 14 distinct groups — which are, conventionally, separated by gender or musical genre. Only one ensemble, though, specifically seeks out those who are tone deaf. Part a cappella group and part comedy act, the Virginia No Tones are the University’s “oldest and only a cappella group for the musically inept.”
The No Tones were founded in 2014 by students with a love of singing, but a lack of experience with the art form. For years, the group rarely put much thought into their performances, opting to maintain a carefree, humorous attitude. This, however, backfired when their performances gradually became too uncoordinated for audiences.
Looking for a complete rebranding in the No Tones’ entertainment goals, their four executive members — called “overlords” — began taking steps to rework the group last fall. Ian Willinghan, overlord and fourth-year Engineering student, described why he felt it was necessary.
“I remember as a first year, hearing about the No Tones, and it seemed so cool because [they were] so different within the a cappella scene,” Willinghan said. “After I was appointed the position of one of the overlords I knew from the get-go, ‘Okay, number one, we have to be kind of enjoyed by the public again. We have to reestablish ourselves.’”
Thus, when the opportunity to perform at Rotunda Sing — one of the largest musical events at the University each year — presented itself last fall, members immediately started practicing. For the first time, they formally rehearsed harmonies and solos. According to Jackie LaCroix, overlord and fourth-year college student, making a rebranded impression on the student body was vital to increase membership and restore their good graces among audiences.
“[It has] to be enjoyable to listen to, like we're bad, we know that we're bad, but it has to be coordinated bad for it to not be genuinely terrible and hard to listen to,” LaCroix said.
The No Tones recently held solo auditions for their spring concert scheduled for April 8 where they hope to integrate stand-up-style crowdwork with lone performances. After choosing the theme of “No Factor,” the group plans to put on a performance analogous to the popular singing show “The X Factor” while also staying true to a comedic foundation.
“We want to put on something a little bit more entertaining to watch than just music. So we're doing less songs, but then we're making up that difference with more comedy to focus on the fact that we are in between a cappella and comedy,” Willinghan said.
Many performing members will be of the 14 “New Tones” — new members recruited following humorous rounds of auditions in the fall semester. Typical a cappella auditions are arduous multi-step processes screening for musical ability. The No Tones contrast that competitiveness through amusing — yet unmelodious — performances, vowing to give a spotlight to those who would not be asked back to other groups.
Mia Fabrizio, overlord and fourth-year College student said that the No Tones boast an audition process that screens for more unique traits. Unlike in other groups, auditions were solely to assess how entertaining one could make themselves, which took precedence over vocal prowess.
“You need to be willing to humiliate yourself,” Fabrizio said. “It'll be the craziest song you've ever heard. It's someone singing cupcakKe and making it an emotional bit.”
With an unprecedented number of new members and a focus on rebuilding an image, overlords had to usher in new leadership to train “New Tones” in music and short-form comedy skits. Only one leading member — overlord and fourth-year Commerce student Mary-Kate Duffy — was reelected to lead again this year.
Duffy handles the club’s operations, such as securing funding for performance equipment. She said that her role enables the three other overlords to focus on leading and planning productive practices and harmonious performances with new members.
“What I'm doing is more so just being the backbone, getting this boring stuff out of the way so that they can really take the lead with the creative direction and everything,” Duffy said.
Though each specializes somewhere — Willinghan in rehearsals, LaCroix on their social media and Fabrizio in their marketing — the overlords have collaborated in crafting the new vision for the No Tones. To train new members to sing music in a group setting, the overlords restructured their practices to create three vocal roles — high tones, mid tones and low tones. According to Willinghan, these roles replace typical soprano or tenor roles of other a cappella groups, based on how high or low a member can sing. Willinghan said that practice is key to compensate for a lack of prior music experience.
“The biggest thing is modeling what we do off of a normal a cappella group here on Grounds … but we needed to put in more work to achieve that,” Willinghan said. “We focus a lot more on actually teaching music. … We have distinct parts, solos, all of that.”
Looking for extra performance opportunities with new members, the No Tones held a fall concert Nov. 12 at Corner bar Coupe DeVille’s. The performance's theme was “No-chella,” with members taking inspiration from the iconic era of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival through mid-2010s songs and bohemian-style dress.
The No Tones’ performances have begun to sound more like a typical a cappella group, with distinct solo parts and background vocals. Now, the group must try to strike a balance between their original comic identity and greater musical appeal.
“Honestly, I think we're starting to sound a little too good. We've got harmonies going and stuff ... [it] kind of sounds like we have a little bit of tone these days,” Duffy said.
Their upcoming April concert will test their revamped musicality and humor, aiming to cement the No Tones’ place in a comedic niche among the University's vibrant a cappella scene. In that position, its members can enjoy a lighthearted environment that allows for theatrical expression while maintaining melodious musical performances.
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