CAPELLA: ‘They didn’t treat us as children’ ...

UCD student who’s been working with DLV.

Lieu has been singing casually since elementary school and only more formally since high school when he joined the choir and a cappella groups. “When I got to UC Davis, I knew immediately that I wanted to continue singing in a cappella and was lucky enough to get into the Afterglow in my first year at UCD,” he said. He said he always loved when college a cappella groups visited and sang with his high school groups.

“Those experiences have played a big role in my passion for a cappella and I feel it’s really important for me to pay it forward and provide that experience for any younger singers I can reach. They’re all much more advanced than I was when I was their age; I’ve been very impressed with their technical ability and learning,” he said.

The opportunity for DLV to perform at LocalTones came after a request to play with the Spokes at Hella Cappella, their annual a cappella showcase at Mondavi Center. The Spokes already filled their program but sent Lieu their contact information as a recommendation to perform at LocalTones.

“When I was in high school, I would have been ecstatic at an opportunity to perform at a college a cappella showcase, so I was excited to get on the phone with Judi (Vallero, Matthew’s mother) to invite the LocalTones. Once we got them a slot to perform at the show, I was happy also to offer the opportunity to join our community-wide small groups, and it turned out they would all end up joining one of the several groups I’m a part of for this showcase.”

Noppakan (Noppo for short) is a fourth-year student at UCD who joined the elementary school choir around the fifth grade. “I’ve been a part of several ensembles throughout the years, including middle and high school choirs, community choruses, as well as regional and all-state honor choirs. I joined the Spokes during my second year here at UCD.”

A baritone in DLV, Matthew Vallero, 13, said he appreciated the professionalism of the UC Davis a cappella group. “They didn’t treat us as children but rather as vocal apprentices. We learned valuable lessons with this type of music, but most importantly, how to become one with a group.”

Vallero’s goals are to start composing songs and pieces for DLV. Songs already arranged include

Mariah Carey’s rendition of “All I Want For Christmas” and Dear Evan Hansen’s “You Will Be Found.”

“More special to me is the community-wide small groups, where members from different groups can perform songs together; oftentimes, songs they would not normally perform with their current group. In addition to Davis Local Vocals, our group has two Afterglow members (myself included), one Cleftomaniacs member, and Jhankaar. We have multiple such groups where friends in different groups are singing some great arrangements put together just for this show,” Lieu said.

Evie Barnett, 14, currently sings soprano, though she also tends to jump around. Her

Angelo DeSAntiS/courte Sy photo

primary music backgrounds are musical theater and choir. “Working with the UCD a capella groups has been a wonderful growth opportunity,” Barnett said. “Collaborating closely with and being mentored by older singers is truly one of the coolest experiences, and it’s been a blast to see how synergetic everyone is. We’ve only met for four rehearsals, but everyone knows what they’re doing, and we’ve picked up the music quite quickly while getting more familiar with each other. I feel incredibly lucky to be surrounded by such supportive and uplifting people! For the LocalTones event, I’ll be singing the solo in ‘Rather Be’ (a Pentatonix song).”

Clara Skinner, 15, will perform vocal percussion on “Rather Be” as well as “Any Way You Want It,” the small-group song that they sing with some UCD students. “It’s been great. They’re all super helpful and kind, and it’s fun to work with them,” Skinner said.

Charlotte Del Favero (tenor, age 13) agrees: “It’s been super fun working with them (the UC Davis students). They are all very nice and welcoming. I’m grateful we got this opportunity.”

Ruby Schwerin (soprano, age 15) mainly participates in a cappella for the friendships and bonds formed with other singers.

Ella Del Favero (alto, age 16) will sing the solo in Molly Tuttle’s “Crooked Tree” for the Local Tones event.

Lieu said his advice that if they enjoy this style to keep singing, adding that high school and college a cappella is not the final destination. “There are other styles that I became interested in, like barbershop music, after first singing pop a cappella. I also discovered the a cappella community in the United States is really tightly knit: There are so many professionals out there who are excited to arrange, produce, record and continue to sing a cappella.”

“Keep singing and keep exploring,” Karthik said. “Don’t be afraid to try new things and seek out new opportunities. You will meet so many amazing, welcoming people who also love to sing: some may even become your best friends. And don’t get discouraged or give us if an experience doesn’t go your way. Keep trying, and you’ll find something rewarding that fits your personal style.”

Tickets are $8 for students; $10 for general.

— Contact Monica Stark at monica@davisenterprise.net.