“And breathe, just breathe,” belts out soloist Allison Danish, a biomedical science major
and member of Colorado State University’s a cappella group the RAMblings. Josh
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Colonnieves, a music major, joins in with vocal percussion. The music swells and with it
the energy amongst the 13-member group.
Founded in 2000 by CSU alum Mike Santos, the RAMblings are the only non-traditional
a cappella group on campus. They sing on the plaza and in the library during midterms
and finals to give students a quick study break. They have also performed for the Miss
Wyoming pageant, CSU’s 1870 dinner, Krazy Karl’s Pizzeria opening and sang the
National Anthem at a Nugget’s game.
The diverse group of students– from mechanical engineering and vocal performance
to journalism and music education– have one common goal: have fun as a group and
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spread the wealth of music and a cappella to the students, campus and the community.
“It’s so rewarding when someone comes up to you and says, ‘Hey I saw you singing in
the library, and it was really good,’” said Breanna Bollar, human development and family
studies.
The RAMblings perform mostly modern pop songs like Say Something and Sweater
Weather, but also perform oldies such as Ain’t No Sunshine. “I love singing Ain’t No
Sunshine for an older crowd because they get so excited about it,” said club president
Nicole Barton.
Aside from producing a cappella music, the group has a lot of fun just spending time
together. The lively bunch recalled the mishaps that went along with performing for the
1870 Dinner. The night included a trip to the wrong hotel, driving on the wrong side of
the road and then singing almost directly to University President Tony Frank, as he was
seated directly in front of the stage. “I did get to shake Tony Frank’s hand,” said Barton.
“And we even got an email from him the next day thanking us and telling us we did a
good job!”
Competitive auditions are held each fall to fill open spots. Those auditioning are asked
to prepare a chorus and verse of a popular song and be prepared for range testing,
sight reading and aural recall. Those that make it to callbacks are then asked to sing
with the group to see how well their voice blends. This year, the RAMblings had 64
people try out, 12 asked to callback and four were ultimately chosen.
The RAMblings will be singing at Relay 4 Life on April 12 and at the annual Mile High
Vocal Jam April 19.
College Avenue reporter Marissa Isgreen can be reached at collegeavenue@collegian.com. Look for the Interviewing Guide issue of College Avenue on racks April 23rd!
