A capella group the Higher Keys placed second in the regional semifinals of the International Championship of Collegiate A Capella, held March 24 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Higher Keys Business Manager Emily Borromeo '09 received the award for outstanding soloist.
The Higher Keys, which was founded in 1983 and specializes in jazz and pop musical numbers, competed in last year's ICCA competition but did not place in the semifinals. This year, the group came in second to an all-male a capella group from Amherst College, the Zumbyes.
Higher Keys member Lorraine Fryer '09 said she was "stunned" and "exploded with excitement" upon hearing news of the win. "Having won second place raises our level of musicianship," Fryer said.
"The whole group is really, really excited about Emily's win," said Higher Keys President Carole Ann Penney '07.
The singing groups were evaluated based on musicality and variety in song choice as well as the visual components of their act, such as physical movements, appearance and posture. "Motion makes (one's singing) better," said Higher Keys Musical Director Drew Nobile '07. "It's more entertaining physically and vocally for the audience."
Nobile said the group did well this year thanks to the experience of competing in the tournament last year. "We added choreography and tightened up our movements," he said. "We did better because we knew what to expect."
