9 p 0 0 AV V a v 6B - The Michigan Daily - Weekend agazine - Thursday, February 5, 2004 IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC A CAPPELLA COMMUNITY THRIVES IN UNIVERSITY SETTING The Michigan Daily - Weekend Magazine - JESS PISKOR - COOK'NP' ASTORM BREAKFAST - NOT JUST ANOTHER WAY TC By Megan Jacobs Daily Arts Writer No instruments. No backup. No help from synthesizers or production teams. Unusual guttural sounds referred to as "vocal percussion." But nonetheless, a whole lot of music comes out. This is no ordinary garage band: It's a cappel- la, straight up. From the Italian for "of the chapel," a cappella music originat- ed in the resonant smaller chapels with- in larger European cathedrals. Unlike the choral masses that sang in the main chapel, a cappella groups, usually com- prised of eight to ten, did not have the luxury of organ accompaniment. Hence, this unique group style was born. "It pretty much started with glee clubs on college campuses," said Music graduate student Josh Duchan of Amazin' Blue. "From there, you begin finding barbershop quartets and people who start putting their own spin on it until you get to where we are now." The University hosts an array of a cappella groups: two all-male, two all-female, one Christian, one Jewish, one Asian, seven co-ed non-denominational secu- lar groups, all adding up to 14 rhythmi- cally superior sensations. One rookie group and the thirteen returning cham- pions fill practice rooms and auditori- ums with new arrangements on famil- iar pop songs. They chalk up the Diag and bombard unsuspecting students with flyers. Michigan a cappella is more than just names on flyers, however; it's a society unto itself. Driven by their love of music and their need to support them- selves financially, each of the 14 groups performs a fall and spring con- cert on campus, in addition to out-of- town gigs around the continental United States Michigan groups also bring in other collegiate troupes to per- form at conglomerate concerts such as MACFest, the Michigan A Cappella Festival. Opportunities abound, how- ever, to experience this finger-snap- ping, mind-boggling world for those who may have missed the series of fall concerts. Welcome to "Friday Night Live: A Cappella Style." Hosted by Circle K as a charity event, GMen, Amazin' Blue, The Sopranos and 58 Greene will per- form musical selections and skits tomorrow at Rackham Auditorium. All proceeds from this comedically harmo- nized show will go to the Bates House, an organization in Ann Arbor that sup- ports the tutoring of homeless children. Looking for the top of the ladder, la creme de la creme, the best of the best? The search stops at the International Championship of Collegiate a cappella. Just a short road trip away, quarterfi- nals are at Penn State University on Saturday. It's worth the weekend out of town to see Dicks and Janes, Amazin' Blue and GMen compete as three of six chosen groups from across the nation. From there, the top two groups advance to semifinals right here in Ann Arbor. The Compulsive Lyres, winners of the ICCA competition in 2001, are co- hosting this year's competition with Dicks and Janes at Rackham on March 20. "It's fun, a chance to perform, a good With no accompanying instruments, a cappella groups flex their vocal talents. ey - want to stay for breakfast?" Sure, it's a pickup line used to entice someone to spend the night. But with a little planning and a little kitchen know-how, people will want to stay not just for a steamy night, but for steaming breakfast. Pancakes are a quick and simple breakfast that you can almost always whip up with ingredients on hand. You'll need milk, butter, eggs and pancake mix. Now you could make your own mix, but as much as it pains me to say this, Bisquik will work just fine, and best of all, the instructions are on the box. However, plain pancakes are pretty boring. After you whip up the bat- ter, try adding banana slices. The banana will cook along with the pancake and release an amazingly sweet creamyness that you won't believe. For a richer pancake you can also add a handful of chocolate chips along with the banana to the batter. If you are looking for a little more healthy option, feel free to throw in some sunflower seeds - COMEDY Continued from Page 10B there's nothing like it... there's sim- ply no job that compares with the excitement, the thrill, the respect." O'Donnell said, "It's the best stu- dent job. You need to be irrationally drawn to it though, because, while a lot of my friends are going to grad school or getting jobs, I'll be strug- gling for awhile." O'Donnell plans on relying on his other skills as well, such as his screenwriting and play- writing skills, adding, "Stand-up comedy is the hardest industry to break into, and I want to be able to have other things. I want to use com- edy as a platform to break into other creative endeavors." No matter how difficult the busi- ness aspect of comedy is, everyone seems to agree on the incredily encouraging nature of the area comic scene. without shells of course! When cooking pancakes, the lower the temperature, the better. If the pan is too hot, the outside will burn and the insides will still remain gooey. Pancakes can fill you up, but sometimes they are a little too fill- ing for a light breakfast. Grapefruit has long been the symbol of diet breakfasts and are somewhat derid- ed for it. One way to spice up a grapefruit is through the use of anise sugar - keep reading, this is worth trying. You'll need to get some star anise. It's a spice that comes in a star shape and tastes like licorice. Crush one star into a powder any way you can (preferably with a mortar and pestle you stole from the chem lab) and mix it with four tablespoons of sugar. Take two ruby red grapefruits and slice them in half horizontally like you normally would. Use a knife to separate the sections, cutting between each membrane to separate them a little so it is easier to get out the sections, but leave them in the peel. Arrange the four halves on a Mikala Bierma, Music sophomore and stand-up comic, said, "It's a sup- portive network of people, like Alcoholics Anonymous . . . except we laugh more. It's a good place to practice and grow. It's really fun and lighthearted." Vince Paparelli, an area comic, explained, "After the performances, the comedians are like a team. Everyone wants to see everyone do well." This message seemed to repeate itself frequently. Whether on a first date or just hanging out with friends, live comedy is a great way to be entertained. Once you give it a chance, you'll be a fan of it for life. To sum it all up, O'Donnell reflected and said, "I was onstage and I was just looking around at the audi- ence, all packed in around these little tables in a smoky basement, and they're laughing and having a great time. We're entertainers and it's great." baking sheet and dump one table- spoon of the anise sugar on each grapefruit half. Broil in the oven for at least two to three minutes, until the sugar begins to bubble. Remove from the oven and eat with a fork - the flavor is truly unusual. Also, I imagine a lot of you don't have star anise or a mortar and pes- tle, but I really think everyone should try this recipe - so if you email me I'll be happy to supply you with some anise sugar. No breakfast would be complete without eggs somewhere. I'm going to assume everyone can fry and scramble eggs. Another good and filling egg option is to first saute up a bunch of thinly sliced onions, then add some other chopped stuff, like broccoli, mushroom, spinach, pep- per or whatever else you have and cook until everything is nearly done. Crack in about five or six eggs and mix them up a bit to break the yolks. Cook covered, on low heat until the eggs become mostly solid -- try to flip the whole mass over if you can to cook the runny eggs on top. You can always add a big handful of shredded cheese. Some good sea- sonings to add to the eggs include salt, pepper, basil, oregano, sage, red pepper flakes, chili powder and ginger. Okay, these ideas are great, but really, with a few exceptions, how often do we really have time for breakfast anyway? What is needed are quick and easy breakfasts that you can make on the run. Smoothies are remarkably filling, nutritious, portable and speedy. Grab a blender and throw whatever you've got fruit wise into it - mak- ing sure to remove any peels or rinds or anything. Oranges, bananas and canned pineapple or peaches are always great starters and are usually around. To add a little more flavor I keep a bag of frozen fruit in the freezer such as blueberries or rasp- berries. These fruits add a nice fla- vor and good color. Mix it up in the blender with some yogurt and some fruit juice to keep it liquidy. If you want it cold- er, add some ice, and if you really want a rich thick smoothie don't shy away from adding an extra big BOSTON UNIVER show. And you can make a little money on the side," said Music sophomore Rebecca Blinder, a member of the Compulsive Lyres. U. U UM School of Music Univ. Dance Co. & Various Musical Artists 04 Out-of-town groups crash in Ann Arbor. "I'm assuming they are staying at our houses," said LSA sophomore and Dicks and Janes member Stephanie Fajuri, "unless they are paying for the hotel themselves." The final round will be held at the Town Hall Theater in New York City on April 25. "It's a high stakes game that can be a lot of fun to play," said Duchan. If winter semester class schedules do not allow a moment of time for extracurricular activity, the a cappella crews have you in mind. Once again, the Best Of College A cappella is releasing a BOCA CD this spring. Groups from far corners of the United States submit recorded tracks by Nov. 1, which are narrowed down to the top 16. Two Michigan groups are featured on this year's CD, Dicks and Janes with Moby's "Porcelain" and Amazin' Blue singing Tori Amos's "China." Amazin' Blue is one of two groups tied for the most appearances on BOCA. Since most a cappella music goes unrecorded, this is a somewhat unusual venture for most groups. BOCA features tastes of the best live acts, as well as those who specialize in recorded work. Additionally, several groups on campus record their own individual CDs every few years. Ready to jump on the bandwagon with thousands of other college stu- dents across America? Pay attention to flyers and chalk art around campus, or check group websites to find out spring concert dates. Tickets for most events are available at the Michigan Underground Ticket Office in the base- ment of the Union. "We do this because we love to sing and love to sing with others who love to sing" said Duchan. 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Contact your school or college, or the appropriate central office, if you need assistance while Wolverine Access is unavailable. Thank you for your cooperation, Michigan Administrative Information Services Nl Boston University International Programs 232 Bay StateRoad Boston, MA 02215 617-353-9888 Fax: 617-353-5402 abroad@bu.edu At I r ..3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - c 4 0 ; i 4 4 . r r ___ u 71 l