Smiles best describe as authentic and radiant show on Dynamic Intonation members (front): Harley Selegean; (second row): Adrian Otero, Guilia Beaudoin, Elmer Grainger and Rhiannon Craver; (third row): Layla Hollis, Maggie Shafer, Ryan Okun, Christian Taber, Katya Sacharow, Julia Ferrara and Holden Stevenson; and (fourth row): Ben Evans, Jalen Dalton, Keaton Englund, Dennis McAndrew (hiding behind Leilanis), Leilanis Sanchez and Phineas Goodman. (Photo by Arvin Zabalerio)
A musically gifted ensemble of SUNY Fredonia students is writing a storyline in tune with the “Pitch Perfect” movie franchise.
Dynamic Intonation won first place at the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella ((ICCA) Central Region quarterfinals level, as the all-girl a cappella group did in the 2012 American musical comedy that was inspired by the ICCA competition. The “Pitch Perfect” franchise includes two sequels.
Unmistakably elated is how every member of Dynamic Intonation reacted to their quarterfinals triumph as they look ahead and prepare for the ICCA semifinals to be held at the State University at Buffalo’s Center for the Arts Mainstage Theatre on Saturday, March 22. The award-winning performance by 18 students comes two years after the group took home second place in the quarterfinals and advanced to the semifinals.
Dynamic Intonation's first place performance in the ICCA quarterfinals and resulting advancement to the semifinal round speaks volumes about the group's combination of talent, dedication and preparation/" - Associate Professor Kieran Hanlon.
“The moment that we found out that we won, I remember, we were all screaming; my friend, Rhiannon Craver – she fell to the floor on her knees,” recalled Harley Selegean, Dynamic Intonation’s president and a senior dual major (Acting and Writing) from New York’s Hudson Valley area.
At the quarterfinals held Feb. 1 at The Theatre at Innovation Square in Rochester, NY, all 10 student ensembles were huddled together on the stage in front of a full house when first, second and third place winners were announced, along with numerous individual award recipients. Sheer bedlam, no doubt!
“I was in front of the group, so I could not see (everyone’s) reactions,” Ms. Selegean recalled. “I grabbed the certificate form which said that we won, and turned back to the whole group that was laughing and screaming; everybody was hugging each other, for sure!”
It marked the conclusion of a long day that began with registering at the hotel, checking out the venue, meeting all the student groups, doing sound checks. But there was also some downtime so students in the groups could mingle and even informally perform for each other. It was that kind of a collegial, supportive atmosphere.
“All of the people you’re competing with you’re in the same building; you get to meet new people and make new friends,” Selegean said.
The exhilarating atmosphere was such that even if your group doesn’t win, Selegean marked, “you still feel happy for the group that did win.” No letdown if one’s group doesn’t win.
But it’s still a very rigid competition. Groups are allotted up to 10 minutes to perform, but if they go over even by one second, they’ll drop down one notch in the final standings. No limit on the number of songs groups can perform, as long as they don’t go beyond 10 minutes.
"Dynamic Intonation's first place performance in the ICCA quarterfinals and resulting advancement to the semifinal round speaks volumes about the group's combination of talent, dedication and preparation,” said Associate Professor Kieran Hanlon.
“As their faculty advisor, I have always found that they carry themselves in a professional manner, are largely self-sufficient, and have historically been incredibly ambitious in terms of their pursuit of various opportunities such as ICCA,” Mr. Hanlon added.
Dynamic Intonation’s set list featured four songs: “Late Nights and Heartbreak,” by Hannah Williams & The Affirmations; “Big Feelings,” by Willow Smith; “erase me,” by Lizzy McAlpine and Jacob Collier; and “Me and Your Mama,” by Childish Gambino.
For the semifinals at the State University at Buffalo’s Center for the Arts on March 22, the group is staying with the songs that got them this far, but is “polishing them up, making them better,” Selegean explained. That means cleaning up transitions between songs, talking about the story the song presents.
Having everyone working together as a group, all focused on telling the same story, is essential, Selegean said.
Their repertoire is a fusion of jazz and pop that leans towards jazzier titles, Selegean explained. “We often do songs by Black artists, and even if we do pop songs, we always have a jazz aspect, whether it’s dissonant chords, jazz 7th chords. We lean in the jazz direction.”
Preparing for ICCA competition requires a considerable amount of work and practice, noted Selegean, who also won one of two first places for best soloist in “Late Nights and Heartbreaks.” But it’s clearly worth the investment to be a part of ICCA.
“Seeing other people win something is just as satisfying as winning yourself,” Selegean remarked. “We are all a cappella artists; we put a lot of time and energy into competitions, so we all acknowledge that work and appreciate even if we don’t win anything.”
Dynamic Intonation members are typically performance majors – either in music or theatre and dance – but for member Christian Taber, who studied Sound Recording Technology, the group furnished a coveted outlet to pursue his creative side, taking a step back from math and science to further develop his craft and passion for singing.
“It has provided me a blend of intellectual and creative stimulation that, as busy as I am, I think I need in order to feel fulfilled,” Mr. Taber, a 2024 graduate now serving as the Residence Director in Eisenhower Hall, explained. Time spent with Dynamic Intonation inspired him to continue his pursuit of this passion and join sandbox.wav, a music collective. He’s also written some of their music.
Taber remains onboard with the group as an alumnus, despite rigorous demands for his time that include balancing RD duties with graduate study in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration, and side gigs as a broadcast worker for the Buffalo Bills through CBS and NBC Sports and replay tech for the State University at Buffalo football team.
Taber says he owes a lot of his progression and personal development to his Dynamic Intonation family that welcomed him as a senior with open arms.
“I've felt seen, heard and included in this group, and they have sufficiently provided me with an outlet to continue engaging with a passion that I've held since I was a kid. Navigating being a different major than those in the group and having many different responsibilities outside of the School of Music can sometimes be isolating, but doing something I love with a group of people I love reaffirms the path I've taken, and for that, I couldn't be more thankful,” Taber said.
Dynamic Intonation’s e-board expanded to seven members this year. Joining Selegean on the e-board are: Layla Hollis (music director), Music Education (Voice) major, minor in School Counseling Psychology, from Polk, PA; Elmer Grainger (assistant music director), Music Education (Voice), from Middletown, NY; Julia Ferrara (secretary/treasurer), Acting major, Music and Dance minors, from Selden, NY; Leilanis Sanchez (social chair), Musical Theatre, from Newburgh, NY; and Adrian Otero (assistant social chair), Music Education (Voice) and Music Performance (Voice), from Wheatley Heights, NY.
Dynamic Intonation performs twice on campus near the end of each semester.
Advancing to the ICCA semifinals rewards the group for its efforts to build following the COVID 19 pandemic. “Our process was really trying to establish ourselves as a group with an aesthetic and make ourselves known to the world outside of Fredonia,” Selegean told The Leader in an article published Feb. 18.
