It’s no easy feat getting accepted into one of UW-Madison’s acapella groups, let alone the one and only co-ed accapella group on campus Redefined. 251 hopeful auditionees who come from all backgrounds of musical theatre, choral music, and shower serenades involving an audience of shampoo bottles desired a spot. Despite the odds, Kristina Fiscus was able to see it through being the only female vocalist accepted into the group this semester in addition to the vocal talents of Nate Patton and Sawyer Olsen. With the help of a voice that comes from years of singing in her high school’s top choir, she can produce a raw sound that is both edgy and soulful with dark undertones, a quality that set her apart at auditions. In the midst of her twice-a-week rehearsal schedule, freshman Kristina Fiscus was able to sit down and discuss the joys of accapella and provide us with a behind-the-scenes look at the tedious audition process.
Take us back to the auditions, I’ve heard they’re comparable to American Idol on some levels. How many rounds were there and what kind of songs did you sing?
The audition process was long. I felt like I was in Hollywood Week of American Idol where people sing for 20 seconds and then they sit and wait for an entire day to hear if they move on or go home. First round you sing a verse and a chorus, preferably one that would accent your range and you have time slots for this round. So I went in on that first Tuesday of auditions and sang “Freckles” by Natasha Bedingfield. They say they’ll email you whether you have a call-back or not that night. I had mine the following night around 6-9ish. You show up and they split everyone up by voice parts, so the sopranos sing a verse and a chorus of a new song they’ve picked (I did “Hallelujah”by Jeff Buckley), then the altos, tenors, and finally, the basses. The downside is you sit through all of them in the hallway, so by around 8:45 we were able to see who made it to the next round. This round consisted of singing a song with the group to see if your voice blends and from there they kept cutting down and repeating this until there were about nine of us left. By this time it was 11:30 pm and we were all exhausted and sung out. The last call-backs were the following Sunday at set times where you’d sing another song (“Arms” by Christina Perri). Almost right after singing, Nate Patton, Sawyer Olsen, and I found out we would be the three people accepted into the group.
What made you interested in acapella initially?
I’ve always loved singing and it gives me the chills when choirs can perform music accapella. It’s always amazed me how they could all create the guitar, piano, trumpet, and drum with just their voices. I couldn’t wait to try to be a part of something that incredible. I’ve also been singing since I could talk. My parents used to say I hummed before I spoke my first words. When I was five, I made a promise to myself to sing every day and thanks to choirs through elementary, middle, and high school, as well as Redefined, I’ve been able to keep that promise.
How are you liking Redefined thus far and what are the best things about being in the group?
I absolutely love being a part of Redefined. Those chills I felt hearing past groups are still present when I’m singing with them and you feel the entire song running through your body. It’s the best decision I’ve made in college so far. The students of Redefined are a huge family and I’m so lucky to be settling in as a Redebaby. Not to mention the rehearsal process consists of a lot of joking around, having a good time, and singing all three hours. We practice twice a week and being new I have to catch up to the group, learning 10 songs. We have added three new songs as well and are working on more. It’s not rigorous at all because overall it’s so much fun.
How does it feel to be one of three people to be accepted?
It feels amazing. I can’t even describe how shocked I was. No one expects to beat odds like that and it still feels like I’m currently auditioning because I just can’t believe it. I’m so thankful for this opportunity.
How did mom and dad react to the news?
My mom’s exact words were, “I feel like I’m in an episode of Glee!” and my dad couldn’t wait to tell everyone he knew. I’m so thankful to have made them so proud.
Any anticipated concert dates?
Redefined will be singing in the Grainger building at 10 pm this upcoming Friday, but my first performance will be when we travel to Minneapolis on Oct 25th.
Any advice for others interested in accapella?
If you’re looking to get involved we have lots of concerts and meet ‘n greets so people can come out and see what we’re all about. We’ll have auditions again in the spring and I highly recommend giving them a go, I couldn’t be more grateful for this experience.