“We sing as hard as we party,” says Veronica Bacher, SED junior and vice president of BU’s Aural Fixation (AF) a cappella group. And, man, if you have heard these women sing, you can only imagine what kind of shenanigans they get into offstage!
One of BU’s fourteen a cappella groups, AF is immediately distinguished, not only by their talent, but by sheer personality—these girls are not lacking in the sass department.
For Eileen O’Hara, COM senior and AF president, it’s the camaraderie amongst all the group’s members that makes AF so fun.
“We are so enthusiastic to work together,” she says. “No two people are alike, but we’ve formed a collective personality.”
The bond within the group is so strong, says O’Hara, that she can’t bring herself to imagine the “G-word” (graduation), which will force AF to say goodbye to its senior members. Still, she says, AF loves to pass on the legacy they’ve created to younger members.
She recalls her first semester as a freshman in AF, when the then-president invited her to a cup of coffee after a performance. Their conversation ended up lasting for over three hours.
“It was the first time since I’d been on campus that I felt a part of something,” says O’Hara.
It’s clear that this group considers one another no less than family. Like any family, there are bound to be moments of trial.
Bacher says she has watched the group go through down times—rough rehearsals, disappointing performances—but can always count on them to recover and, consequently, grow stronger.
When put in not-so-great situations, AF claims they always go back to “doing what we love to do:” singing.
“We’re all passionate about music,” says SED sophomore and AF member, Lauren Alexander, “We take it seriously, but it doesn’t consume us. “
Alexander says that rehearsals with her fellow AF members are never without laughter.
Bacher agrees. “It’s amazing we ever get anything done,” she jokes. But it’s definitely not all play; AF has quite the impressive repertoire.
Having grown stylistically over the years, AF now favors a lot more popular, top-40-style music, but maintains an eclectic musical set. Many of their songs hold emotional weight for group members, says O’Hara. If an AF member has a particular emotional connection to a piece of music, she’ll share it with the group, allowing for a deep sense of support during their more serious acts.
Having just made a few concert road trips to other schools as well as a more local trip to TD Garden, where they were invited to sing the national anthem, the AF girls are now gearing up for their semester concert, “#AFgirlproblems”.
Filled with everything from R. Kelly to Bruno Mars, the show promises to be a good time. The concert will be held April 16 at 7 p.m., in the GSU Conference Auditorium. Want even more AF? Check out their Facebook page, or their website at: www.auralfixation.weebly.com