“Our styles of music are non-overlapping, so if you come to our show, you’ll get a good variety,” said Mendicants President Stephen Hensley. The all-male Mendicants perform fun, feel-good material from artists ranging from Van Morrison to the Beatles, featuring trademark crowd-pleaser “Brown-Eyed Girl.” Talisman specializes in more ethnic music from around the world — especially African and African American songs.

Both groups will perform a combination of old favorites and new arrangements. Among Talisman’s newer arrangements is “Prison Holler,” a spiritual song about the toils of prisoners in the South. Members of both groups find that the Parents’ Weekend show offers a unique chance to showcase their year-round efforts.

“We in the a cappella groups have accomplished quite a bit over the year, and having our parents there to witness what we’ve done is fulfilling for the members,” said Talisman Business Manager Teresa Dicolen, a sophomore.

The ensembles have been practicing up to three hours a day in the weeks leading up to the show, temporarily suspending album recording sessions to concentrate on preparing for their performance programs.

“People sometimes leave because it’s such a time commitment — being in a cappella sucks up a huge part of your life. Committing yourself to that for multiple years says you’re willing to do this instead of everything else you could be doing in college,” said Mixed Company member Natasha Chen, a senior.

Members of Stanford a cappella groups typically participate for two to four years, with several groups experiencing large turnover from year to year because of the serious time spent rehearsing. Some rehearse between six to nine hours per week, and up to several hours a day in the weeks preceding important events. The performances themselves take up time, not to mention sporadic recording sessions.

When asked what keeps them devoted to their respective a cappella groups, leaders of all of Stanford’s nine responded in part that they have found another family in their fellow singers. Members often become very close outside of rehearsals.

“Everyday People is genuinely a family,” said Business Director Sarah Kleinman, a sophomore, of the hip-hop, R&B, Motown and soul group. “We spend more time together outside of rehearsal than we do in the six to nine hours of rehearsal that we have each week. We are a supportive social network, and we go to each other first in times of need.”

Each group has carved out a particular niche in the Stanford a cappella community, still hoping to appeal to a diverse audience

“In blending music from South Asia with Western music, we’re hoping to bring fans of South Asian music a source of a cappella entertainment while also making South Asian music accessible to everyone,” said Raagapella Business Manager Antardeb Guharay, a sophomore. The Harmonics’ award-winning repertoire of rock songs, the Mendicants’ highly marketable mix and Talisman’s worldly fare are just a few of the many styles floating on the Stanford breeze.

“At my call-back freshman year, I listened to Talisman singing ‘One by One.’ I felt really moved by music for the first time. It was a wonderful sound. That’s how I knew this was what I wanted to do at Stanford,” Dicolen says.

Each group has one standout traditional performance every year in addition to quarterly shows. Everyday People performs on Halloween, Harmonics sings on St. Patrick’s Day, and Mixed Company serenades singles at their Valentine’s show “Love Sucks.” Business managers continually seek out private events to raise money to record albums, and all groups prepare spring concerts to showcase their year of hard work.

Due to the demanding schedule and creative effort involved, performances can be as rewarding to the singers as to their listeners, Dicolen says.

“When you see how all the hard work pays off, you can let go of the chaos and stress that happens beforehand,” she added.

Reprinted with permission from The Stanford Daily Online Edition: http://daily.stanford.edu/tempo?page=content&id=19524&repository=0001_article

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