CASA - The Contemporary A Capella Society

In the middle of one cold, New Haven winter in 1977, a Yale undergrad by the name of Lori-Anne Wynter called the first rehearsal of what would soon become the newest all-female a cappella group on campus. Three months of rehearsing later, still nameless but ready to turn some heads, the founding members of our group, stunning in their matching tuxedos, made their way onto the stage of the now-obsolete Zeta Psi Jamboree. The unprepared MC arrived at the last group of the night, and, not knowing what to call the shockingly dressed ensemble, he simply glanced out into the crowd and improvised: "And to conclude the night, here's a little something extra!" Women's a cappella at Yale has never looked back. Today, Something Extra lives up to her legacy. Though the tuxedos have given way to stylish black evening gowns and long red gloves, the same refreshing, new sound that those original members piped into women's a cappella in 1977 lives on in our extremely varied, dynamic repertoire, our polished tone, and our irrepressible love of music that we can’t help but communicate to our audiences. Our excellence in music has even earned us recognition from CASA (Collegiate A Cappella Society of America), as well as praise from other a cappella groups at Yale and elsewhere. Whenever we can, we take the show on the road. Something Extra has traveled the globe, from the Midwest to Mexico, from Canada to Brazil, from France to Puerto Rico, and from the White House to Waikiki. We perform for the Presidents of Yale and of the United States, for kindergarteners and senior citizens, for foreign diplomats and passersby in the street. We have performed throughout the United States for such audiences as President George Bush, Sr. at his estate in Kennebunkport, Maine, President Back cover of Something Extra's first album Clinton at the White House, and Alex Trebek on the set of Jeopardy! in Los Angeles. Last year took us to New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. for a fun-filled winter tour, and to Frankfurt and Heidelberg for a spring break amidst the castles and cathedrals of Germany. The year before, our spring excursion to Jamaica made a mark on Yale history, as Something Extra became the first women’s a cappella group to travel abroad three years in a row. We plan to continue the tradition of touring abroad every year - our spring trip to Mexico this year will mark our fifth consecutive international tour - so grab your carry-on! But, there’s no place like home. Here at Yale, we perform in a number of events, including our annual Birthday Jam in February and our Parents’ Weekend concert in October, both of which draw crowds of friends, relatives, and music-lovers. Something Extra is well known at Yale for her offbeat humor, so our on-campus concerts promise laughs as well as great music. We also have a fantastic time doing informal concerts with singing groups from other universities when we get the chance. In New Haven and the surrounding areas, we entertain some of our favorite audiences in schools, retirement communities, and country clubs. SE poses with Alex Trebec on the set of Jeopardy! A big part of what makes Something Extra so unique is the remarkable diversity of interests and backgrounds within the group. The women of Something Extra do it all and love every minute. Need a crash course in dancing? Just ask Ashley for a demonstration of her legendary tapping skills, watch Emily perform with her modern dance company, A Different Drum, or have Liza show you how to salsa. If you could use a good laugh, don’t miss an opportunity to check out Lesley’s onstage antics with her sketch comedy group, The Fifth Humour, or just spend 10 minutes in the presence of Kathleen or Grace. Have Claire teach you how to blow glass, go ice skating with medal-winning Marian, or suit up in your best Yale paraphernalia to cheer on Semuteh at a Saturday morning crew regatta. Looking for a moment of peace? Sit back and relax with some of Noel’s soothing tunes on the violin in the Saybrook Orchestra, or accompany Caity when she leads her next FOOT trip. And the next time you’re at a Yale theater production, look around—you may find all of us in the audience, escaping our homework to watch Carly or Meg or Valerie (or in last year's Little Shop of Horrors, all three at once!) light up center stage. And even when we’re not together, you can find us all over the world. We have members originating from France, Liberia, Vietnam, California, Arkansas, Tennessee, New York, Wisconsin, Kansas, West Virginia, Massachusetts, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Texas.