Oxford A Cappella to perform in McAfee Center

Oxford University Out of the Blue (OOTB), an all-male A Cappella team at Oxford, will be performing in the McAfee on April. 3 at 7 p.m. and conducting a workshop earlier at 5 p.m. Students who partake in the workshop will get the chance to perform in a joint number with the prestigious A Cappella group.

As part of their U.S. West Coast tour for 2015, the A Cappella team reached out to the Saratoga Music Program and inquired about whether they could perform and conduct a workshop for its students.

“It seemed like a perfect new opportunity to allow the student body and community to add some different music to their spring,” choir director Andrew Ford said.

OOTB has performed at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Hong Kong and at private events for Tommy Hilfiger and British Airways. This year alone, the group has released two music videos that have garnered more than 8 million views.

In addition to their interest in performing, OOTB likes to takes its music into schools as a way of  instilling a passion for singing in students and furthering students’ ability to connect with any audience.

“I tell my choir students all the time, whenever we present music, we are to perform and entertain,” Ford said. “Our job as musicians is to communicate the emotion behind the music, not just sing the score or play the instrument.”

Ford hopes that the students who participate in the workshop and perform with OOTB understand that “A Cappella music is simply an extension of the choral repertoire.”

In addition, Ford hopes that his choir students understand that they do not have to major in music to enjoy it fully.

In fact, the majority of the members of the A Cappella group are not majoring in music. For example, some are majoring in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE), and others in English, Law, Italian or German. However, each member still invests an immense amount of time and energy into his or her passion for music.

“Music directors the world over send the same clear message to our students as they graduate: Do what you love, but never stop singing or playing music,” Ford said. “It is something you can do your whole life. You don't have to have a degree in music to enjoy it.”

Furthermore, Ford believes that the performance and workshop closely parallels the the  philosophy of “teaching music through performance.”

“I hope that my choir students and any student who attends the concert or participates the workshop will be inspired to be a true performer in every aspect of their life,” Ford said.