By Billie Kanfer '16, Features Editor
The Skidmore News had the chance to talk to Emily Kortright '15, the co-President of the Skidmore Accents about their lively and active all-female a capella group.
Q: Who are the Skidmore Accents?
A: We are an all-female a cappella group who pride ourselves on our eclectic set lists that include a mix of folk, rock, pop, rap, gospel, hip hop, and soul. More than anything, we are just a bunch of ladies who really love to sing and love each other just as much.
Q: When did the group begin?
A: The Accents have been around since 1980.
Q: What makes it such a unique group on campus?
A: In my opinion, what makes the Accents so unique are our quirks. We are such a diverse and wonderfully weird group of people who each add something special to the group. Plus, it helps that we genuinely love performing with each other and for other people. When you’re doing what you love with the people that you love, it really shows.
Q: What are the benefits from it being an all-female a capella group?
A: Being in an all-female a cappella group is pretty much like being constantly surrounded by your sisters. Honestly, it’s a blessing and a curse in that there is no bullshit. We all care about each other and know way too much about each other’s lives, so you can’t hide when there are things going on; we work through things together. It’s really an amazing dynamic because it just makes us closer and the music we sing together even more meaningful. I can’t speak for other groups because the Accents are all I’ve ever known, but in my experience, being in all-female a cappella means that you have a constant support group of people who will be there for you no matter what and also cry tears of joy pretty much every time you sing.
Q: What has been your favorite song performed to date?
A: That’s hard, but probably my favorite song was the Salt-N-Pepa Medley we sang in my freshman and sophomore years. It was a combination of “Shoop,” “Push It,” “Let’s Talk About Sex,” and “Whatta Man.” It was absolutely ridiculous and I don’t think we ever sang the entire thing through without completely falling apart, but somehow it always managed to sound great and was always a hit.
Q: Along with that, how do you choose what song to perform?
A: At the end of the semester we have Song Selection, which is where we decide what songs to bring back from the previous semester’s set list, and then we choose usually 4 or 5 songs from a pool that is made up of 2 songs from each girl in the group. We listen to every suggested song and have about a million votes and really intense discussions before we finally get down to the winning songs. It’s really a grueling process that is impossible to get through without some sort of food being delivered and someone shedding at least a single tear. I’m only partially joking.
Q: How can one get involved with the Accents? Is there a tryout process?
A: We hold open auditions every semester for any ladies who just want to sing, so if you didn’t get a chance to tryout this fall, come on out in the spring. We love meeting new people.
Q: When is your next performance?
A: Our next performance is our Halloween Mini-Jam with Pulse in Gannet at around 9 on Friday the 31st, but you can also hear us sing at Big Top this Saturday! Be on the lookout for posters and Facebook Events.