By Kendra Hill
Brigham Young University’s Noteworthy, an all-woman acapella singing group in Provo, Utah, consistently packs a brilliant punch in the university acapella world. The group varies every year as the college has auditions for each of the parts in the group. This year, Noteworthy consists of nine women, Meg Ackerman, Aitana Alapa, Ellie Hughes, Grace Ibarra, Lizzy Newbold, Tiffany Parker, Anna Slezak, Maryn Smyth, and Brittan Wawro who have come from all over the United States to attend college at BYU. The group is currently directed by Amy Whitcomb who is a former member of Noteworthy (2007-2010). Whitcomb also competed on the fourth season of The Voice but was eliminated in the knockout rounds. You can tell what a talented director she is just by watching the women on the stage. They have so much fun, while at the same time being vulnerable and putting on an amazing show.
At their concert last night (February 28, 2020) Noteworthy sang a multitude of songs, including everything from pop, rock, and jazz, to spiritual and uplifting genres. Most are tunes everyone will know and enjoy dancing and singing along to. Some of the original artists include Kelly Clarkson, The Jonas Brothers, Judy Garland, Beyoncé, and more.
“It’s Raining Men” by The Weather Girls was a crowd favorite, and a Noteworthy favorite as well. They took the audience on a fun adventure as they belted, danced, and beatboxed across the stage.
One of my personal favorites of the night was “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)”, originally by Chris Tomlin with this version being arranged by Keith Evans. I felt my own chains lifting and felt so comforted as I listened to the women’s beautiful voices.
While Noteworthy was enjoyable to both watch and listen to, the show wouldn’t have been as fantastic without the work of their audio engineer Bryce Gosar and stage manager Amanda Morris. Every woman on stage had a microphone, costume changes, choreography, and more. The members of Noteworthy along with Whitcomb, Gosar, and Morris worked together to compose a fantastic show where everyone was heard, seen, spotlighted, and ensured a great experience was had by all in attendance.
I love that all Noteworthy concerts are appropriate for all ages, and I was lucky enough to be accompanied by my 6-year-old Kinsey to their show. Kinsey got so excited and said to me “This is my favorite song!” when they began singing “I Won’t Say (I’m in Love)” from Disney’s Hercules. However, when the show was over she was unable to choose a favorite song and simply exclaimed “I loved ALL of them! I want to sing on the stage just like them when I grow up.”
Noteworthy has two more shows coming up in March. On March 13 at 7:00 PM they will be performing at the Conference Center Theater in Salt Lake City, UT and on March 28 at 7:00 PM they will be performing at the Covey Center for the Arts in Provo, UT. You can buy tickets for either (or both) performances HERE. They also have many of their songs on their YouTube channel, and will be releasing a new video in March.
It is hard to only talk about a few songs that were performed because Kinsey is right, they were all fantastic. Noteworthy puts on a fun, uplifting, and entertaining show. The women put their hearts into what they sing and connect it to their daily lives and trials to create connections with their music, as well as those in the audience.
BYU Arts presents Noteworthy.
HFAC, de Jong Concert Hall, 800 E Campus Dr, Provo, UT 84602
Noteworthy Website
Noteworthy Facebook Page
BYU Arts Website
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