Club Spotlight: The Fordham Hot Notes

           What is the simplest, but most important piece of advice I can give to an incoming college freshman? Three words that freshman will hopefully hear dozens of times during their first few weeks at school? Join a club! The easiest way to make connections within your campus community and to make lasting friendships is to get involved with something you care about, and Fordham has TONS of opportunities to do this!

            For me, the choice was very easy; having always loved to sing, I knew that I wanted to continue doing this in college, especially in an a cappella group, so I auditioned for the Fordham Hot Notes, Fordham’s coed jazz a cappella group. The Hot Notes are one of five a cappella groups associated with Fordham University. There is also an all-male group, the Ramblers, an all-female group, the Satin Dolls, and two other co-ed groups, the B-sides (based at the Rose Hill Campus) and the F#’s (based at Lincoln Center).

            

This is a group shot of all of us from our Winter Concert last semester!
(*we aren't the "Hot" Notes for nothing, of course!)

While the Hot Notes are the newest to the a cappella scene, only official recognized as a club last year, we have established ourselves as the fiercest and smoothest group on campus (…okay, maybe I’m a little biased). As a jazz ensemble, we perform mostly jazz arrangements, but also work in contemporary repertoire in addition to classic jazz standards.  Last semester, we even did a jazz salute to Queen Bey with our version of “Drunk in Love”! We’ve also had some awesome opportunities to perform in different places over the past few semesters, including the International Championship of College A Cappella (otherwise known as the ICCAs—think Pitch Perfect!), and the New York City Jazz Festival at Lincoln Center.

This is from the reception after the New York City Jazz Festival Concert!

Here is another group shot of us, also from Jazz at Lincoln Center, with our clinician, Duane Davis!

                       

Although I didn’t join the Hot Notes until the second semester of my freshman year, I immediately realized that not only was I going to be able to keep singing in college, but that I had just gained a membership to the quirkiest, most talented, and most loving family; even as a timid freshman, the group made me feel like one of their own from the very beginning! Now, as a junior and a member of the group’s Executive Board, I know I am privileged to work with such a group of musicians, and proud to call them some of my closest friends!

For more information about the Hot Notes, and upcoming events and performances, check out our Facebook page or look us up on YouTube!