Student choir sings backup for Kenny Loggins

By Brittany Benjamin

Only a year after they founded Supertonic, a student-led a cappella ensemble choir, singers' fantasies of performing came true when they sang on stage with Kenny Loggins.

For their Feb. 9 performance at the 42nd Annual Golden Circle Theatre Party, Supertonic was scheduled to open for Kenny Loggins, probably best known to students for singing two contributions to the "Top Gun" soundtrack, "Danger Zone" and "Playing with the Boys," or the "Flashdance" theme.

But when the group arrived at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts for a 4 p.m. sound check, a member of Kenny Loggins' tour asked the group if they would be interested in also singing backup during Loggins' set.

The ensemble opened with three of their own songs and then performed alongside Kenny Loggins during his own set.

"I've never felt so famous in my entire life," said soprano Jessica Guilardi. "Anybody who gets that opportunity is lucky, and I feel so thankful."

"There's no way to describe the natural high you feel when you're performing with somebody like that," added mezzo-soprano Jessica Long. "It was just incredible."

After this event, it's hard to believe that the ensemble was only founded fall quarter last school year. The idea originated with alumnus Christopher Ng, who graduated in 2005.

During Ng's time at Santa Clara, Choral Pleasure was the only on-campus student a cappella chorus. As students graduated, the group slowly died. Ng tried to resurrect the group during his senior year and had no success.

It was only last year when he suggested the idea again to Thomas Colohan, a professor in the music department. Colohan advertised the idea to his choir classes, and Supertonic was born.

The original ensemble included eight members. Since two of these members studied abroad during fall quarter, two more members were recruited.

Today, Supertonic's members include Christopher Ng, sophomore Michael Hayes, juniors Gina DiRado, Jessica Long, Jessica Guilardi, Haley Deakers, Mike Patton, Matthew Peterson and seniors Katie Brennan and Jayce Kaiser.

"It's an odd mix of people," said bass Hayes. The group consists of students majoring in diverse fields, such as engineering, music, psychology, business and chemistry. "The one thing that all falls together is that we all love music."

The singers named themselves Supertonic after the musical term given to the second note of a musical chord.

Supertonic is entirely student-governed, without any direct faculty arrangement or composing.

"Everybody is very proud of the fact that we're student-run," Ng said.

Ng arranges the music by listening to a song on repeat until he is able to translate the sound he hears into sheet music.

While Ng claims it's easier than it sounds, other choir members praise him for his talents.

"He's a genius, but he won't admit it ever," Guilardi said.

Because most of their music comes directly from songs the ensemble members have heard from the radio, Supertonic mostly performs contemporary and pop songs.

It ranges anywhere from Disney songs, to oldies, to pop groups like Something Corporate.

"It's a very different style of music," said Hayes. "In choir you're singing stuff that is hundreds of years old, and this gives you an opportunity to sing stuff that is new and popular."

To date, Supertonic has performed at the Santa Clara Relay for Life, Music at Noon, in a holiday performance in Benson and even in front of University President Paul Locatelli, S.J.

While the group has no performances in the immediate future, they say that they have had a couple of offers for gigs in the future.

"The general idea is there is no restriction to what we sing," Hayes said. "There is no style of music that we feel that we can't take on."

Contact Brittany Benjamin at (408) 551-1918 or brbenjamin@scu.edu.