The Mercer Bearitones acapella club on campus is in recording sessions for their first album. The student singing group has been meeting three times a week to record their voices since February.
The entirely student-produced album is set to release at the beginning of the Fall 2018 semester.
“It's been on the wish list since we started,” said Mercer senior and group co-founder Zach Smith. The acapella group is now in their third year.
Since beginning the project, the student ensemble will put in a total of 76 hours of singing time.
The upcoming work will feature 11 songs from popular music with original arrangements by Smith.
“It’s crazy to me to think that we will be on Spotify and other people could potentially be listening to us,” said Mercer senior and Bearitones president Mary Marudas.
Marudas said that she and Smith often spend time listening to other collegiate acapella groups from around the country.
She said she is excited that the Bearitones will soon be included with schools who have professionally produced and published tracks.
With five seniors preparing to graduate, the group founders wanted to leave Bearitones with a legacy.
“It seemed like something impossible,” said Marudas reflecting.
However, Smith said the student singers have the talent.
Mason Mishael, the club’s secretary, has the technical knowledge.
It seems this year is the perfect time to produce an album.
Mishael is a junior technical communications major at Mercer. Through his connections in the engineering building, he was able to get permission for the Bearitones to use the engineering department sound lab.
According to MIshael, the sound lab is a quiet room with quality equipment for recording audio.
“We’ve got a good technical leg up,” said Mishael.
As of now, 60 percent of the vocal recording has already been completed.
The last note is planned to be sung in the lab on April 27.
Mishael and Smith will then take turns editing the voices together in post-production.
Funding for the start-up came through an online campaign on gofundme.com.
The Bearitones were able to fundraise the needed 350 dollars for the album’s CDs.
“It’s cheap because we have so many talented people in the group,” Marudas said.
Album artwork is being created by Mercer student Emma Williams.
As the group continues to rehearse three days-a-week, they enjoy time with one another while cracking jokes and making music.
The Mercer Bearitones are a family.
The excitement for the album is all through the air of the rehearsal room.
“It’s something I’m really going to be proud of,” Mishael said. “It’s definitely a milestone.”
The group is a creative outlet for non-music majors, according to Marudas. Only four of the Beartones are actually music majors.
The group is welcoming to new members who are intrigued by what they are doing.
Smith said he hopes this experience and upcoming album opens a new avenue for Mercer students.
“I hope (the album) becomes infectious to inspire others on Mercer’s campus to fulfill their own projects,” Smith said.