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Harmony hit

Story by Cortney Krauss, Comm '11 | Photo by Scott Campbell

Marquette University's latest singing sensation, the Gold N' Blues, has such an electrifying presence on campus it seems almost impossible the group was formed only three years ago by two freshmen in the basement of McCormick Hall. But perhaps it is their unlikely beginning that set the stage for astonishing success. Sixty people auditioned for the Gold N' Blues last year, and the group recently recorded its first album, Gold N' Blues: Go For Broke.

"There is a contagious energy fostered between group members," says Hilary Braseth, one of the group's founders. "It is a group that is incredibly passionate about what we do. The level of dedication exhibited by nearly everyone is why we are able to do exactly what we do."

A cappella music is typically made up of 6 to 20 voices which are used to imitate the sounds of instruments and to create the accompaniment, says Braseth, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. When she arrived at Marquette in the fall of 2007, the only a cappella group on campus was all male. Seeing the opportunity to make a mark, Braseth and six other singers, all freshmen at the time, laid the foundation for the Gold N' Blues. To promote themselves, group members performed whenever and wherever possible: the Brew Bayou open mic nights, the McCormick Hall cafeteria, impromptu and organized concerts around campus.

"To be able to see the evolution of the Gold N' Blues has been totally unbelievable and it is landslides beyond what I could have ever imagined," Braseth says. "The group has transcended itself. It has become its own identity."

The Gold N' Blues has since added an impressive amount of gigs to its performance résumé, including Harmony for Hope, the group's annual concert for charity, which attracted a crowd of 400 last year and raised over $3,000 for earthquake relief in Chile and Haiti; Autumn Hues with the Gold N' Blues, a concert that raised funds for its CD; singing for Father Wild, a favorite of the group; performing its original arrangement of the National Anthem twice at  Milwaukee Bucks games; and the Diederich College of Communication's 100th anniversary party at the Milwaukee Public Museum. The group will also perform at Marquette's 2011 commencement ceremony at the Bradley Center.

Although the group can appeal to almost any audience with its diverse song library, crowd favorites include Shark in the Water, Secrets, Africa, Come on Eileen and Sweet Dreams.

The Gold N' Blues' album release in May perfectly coincides with Braseth's final month at Marquette. Her graduation from Marquette marks the end of the first generation of Gold N' Blues, but she is confident the group has a bright future.

"Our society is beginning to recognize a cappella as a genre. The Gold N' Blues has incredible ideas and is not afraid to pursue them," she says. "The future of the group is up to the current members, but whatever it is, with their level of determination, dedication and creativity, I know it will be big."

See a clip of the group performing during this year's Mission Week: