Inspired by glee

Marshall University's Glee Club is rehearsing its show for a performance in late April. But the club is working through the issues of being a new unfunded organization.

"About a month ago, we started this from the very bottom and really don't have any money," said Brittany Cavender, vice president of Glee Club and freshman music education major from St. Albans, W.Va.

Although Glee Club has not been able to fund any trips this semester, student interest in the choir is not an issue, said Jordan Henry, president of Glee Club and freshman music and Spanish education major from Oak Hill, Ohio.

"A lot of the students who come here went to high schools that had show choirs," Henry said. "We thought maybe they would want to continue it here."

The popularity of the Fox television show "Glee" also influenced the creation of the club, Cavender said.

"I definitely think the show has opened peoples' perspectives of show choirs," Cavender said. "The show has so many different types of people in it that I think it helps break down stereotypes."

The make-up of Marshall's Glee Club is also diverse, Henry said.

"The majority of the students are actually not music majors," Henry said. "I feel the diversity of the different majors offers the same spice that the ‘Glee' show offers."

Glee Club offers students a different type of musical ensemble, Henry said.

"Glee clubs offer a more diverse sound, combining movements of the body with voice," Henry said. "There's this uninhibited power of the voice that can be heard through show choirs."

While the club has enough singers, there has been little response to other critical aspects, Henry said.

"We called for instrumentalists and not a lot came out," Henry said. "We're performing A capella this semester and hope to fill the instrumenal slots for next year."

Cavender said the choir is working with the resources it has and depending on the students in the choir to make it successful.

"We have a little under two months to learn and rehearse," Cavender said. "We have members interested in helping with costuming and props, so we're working toward that April show."

Henry said the theme for this semester's show is "Love," and the choir will sing "Somebody to Love" by Queen, "All My Loving" by The Beatles, "Jessie's Girl" by Rick Springfield, "How Sweet It Is" by Marvin Gaye and "Save the Last Dance for Me" by Michael Bublé.

   Erin Shaver can be contacted at shaver29@marshall.edu.