Tour Manager of a cappella group the Oxford Commas and Somerville undergraduate, Matt Maclay (PPE, 2016), reports on their upcoming tour to universities across the East Coast of the United States of America.
I have always had a passion for singing and participated in traditional choirs while I was at school. When I came to Oxford in October of last year, I was interested in being part of a more contemporary singing group. I soon discovered the Oxford Commas, an all-male vocal group that formed in 2014 to bring funk, soul and RnB to the flourishing Oxford a cappella scene. I have since thoroughly enjoyed the process of learning to perform a new style of music alongside a great group of students at college bops, formals and at different venues around the city.
This month, we are going to be staying and performing with a cappella groups from American universities including Harvard and Princeton. It will be an incredible opportunity to perfect our performance while learning from some of the finest acts in the home of a cappella music.
As tour manager, I will be organising our shows, accommodation and transport. I have also been responsible for raising funds for the trip through Somerville’s crowdfunding platform. With just two days to go, we have already reached our £5,500 minimum and if we reach our target of £7,500 we can ensure that all transportation, accommodation and food costs will be covered. Further funds will go towards producing and releasing our first ever EP.
We have been overwhelmed by the generousity of our community. Support at all levels goes a long way to helping student projects, and the Somerville crowdfunding platform is a great tool for current students to help make their initiatives a reality.
For more information, please visit : https://spsr.me/BdXK