The Chordials

The Chordials
The Cornell Chordials performing at Cocktail Hour XIII on April 16th, 2010
Background information
Origin	Cornell University in Ithaca, New York
Genres	Collegiate a cappella, Pop, Rock and Roll, Soul, R & B, Country
Years active	1997–present
Website	www.chordials.com
Members	President: Grace Becker '17 Musical Director: Abby Lederman '17 Asst. Musical Director: Dedzidi Ladzekpo '16 Business Manager: Rocco Recce '17 Secretary: Simon Wu '19 Publicity Managers: Eric Lippin '16 and Brigid Lucey '18 Alumni Relations: Brigid Lucey '18 Webmaster: Rocco Recce '17 Ryan Vega '18 Nellie Congdon '19 Anita Alur '17 Ben Salinas '18

The Chordials are a co-ed a cappella group at Cornell University that perform a mix of rock, soul, R&B, and pop music.

History

The Cornell Chordials were founded in 1997 by a group of Cornell students, including founder Elana Wolff ('01), Music Director Dennis Chow ('99), President Anand Swaminathan ('99), and Business Manager Amanda Stahl ('99). The group has traveled and performed in many venues across the northeast, including at Penn State, Haverford, Rutgers, Muhlenberg, RPI, Johns Hopkins,^[1] Rochester, Buffalo, New York City, Martha's Vineyard, the Ithaca area, as well as many venues on the Cornell University campus.

Over the years, the Chordials have had anywhere from six to eighteen members, and they had 13 active members as of the summer of 2010. Every year since 1998 the group has produced at least one major concert, including their annual "Cocktail Hour" concert in the spring semester. Their annual fall concert is titled "Crunkapella". Throughout their time at Cornell University, the Chordials have maintained a varied repertoire including such songs as Sam Sparro's "Black and Gold", Carrie Underwood's "Cowboy Casanova, and Róisín Murphy's "Ramalama (Bang Bang)." Through their regional performances and their several album releases, the Chordials have become a well-known exemplar of the collegiate a cappella genre.

The group produced their first album Shaken... Not Stirred in the spring of 1999. The album features songs such as "Come on Eileen" and "Killing Me Softly." The group's second album Not For Minors premiered in the fall of 2002, with songs including Sarah McLachlan's song "Angel" and Madonna's "Like a Prayer", which is now the Chordials' official alumni song. Their third album, The Third Chapter, features renditions of "Echo" by Incubus, Gladys Knight's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", and "One Sweet Day" as recorded by Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey.

In 2001, the group made its debut at the ICCA (International Championship of College A Cappella) quarterfinals in Rochester, NY, during which member Gabi Kornfeld ('04) received the award for Best Vocalist for her performance of "Angel." In subsequent years, the group received additional awards at the ICCA including Best Choreography, Best Soloist, Best Arrangement, and Best Percussion. In 2004, the Chordials became ICCA Finalists, placing third at the ICCA Finals in New York City's Town Hall Theater (ICCA Website).^[2]

The group's fourth album, Arrival, was released on April 14, 2007 at their tenth anniversary concert "Cocktail Hour X".^[3] It was recorded and produced by alumnus James Cannon ('07), via his production company "The Panic Room." Arrival features complex arrangements of songs from the catalogs of artists such as Puddle of Mudd, Snow Patrol, Nine Inch Nails, and others. At the concert, the Chordials celebrated their first-ever appearance on the annual Best of College A Cappella (BOCA) album for their rendition of Nickelback's "Photograph". Arrival also went on to win the 2007 acaTunes Award for their cover of "Let Me Entertain You," featuring soloist Rebecca Urbelis ('08). The album became a Recorded A Cappella Review Board (RARB) Pick of the Year in 2007.

In 2008, the Chordials were nominated for the Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARAs) for the first time in their history. Arrival was nominated for all four awards in the Mixed Collegiate categories, including Best Song (nominated), Best Soloist (runner-up), Best Arrangement (winner), and Best Album (winner).

In December 2006 and 2007, the Chordials embarked on a week-long "Winter Tour" across the southern regions of New York State and northern New Jersey, focusing on giving performances and educational musical workshops at high schools across the region. In March 2009, The Chordials toured the southern regions of New York State yet again, as well as parts of western Connecticut.

In 2008, the Chordials released their fifth studio album, titled Smash, produced by alumni James Cannon ('07) and Ari Goldman ('09). This album, like Arrival, was nominated for all eligible categories in the Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARAs), and the album was also chosen as a Recorded A Cappella Review Board (RARB) Pick of the Year. The City Is At War, originally performed by Cobra Starship was featured on the Best of College A Cappella CD in 2009.

The Chordials went on their first international tour in June 2008. It was a sponsored trip around Germany in support of The Foundation for Women's Health, Research and Development, an organization which focuses on the prevention of female genital mutilation. The group performed over a ten-day period throughout Germany at private events, schools, castles, and in the streets of Frankfurt.

Over the summer of 2010, the Chordials traveled to Martha's Vineyard for a four-day summer tour and retreat. The group performed at the West Chop Club.

Shake The Poet, the Chordials' first EP was released at their Fall concert, "Crunkapella" on November 14, 2009. The album was mixed and mastered by Steve Goldman of "Four Legs Records." Since its release, the six track EP has won Best Mixed Collegiate Song, Best Mixed Collegiate Soloist, and it was the runner up for Best Mixed Collegiate Album in the Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARA). "Use Somebody" was featured as the opening track on the 2010 Best of College A Cappella (BOCA) Compilation CD. Shake the Poet was chosen as a CASA Top Ten Mixed Collegiate Album Pick of the Year, and their cover of Ramalama (Bang Bang) was chosen to be featured on Sing VII: Lucky.

Their seventh studio recording, PULSE, was released on April 29, 2011 at Cocktail Hour XIV.

Recent events

In the Summer of 2013, the Chordials released The Shadow Aspect.

Awards

Year	Presenter	Award	Result
2001	ICCA Mid-Atlantic Quarterfinal	Best soloist	Winner, (Gabi Kornfeld)[4]
2002	ICCA Mid-Atlantic Quarterfinal	Best choreography	Winner, (Randi Dublin and Jay Legaspi)
2003	ICCA Mid-Atlantic Quarterfinal	Overall	3rd place
		Best soloist	Runner-up, (Jay Legaspi)[5]
2004	ICCA Northeastern Quarterfinal	Overall	1st place
		Best arrangement	Winner, (Sam Coffin)
		Best choreography	Winner, (Jay Legaspi, Jackie Pribil, Felicia Williams)
		Best vocal percussion	Winner, (Jay Legaspi)
	ICCA Northeastern Semifinal	Overall	1st place
		Best choreography	Winner, (Jay Legaspi, Jackie Pribil, Felicia Williams)
		Best soloist	Winner, (Felicia Williams)
	ICCA Finals	Overall	3rd place[6]
2007	acaTunes Awards 2007	Favorite Tracks of the Year	"Let Me Entertain You" opb. Robbie Williams
	BOCA (Best of College A Cappella)	BOCA	"Photograph" opb. Nickelback
	RARB Picks	Pick of the Year	"Arrival"
2008	CARAs (Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards)	Best Mixed Collegiate Album	Winner, (Arrival)
		Best Mixed Collegiate Arrangement	Winner, (Brian Tarpinian - "Photograph")
		Best Mixed Collegiate Soloist	Runner-up, (Rebecca Urbelis - "Farther Away")
		Best Mixed Collegiate Song	Nominated, ("Swing Low, Sweet Chariot")
2009	BOCA (Best of College A Cappella)	BOCA	"The City Is at War" opb. Cobra Starship
	CARAs (Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards)	Best Mixed Collegiate Album	Runner Up, (Smash)
		Best Mixed Collegiate Arrangement	Nominated, (Ari Goldman - "The Moment I Said It")
		Best Mixed Collegiate Soloist	Nominated, (Billy Ferguson - "Love Me Dead")
		Best Mixed Collegiate Song	Nominated, ("Love Me Dead")
	CASA	SING V: Groovus	"The Moment I Said It" opb. Imogen Heap
	RARB Picks	Pick of the Year	"Smash"
2010	BOCA (Best of College A Cappella)	BOCA	"Use Somebody" opb. Kings of Leon
	CARAs (Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards)	Best Mixed Collegiate Album	Runner Up, (Shake the Poet)
		Best Mixed Collegiate Soloist	Winner, (Ariel Arbisser - "Cold Shoulder")
		Best Mixed Collegiate Song	Winner, ("Ramalama (Bang Bang)")
	CASA Top Ten Mixed Collegiate Album Picks 2010	Top Ten Mixed Collegiate Album Picks (Pick of the Year)	"Shake the Poet"
	CASA A Cappella Community Awards[7]	Favorite Collegiate Album	Runner Up, (Shake The Poet)
		Favorite Female Vocalist	Runner Up, (Ariel Arbisser)
		Favorite Mixed Collegiate Group	Nominated, (The Chordials)
		Favorite A Cappella Album Title	Nominated, (Shake The Poet)
		Favorite A Cappella Song	Nominated, (Ramalama (Bang Bang))
		Favorite Gender Bender Song/Solo	Nominated, (Cold Shoulder)
		Favorite Cutting Edge Group	Nominated, (The Chordials)
	CASA	SING 7: Lucky	"Ramalama (Bang Bang)" opb. Róisín Murphy
2011	CASA	SING 8: Too Cubed	"Cosmic Love" opb. Florence + the Machine
	Voices Only	Voices Only 2011	"What's a Girl Gotta Do?" opb. Basement Jaxx
2012	CARAs (Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards)	Best Mixed Collegiate Album	Nominated, (Pulse)
		Best Mixed Collegiate Soloist	Nominated, (Billy Ferguson - "Touch")
		Best Mixed Collegiate Song	Nominated, ("Cosmic Love")
	Voices Only	Voices Only 2012	"Sincerely, Jane" opb. Janelle Monáe
	RARB Picks	Pick of the Year	Pulse
		Song of the Year	"Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" opb. The Temptations
			"Sincerely, Jane" obp. Janelle Monáe
2013	ICCA Mid-Atlantic Quarterfinal	Outstanding Soloist	Winner, Jay Grollman ("Lies")
		Overall	1st Place
	ICCA Mid-Atlantic Semifinal	Outstanding Soloist	Winner, Jay Grollman ("Lies")
		Overall	1st Place
	ICCA Finals	Overall	3rd Place

Albums

Shaken, Not Stirred (1999)

1. One Fine Day
2. She Has A Girlfriend Now
3. That Lonesome Road
4. Independent Love Song
5. Return to Innocence
6. In the Still of the Night
7. Heaven
8. Sweet Surrender
9. Come on Eileen
10. And So It Goes
11. Come Go with Me
12. Killing Me Softly
13. Take on Me
14. Trippin' Billies
15. Dream

Not For Minors (2002)

1. Spiderwebs
2. The Lion Sleeps Tonight
3. Like a Prayer
4. Kate
5. Landslide
6. The Longest Time
7. Black Balloon
8. Linger
9. Bed of Lies
10. What a Feeling
11. With Arms Wide Open
12. Angel

The Third Chapter (2005)

1. All For Leyna/I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight
2. Bright Lights
3. Echo
4. Precious Things
5. I Heard It Through the Grapevine
6. Center of Attention
7. I'll Be Okay
8. Love You Madly
9. One Sweet Day
10. Alegria
11. You And I Both
12. Paper Bag
13. Please Don't Go
14. One By One/Circle of Life

Arrival (2007)

1. Let Me Entertain You
2. This Is How A Heart Breaks
3. Blurry
4. Breathe In
5. Farther Away
6. Chasing Cars
7. Who Knew
8. Waiting For You
9. Perfect Drug
10. Photograph
11. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

Smash (2008)

1. Never Again
2. The City Is at War
3. Black and Gold
4. Nothin' Better to Do
5. Lithium
6. The Bird and the Worm
7. Die Alone
8. Sweep the Leg
9. Someone Else's Tomorrow
10. Mercy on Me
11. Love Me Dead
12. The Moment I Said It

Shake the Poet (2009)

1. Use Somebody
2. Cold Shoulder
3. God Put A Smile On Your Face
4. Ramalama (Bang Bang)
5. Decode
6. Soon We'll Be Found

Pulse (2011)

1. Sweet Disposition
2. Sincerely, Jane
3. The Other Side
4. Touch
5. What's a Girl Gotta Do
6. Rolling in the Deep
7. Smile for the Paparazzi
8. Papa Was a Rollin' Stone
9. Skipping Stone
10. Pantomime
11. Cosmic Love

Digital singles (2013)

1. Lights
2. Barton Hollow

The Shadow Aspect (2013)

1. Lights
2. Plain Gold Ring
3. Save Me
4. Lost in the World
5. Face of Light
6. Barton Hollow
7. Bizness
8. Lies
9. Too Close
10. My Kind of Love
11. The Cave
12. The Light
13. Nothing But the Water

See also

• Cornell University
• Collegiate a cappella

References

1. "A cappella scene boasts variety" in The Johns Hopkins News-Letter (9 December 2005) accessed 5 May 2007
2. "Chordials Compete" in The Cornell Daily Sun Online (6 May 2004) accessed 5 May 2007
3. "Chordials celebrate ten years of Cocktail Hour" in The Cornell Daily Sun Online (20 April 2007) accessed 5 May 2007
4. "Previous Results, ICCA & ICHSA". Varsity Vocals. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
5. "Previous Results, ICCA and ICHSA". Varsity Vocals. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
6. "Previous Results, ICCA and ICHSA". Varsity Vocals. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
7. http://www.casa.org/aca2010w

External links

• Main website
• YouTube channel