In the Spring of 2016, Suffolk University’s Rampage Show Choir had the amazing opportunity to host the national high school show choir competition FAME in Orlando, Florida. This past year we were invited to do the same in NYC, and are currently preparing for out third FAME in NYC on March 8th. FAME has multiple competitions each year throughout the nation as high school show choirs compete to win. As hosts, Rampage helps to make sure the day goes by smoothly by ushering the student groups around the performance venue, selling merchandise, taking photographs, giving the judges their materials, and lastly, performing at the end of the show. Rampage has been looking forward to taking on this competition again all year, and we have worked countless hours to be performance ready.
Traveling with 14 student members, Rampage has truly become a family on the Suffolk campus. This year the group was flooded with new members, which meant that there was a lot to learn. We were lucky enough to have the talent of alumni and recent graduate Kelsey Whipple to choreograph numbers for our set, as well as Rampage Vice President Julianna Fielding. Each year, Rampage forms a set of about 4 songs to perform. These songs are performed on stage with only seconds in between each one, in similar fashion to what you may have seen on the hit tv show, Glee (however, we do not randomly burst into songs). This year we decided to step up our game by adding a boy/girl number, a combination of Mercy by Shawn Mendes and Love so Soft by Kelly Clarkson. This posed a new challenge as we tried to navigate the logistics of rehearsals, but we are beyond excited to have this new and interesting factor in our show.
In Rampage’s 18 minute set, the group will open with “Maps” by Maroon 5. Being the first song of the year that we learned, it is a solid, and fun song to confidently start off our set with. We then go into an arrangement of “Stronger” from Finding Neverland. This song features four vocalists on the opening verse and is an extremely fun song to perform to. Next comes “Rise Up” by Andra Day, our ballad that includes no dancing. We use this ballad to really highlight the vocal talent in our group. Soloist, Sarah Bishop, opens the song in a beautiful and powerful manner which puts the rest of us in the right mindset to create beautiful music.
After this gorgeous and delicate piece, we take a turn in the opposite direction by bringing in the sass with Mercy/Love so Soft. “Mercy” begins with the ladies exiting the stage, and brings soloist, Junayed Islam, to the front of the stage. Love so Soft comes in with a bang as the ladies enter in a brand new costume, and the men leave to give them their moment to shine. At the end of the song, the men join the ladies once again, and soloist, Molly Ellis, adds an extremely sassy and bold solo to the mix. To end the set, we have a high intensity dance number, Peace and Love Inc. This song is the easiest vocally in the set, but most challenging in terms of dance. However, it is often an audience favorite and is extremely fun for the group to perform.
Rampage will be leaving for NYC in just a few short days, and it would not have been possible without the hard work of its executive board (Charles Tang, Julianna Fielding, Rebecca McAuliffe, Katie Johnson and Carina Fresa), vocal director Kellie Tropeano, and choreographer Kelsey Whipple. This trip will create memories that will last a lifetime, and each of our members will be able to bond into a greater family than we already are.
Check out some of Rampages performances on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtQwvghV5hwkN7Oyh8V1pvA and follow us on social media @suffolkrampage! Stay tuned for videos and photos from our trip to NYC!