Formation 2003 Active from 2003 Record label Noteworthy | Type Theatre group Membership 9 Genre Easy listening | |
 | ||
Albums no fella a cappella, A Noteworthy Noel: Live! on Lakeshore, A Noteworthy Christmas, Ahhh Cappella in the D - EP Similar Vocal Point, BYU choirs, Young Ambassadors, McKay Crockett, Beelzebubs Profiles | ||
BYU Noteworthy is a nine-member, female a cappella group based in Provo, Utah, United States. All members attend Brigham Young University and are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They appeared on the first season of NBC's a cappella competition reality show The Sing-Off in 2009.
Contents
Historical highlights
Noteworthy was founded in 2003 by a student named Esther Yoder. She consulted with co-founder and then director of Vocal Point, Bob Ahlander, and recruited Vocal Point members Dave Brown and Dan Dunn to help create the new group. February 1, 2004 marked the formation of the first group of nine Noteworthy ladies.
Noteworthy performed in the West Coast A Cappella Showcase at UC Berkeley, at a Utah Jazz game, and competed in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA). In the Semifinal round, Noteworthy placed second in the West region, and Yoder received the award for Most Outstanding Vocal Percussion.
The group recorded its debut album, On the Horizon, and performed in the third annual Vocal Point / Noteworthy joint concert. They again competed at the ICCA and placed second to BYU's Vocal Point in the Quarterfinal round. Noteworthy member Camille Hancock won the award for Most Outstanding Choreography.
Noteworthy released their debut album On the Horizon. A Bulgarian track on the album, "Kaval Sviri," was nominated for a Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award (CARA) in the best female collegiate song category.
The group again competed in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella. They took first place in the Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and the Final round of the competition at the Lincoln Center in New York City, making them the 2007 International Champions. Director Catherine Papworth received the Most Outstanding Arrangement Award for "How Great Thou Art" in both the Quarterfinal and Semifinal rounds. Member Kristin Papworth received the award for Most Outstanding Choreography for Noteworthy's full set in the Finals round.
Noteworthy was featured in a story for NBC Sports and piece in BYU Magazine. The group competed again at the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella and advanced to the Semifinal round, placing Noteworthy among the top groups in the west region. Noteworthy unveiled their revamped website in 2007, designed by group member Nabby Parkinson. The group tracked its second album, Green Means Go, produced by Catherine Papworth.
The ladies toured parts of California and appeared on a web series, JER3MIAH. The group's second album Green Means Go was released in April 2009. It features songs from their 2007 International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella championship set.
"Listen," a cover track from Green Means Go was selected to appear on the Best of Collegiate A Cappella (BOCA) compilation for 2010. Noteworthy was contacted by producers at NBC and asked to be one of eight groups across the nation to appear on NBC's a cappella competition reality show The Sing-Off. The show debuted on NBC on December 14, 2009. Noteworthy was eliminated in the second episode on December 15, 2009.
After performing on The Sing-Off, Noteworthy went on to compete in the ICCA quarter finals in Eugene, Oregon, where they took first place and the award for Outstanding Choreography, Outstanding Soloist, Outstanding Arrangement, and Outstanding Vocal Percussion.
Noteworthy's third album was released in December 2010, titled Defined. The CD received four Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award (CARA) nominations, Best Scholastic Original Song, Best Female Collegiate Album, Best Female Collegiate Solo, and Best Female Collegiate Arrangement. The group also reunited with their former Sing-Off competitors, the Beelzebubs, in Orlando, Florida to perform at the MD Anderson Cancer Center benefit concert.
Noteworthy performed in two joint concerts with the Whiffenpoofs of Yale while the ensemble was on tour in Utah. Noteworthy again competed in the ICCA, taking first place at the Quarterfinal in Eugene, Oregon. The group performed the National Anthem for Real Salt Lake's home-game season opener and launched a new website.
Former members Amy Whitcomb and Laina Walker were featured on the third season of NBC's TV Show The Sing-Off with a group called Delilah.
Noteworthy made its first YouTube music video and began producing MP3 singles. The group was featured on a 40-minute segment of BYU Radio's Highway 89, and performed at BYU's annual Unforum assembly.
Former member Amy Whitcomb appeared on the fourth season of The Voice, where she was eliminated in the knockout rounds.
Noteworthy released a new album, "Unbound" and two more music videos and MP3 singles. The group performed live on KZHT, as well as Utah News Station KUTV 2News. Noteworthy competed in the ICCA (International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella) and placed 10th in the competition. On April 12, 2014, alumni traveled to Provo for a 10-Year Anniversary Concert, which included performances by the current Noteworthy group as well as past generations. Noteworthy participated in a YouTube collaboration with Stuart Edge, Peter Hollens, and Vocal Point: "Kiss the Girl in Real Life." The group performed as an opener for Home Free, the Season 4 winning group of NBC's "The Sing-Off," on Memorial Day in Orem, Utah.
Today
In Fall 2014 Noteworthy was officially accepted as part of BYU Performing Arts. Noteworthy has been accepted as a class through BYU. They are working on releasing another album within the next few years. A new music video is also in the works and will be released sometime next year.
Discography
Albums:
Singles:
Songs
Girls Just Wanna Play Poker2010
Deck the HallA Noteworthy Christmas · 2010
Sing a Song of Merry ChristmasA Noteworthy Christmas · 2010