Musical enthusiasts often find themselves enthralled in the diversity of a cappella on Grounds, with 17 organizations embodying the holistic nature of the art form. Within this amalgamation of styles, backgrounds and genres, one group reimagines what a cappella can be — ReMix.
Founded in 2005, ReMix is described as “UVA's one and only hip-hop and R&B acapella group.” The group provides a platform for students to experiment with new sounds in a cappella by diverting from the traditions and norms of the art form in both content of the performance and structure of the organization. Through this mission, ReMix becomes a place where individuals from a wide diversity of backgrounds are able to find a community. In turn, students are able to bring both their singing ability and identity to the table when performing.
University acapella groups typically perform songs from a variety of genres, such as country, rock, pop and more. But with a focus on solely hip-hop and R&B, ReMix centers styles of music that Black people have historically innovated and dominated — reshaping the acapella sound at a school with a history of homogeneity and racial discrimination. Addisyn “Addi” Winston, co-president of ReMix and third-year College student, described what makes ReMix meaningful to herself and others.
“We serve as a different sector of the acapella world, and we love that we get to be a part of it. And also we serve as a place in the a capella world where a lot of people of multiracial, multicultural groups often find a home. It's a really proud place for me to be a part of, and it's definitely become my family here at UVA,” Winston said.
Differentiating themselves from the norms of an a cappella organization, ReMix makes creating arrangements a collaborative process. Traditionally, the music director within an a cappella group is solely responsible for guiding the rehearsals and selecting the songs. However, ReMix focuses on incorporating the musical perspectives of the group at large during the rehearsals.
“There's always some idea that someone has that we will most likely end up keeping in performance … whether it's a note, whether it's an ad-lib”, Winston said. “Everyone in the group is extremely creative and extremely different. So there's always stuff getting added throughout practice into a song.”
This innovative and creative spirit is present in ReMix’s song selections as well. This semester, the organization has been gearing up for the 20th anniversary celebration April 18th. The concert — of which the title is yet to be announced — centers around the ubiquity and prominence of the genre of hip-hop around the world in a collaborative effort with ideologically similar groups around Grounds.
“We based our song list on various versions of R&B and hip-hop with artists who are from different areas of the world,” Denaud said. “We are also going to reach out to other multicultural groups, like Afro-Hoos or X-Tasee as well, to be a part of this world tour performance.”
By creating the means for members to hone their identity and creativity through their music, ReMix strives to provide a platform for members to find their learning about each others’ communities. Winston relayed how ReMix helps navigate identity in the University — a predominantly white institution — promoting a creative medium to help students discover their niche in a multicultural space by sharing their identity.
“I just knew that I didn't want to feel so alone when I came into a PWI and I definitely wanted to find like my people, my culture”, Winston said. “But when I joined ReMix, I not only found a niche part of my own community, but of so many other different communities.”
Dee Dee Denaud, musical director of ReMix and second-year College student, reminisced about what drove her decision to join ReMix.
“What inspired me to join ReMix … was the different perspectives not just culturally, but also in how people hear music," Denaud said. “My perspective of listening to … different parts of a song and what we can include into a cappella form might be different from Addi's perspective of what she's heard in the same song.”
In the future, the organization hopes to continue to build upon its mission by collaborating with other clubs that promote identity and belonging.
“We just want to continue collaborating with other organizations, especially organizations that show off your culture, show off your identity, show off who you are, because that's what ReMix is about, bringing your identity to the stage and bringing it together under the music of hip-hop and R&B,” Winston said.
More information about ReMix can be found on their Instagram. As an opportunity to display the creative talents of the group, ReMix will host their anniversary concert at the University Chapel April 18.
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