Members of Tones of Gold perform their AI-themed set at ICCA quarterfinals in Orlando, where they earned a place for the first time in over five years. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE/KAITLYN GRAULICH

For members of Tones of Gold A Cappella Ensemble, this semester has been about more than choreography and clean harmonies — it has been about proving growth.

The all-gender a cappella group placed third in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella quarterfinals in Orlando on Jan. 31, marking the first time the group has placed in the championship since 2020.

Emanuele Borroni, a senior marketing major and member of Tones of Gold, said the group’s placement in the championship was surprising, but deserved.

“We did not expect it at all,” Borroni said. “When they called our name, it was crazy. We have been working so hard, and it finally paid off.”

The ICCA is divided into regional rounds, where 10 collegiate groups compete for a chance to advance to the semifinals in Durham, North Carolina, and, later, the finals in New York City.

Although Tones of Gold did not move on to the semifinals, Borroni said the group’s placement in the quarterfinals signals progress.

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Kaitlyn Graulich, a junior psychology and music performance major, is the vice president of Tones of Gold.

Graulich said this year’s competition set was “intentionally different.”

Each group competing in the ICCA has a set amount of time to perform, but the length of each song and song picks are left to the group to decide, she said.

Graulich said Tones of Gold moved against the traditional three-song ICCA format to perform five shorter pieces with “seamless transitions.”

“We wanted something cohesive and meaningful,” Graulich said. “So we built everything around a human versus AI theme.”

The five-song set included “Inhale” by RÜFÜS DU SOL, “Headlock” by Imogen Heap, “COPYCAT” by Billie Eilish, “Deeper Understanding” by Kate Bush and “On and On” by Djo.

Graulich said these songs fit the human versus AI theme because of the key lyric and sound elements within them.
“Some of the sound elements almost felt mechanical, which worked perfectly for the AI concept,” she said.

She said Tones of Gold members dressed in black represented humans, while members in white symbolized AI. 

An opening monologue for the quarterfinals introduced the theme, and the group then transitioned into a performance that reflected the tension between technology and identity, she said. 

Graulich said she helped select the songs in May and arranged three of them by ear, layering each vocal part before transferring the arrangements into sheet music.

“I didn’t want to bore the audience,” Graulich said. “I wanted something engaging.”

She said other Tones of Gold members arranged the remaining pieces of the setlist for the championship.

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Graulich said Tones of Gold’s preparation for the championship began long before the competition season arrived.

Efforts to prepare and fine-tune performances span the entire academic year, with members dedicating months to refining music, movement and overall quality before taking the stage.
“We start deciding what songs we’re going to do and arranging them in the summer,” Graulich said.

Additionally, the group rehearses twice a week in two-hour sessions to choreograph, strengthen vocals and perfect the performance, she said.

But balancing rehearsals, jobs, other extracurriculars and classes can be “hard,” Borroni said.

“We’re constantly working on improving,” Borroni said. “So when we placed, it felt like all of our rehearsals really paid off.”

Graulich said another challenge was that the championship was held two weeks earlier than usual, leaving Tones of Gold with less time to prepare during winter break. 

“We only had two weeks after getting back from break, and we still had to get all the choreography together,” she said.

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Borroni said several members of the group were sick with influenza in the days leading up to the performance. Still, he said they managed to power through to perform to the best of their ability. 

The placement in the championship has shifted the group’s mindset from proving themselves to continuing greatness, Borroni said.

“Now we know it is achievable,” he said. “It brings more excitement and more dedication for next year.”

Graulich said Tones of Gold’s placement in the ICCA provides validation for the group’s hard work and determination to succeed. 

“USF is sometimes looked down upon for the arts, but I think we’re underrated,” Graulich said.