Making their voices heard

As the stage lights settled on the members of UC Irvine’s Morse Coda group for their debut performance in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella West quarterfinal, in Downey, they began to harmonize, opening their set with a rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Filling the auditorium with song, their unaccompanied voices melded together, establishing the team’s place in the a cappella world.

“Every time we perform, we tell a story,” says second-year philosophy major Eunice Lau, president of Morse Coda. “The creativity that comes with a cappella allows us to create something truly thought-provoking through our songs and choreography.”

Her a cappella journey at UC Irvine began in another group, VocaLotus, founded in 2020. Enamored by the experience, Lau created Morse Coda alongside Tsega Tatek, a sophomore in biological sciences, at the beginning of this academic year to give more students the opportunity to delve into a cappella – music performed using only one’s voice.

“Like every other group on campus, we are passionate about creating music and singing,” she says. “But performing groups are small, and not everyone who auditions makes it. Creating Morse Coda, I wanted more people to be able to be a part of this.”

Entering the UC Irvine a cappella scene, Morse Coda received a warm welcome. Shannon Bain, president of VocaLotus, says the campus a cappella community aims to foster a sense of kinship that extends beyond the individual teams. (Some students even perform in multiple a cappella groups – including Lau and Tatek, who sing with VocaLotus as well as Morse Coda.)

“Music and the arts in general give students a chance to move past the rigor of academics,” Bain says. “It’s a space for them to express themselves and connect with people who share similar interests.”

The groups perform at events like Celebrate UCI and a cappella showcases throughout the academic year and also organize socials. However, their focal point is the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella, which takes place during the winter quarter.

“Our competition season is all about coming together with a shared vision,” says Bain, a second-year business administration and political science student. “We have to ask ourselves what kind of sound we want to create and then work with our music directors and choreographers to make it happen. It’s all student-run.”

This year, six of UC Irvine’s a cappella groups were selected to compete at the ICCA West quarterfinals. While only the top two groups from each quarterfinal round advanced to semifinals, UC Irvine a cappella dominated the podiums. Morse Coda placed first in the Downey quarterfinal, and VocaLotus and Aerodynamix won second and third, respectively, at the Pomona quarterfinal.

“It was a surreal moment, knowing that all of our hard work paid off,” Bain says. “We went out there and represented.”

Their work continued at the ICCA West semifinal in Redwood City, where both Morse Coda and VocaLotus performed against international a cappella groups as well as those from across the West. Morse Coda won third place, becoming the first UC Irvine group to place at semifinals. Members Tsega Tatek and Adwik Chaturvedi were also honored as Outstanding Soloist and Outstanding Vocal Percussion, respectively.

“I’m so proud to be a part of Morse Coda,” Lau says. “In the beginning, no one knew who we were, and we doubted ourselves at times. But before every performance, Tsega, our music director, would tell us ‘This may be our last time being able to tell this story,’ and we’d carry that with us. When they announced our name, it was just overwhelming joy.”

While only the first-place team advanced to finals, both Lau and Bain say that Morse Coda and VocaLotus making the top 10 ICCA West performing groups is a testament to the dedication of each vocalist and the passion they pour into every project.

Looking forward, the two presidents hold a positive outlook on the future of a cappella at UC Irvine and hope to continue providing others with a space to grow as vocalists and as a community.

“We want to do better every year to build a legacy that will live on,” Lau says. “My biggest hope is to come back in 20 years and see Morse Coda thriving and living up to household names in a cappella.”

Bain adds: “There’s a level of harmony, literally and metaphorically. Being a part of VocaLotus has helped me find a home at UCI. As we continue to expand, I want to be able to give that experience to others too.”