This post was updated June 1 at 11:36 p.m.

Correction: The original version of this article incorrectly stated that 13 acts and the comedy troupe Company were meant to participate in Spring Sing. In fact, it was 12 acts and Company. 

Editor’s note: Some interviews were conducted prior to the event’s cancellation.

Like a flower through a rainstorm, the Spring Sing spirit lives on.

An annual tradition, the performance-based competition was initially slated to take place at the Los Angeles Tennis Center on May 17. Following a mass cancellation of on-campus events in the wake of the forceful police sweep and attack on the Palestine solidarity encampment in Dickson Plaza, the Student Alumni Association and its parent organization, the UCLA Alumni Association, announced the event would no longer proceed as scheduled. In an internal document obtained by The Bruin, the organizers stated this decision was a result of safety concerns from law enforcement.

In its place, the majority of the 12 acts and Company participated in an SAA-led digital compilation. Just over an hour long, the video was released via a live premiere on the UCLASpringSing YouTube channel on the evening of May 17. The seasonal competition has also taken a similar online format in 2020 and 2021 following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Interspersed with now-virtual submissions and its traditional batch of in-house sketches, “Spring Sing 2024” remains available to stream online.

Read on for the Daily Bruin’s coverage of each act’s preparation and aspirations for Spring Sing 2024.

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Garden Party

Music septet Garden Party is causing horticultural hubbub.

Comprised entirely of second-year students, the genre-fusing band planned to perform its original tune “As I Wonder” at Spring Sing, music industry student Coco Mori said. Written by the band’s pianist Jude Fucetola, economics and global jazz studies student Ben Kenvin said the piece stands out within the Garden Party repertoire due to its extended vocal and piano elements. Sown with vocal runs, the band selected the song because of its soulful, drawn-out nature, Kenvin added. In contrast to current chart-toppers, Kenvin said the song aims to enrapture audiences through a more organic approach, weeding out excessive volume or quick rhythms in favor of the band’s typical laid-back sound. Though the group now has about eleven tracks to its name, Kenvin said the once-cover-band’s shift towards songwriting was brought on by guitarist Jacob Williams.

“I wasn’t even thinking about writing, I kind of felt like that (neo-soul) wasn’t a genre that I could compose in as a drummer,” Kenvin said. “It felt very inspiring. Honestly, after that first cover, everybody started writing in a snowball effect.”

Because several members of the group have a jazz background, Mori said her growth as a vocalist has stemmed from abiding by the genre’s central idea of carefully listening to each instrument. Furthermore, Mori said the band seeks to include every member’s instrument in each composition. She added that Garden Party aspires to cultivate a cohesive sound while also ensuring each performer’s lines can stand on their own when sought out by any attentive listeners. Since all seven bandmates are in the same year, Kenvin said the group has blossomed together in a special way. For global jazz studies student Gael Saldana, Garden Party’s core collaborative spirit is encapsulated by its name.

“It’s representative of us because we’re all so different, but we’re all kind of the same entity,” Saldana said. “It’s like we’re all one, but we all really need each other to thrive.”

– Leydi Cris Cobo Cordon

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Matty Gottesman

For Matty Gottesman, singing is his preferred method of communication.

The second-year student has performed at The Bourbon Room and The Mint and alongside musicians such as Hunter Hayes and Amos Heller. After jamming around California at well-known venues with even better known artists, Gottesman said he took his experience back to the Rieber Hall music rooms, which as fate would have it, were available for once. At one of the pianos, he wrote his original song “Habit Of Fate,” which he planned to perform at this year’s Spring Sing.

“It’s about the passage of time and realizing how lucky we are,” Gottesman said. “It sounds cheesy when I speak it, but you only get to be in this moment once.”

Gottesman said his Spring Sing 2024 performance stands out not only because he is a solo act, but because it shows how he has improved from his previous Spring Sing audition. Reflecting on his 2023 audition, Gottesman said “Habit of Fate” is a stronger song that shows how he has developed his skills as a singer.

Compared to last year’s piece, “Habit of Fate” carries a timeless message that, while slower in tempo, still packs energy and passion.

“It’s more of a life song than a love song,” Gottesman said. “I think that’s probably pretty unique.”

– Gavin Meichelbock

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Icarus Contemporary Dance Company

This year, Icarus Contemporary is dancing into dystopia.

The contemporary dance team was once again selected as a Spring Sing act after having been part of the event’s lineup for the past two years. This year’s routine was choreographed by Bailey Cowley, a third-year neuroscience student, who said she chose to base Icarus Contemporary’s choreography on George Orwell’s novel “1984,” specifically honing in on the societal commentary on government control featured in the book. When she first read Orwell’s cautionary tale in 2020, Cowley said she learned that the sales for the 1949 novel tend to skyrocket during times of political division and, with the presidential election this year, she felt “1984” was bound to soon reenter public discourse.

“I remember when I first read the book, I was thinking about how easily it would visually translate to a dance because everything is so uniform and desolate,” Cowley said. “I was also always drawn into the political message of constant surveillance, the deterioration of truth, government oppression and the stripping of individuality.”

Reagan Feldman, a third-year psychobiology student, said Icarus Contemporary was challenged to deliver a performance that conveys both an elaborate story and the striking themes of “1984” primarily through movement. Feldman said it was refreshing to put together a routine that took on a more academic approach than Icarus Contemporary’s past performances. Set to “Your Love (Déjà Vu)” by Glass Animals, Cowley said the complex yet consistent choreography was complete with the dancers donning uniforms similar to those worn by “The Party” in “1984,” aiming to encapsulate the totalitarian feel of the novel. Ultimately, Cowley said Icarus Contemporary hoped to visualize onstage the novel’s portrayal of the relationship citizens have with their government.

“The theme is the illusion of love, both for and from an oppressive government that allows the oppression to continue,” Cowley said. “When the song continues to echo the theme of ‘I can feel your love,’ it’s kind of representing the love of Big Brother and (the love) from the people to the oppressor.”

– Maya Vibhakar

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Resonance A Cappella

Echoing themes of empowerment and individuality, Resonance is ending its Spring Sing hiatus on a high note.

Blending the track’s original dance-pop style with R&B and orchestral influences, the a cappella ensemble planned to perform an arrangement of Rihanna’s “Only Girl (In The World),” bringing its artistic identity to the mainstage. After last gracing the Los Angeles Tennis Center in 2022, Resonance hoped to reshape audiences’ expectations of a capella, emphasizing the community that develops as a result, third-year neuroscience student and choreographer Kayla Arellano said. Pairing powerful movements with musical dexterity, Resonance’s performance is an ode to the original message of the song, expressing individuality within community, Arellano added.

“We all come from different backgrounds, different majors, all over the world,” Arellano said. “The fact that we’re all able to come together, do what we love and also love each other is the most special thing in the world.”

Because the ensemble is composed of 17 distinct voices, third-year biophysics student and music director Angela Nguyen said the arrangement is specifically crafted to balance the spotlight on individual artists while creating a cohesive blend. Beginning the lengthy arrangement process in the fall quarter, fourth-year music performance student Julien Fraser said he wrote each line for the performer rather than for general vocal ranges, enabling each vocalist’s strengths to be highlighted throughout the piece. Audience engagement is not only welcomed but encouraged, Nguyen said, inviting attendees to immerse themselves in the energy-filled atmosphere created on stage.

Embracing a medley of musical experimentation and dynamic choreography, the ensemble’s future is sure to be a resounding success.

– Ruwani Jayasekara

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The Band Called Sex

Finely woven into the tapestry of UCLA’s rich student music scene, The Band Called Sex continues to turn heads.

In 2020, Trevor Brown, Trey Smith and Trent Moothart founded the group on the cusp of the pandemic, Brown said. After the three moved to Westwood from San Diego, they soon connected with the rest of the current band members, Kyndall Long, Ben Whitley and Andrew Schechter, through Music Club at UCLA, fourth-year global studies student Brown added. Though none of the members study music in the classroom, Brown said the group solidified around its shared love for rock-and-roll and started playing house shows soon after meeting. At this year’s Spring Sing, the group would have performed its newly-released single “Dr. Roboto and the Mean Machine,” which highlights the talent and instruments of each band member, Brown said. The song has also been popular at house shows and with crowds in the past, added Smith, a fourth-year film student.

“When we play we want people to be dancing and jumping around and thinking, ‘Well this is a rock show,’” Smith said. “You idolize rock bands of the past and the attitudes and vibes, so trying to recreate that in our own way is what we want to do.”

The matter of choosing a song from the band’s catalog for Spring Sing was easy, said Whitley, a third-year aerospace engineering student. The song, which he said is best categorized as rock with a seriously fun attitude, was chosen for its representation of the band’s joyously cacophonous sound, featuring playful lyrics and a capacity for heavy engagement with the crowd. Unlike their previous performances, “Dr. Roboto and the Mean Machine” would not only have featured vocals from Whitley, but would have used a talk box – a musical instrument that warps the singer’s voice in real time – providing a distinct synth-like sound, Brown said. Onstage, Smith said the band had hoped to represent the rock genre itself, fast-paced and wildly entertaining, while never taking itself too seriously. The band also hopes to be a fondly remembered part of the college experience that will often be looked back upon after graduation, Brown added.

“A lot of us take pride in the fact that we were able to be a part of people’s core memories about school,” Brown said. “They’ll graduate and go on with their lives but when they think back at school they’ll think of ‘I had so much fun at this concert.’”

– Davis Hoffman

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Free the BLVD

Rushing to set the stage, Free the Blvd is eager to reach its next destination.

Formed fortuitously for Spring Sing, the band found a harmonious connection between its six members, third-year musicology student Becca Marcelo said. Titled “Running Back to You,” second-year business economics student Max Wright said the group’s Spring Sing song is meant to embody different facets of love. Marcelo said she co-wrote the song alongside Wright in about two days. The rhythmic pop hit is intended to get audiences onto their feet, Wright said.

“Our song is about meeting someone and falling for them so hard,” Wright said. “People have experienced love in their own ways and in different capacities. It doesn’t even have to be romantic. It can just be someone that’s altered your life.”

In anticipation of what would’ve been their largest-scale event yet, Marcelo said the group felt excited to reach a milestone so early in the band’s career. Wright said the group met weekly to ensure peak performance. Shifting from being a solo performer to a distinguished band member, Marcelo said the change was initially daunting, but worthwhile. For Wright, his long-lived experience in the music scene made the space feel especially inviting. Working towards the group’s collective goal of polishing their set, Wright said he was most looking forward to performing alongside his skilled band members and involving the crowd through music.

With rising talents amongst the group, Free the Blvd will take the scenic route to a future successful career.

– Natalie Ralston

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Remy Sher and Tommy de Bourbon

Musical duo Remy Sher and Tommy de Bourbon sprouted from the “Sunflower Seeds” of friendship.

Fourth-year students Sher and de Bourbon were set to take the Spring Sing stage with their folk music performance of “Sunflower Seeds,” a song written by Sher. Crafted to tell a multifaceted story, ethnomusicology student Sher said the melancholy track was intended to give audience members an opportunity to relate to its interpretation of the push and pull of loving someone. The shortened performance was set to include Sher playing the acoustic guitar and de Bourbon performing using the pedal steel guitar, Sher said.

“I know that a song I’ve written could be good if I think that it could speak to people and their experiences,” Sher said.

The duo met during their first year at UCLA over Zoom as they shared two classes together and a love for music, music history and industry student de Bourbon said. They played music together over the course of their time on campus, and their working relationship blossomed as they collaborated on songs Sher had written, Sher said. After auditioning twice before, Sher said the duo was accepted in time for their final Spring Sing and hoped to introduce the audience to the folk genre with hints of country. Sher said the duo looked forward to demonstrating their talents as well as how music has fostered their friendship.

“It’s a good representation of our musical experiences of the past four years,” de Bourbon said. “It marks the end of an era and opens up a new era.”

– Makayla Sandoval

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Ella Gibson

Ella Gibson is eager to bring her singer-songwriter ingenuity to the stage.

The first-year music industry student planned on making her Spring Sing debut this year with her single, “Distance.” Inspired by romance, Gibson said she wanted the track to encapsulate the feeling of falling in love for the first time. The song is particularly special because of the collaborators and mentors who helped shape her creative vision for “Distance,” Gibson added. Among them are Gibson’s friend Savannah Tweedt, who provided the song’s drum beat and wrote the track’s guitar solo, as well as music industry lecturer Natasha Pasternak – Gibson’s longtime instructor who helped her restructure the lyrics in the early stages of composition as part of a songwriting course.

“I sent the chords and the charts to everyone, and then everyone had their own ideas, and it was really collaborative – which I think is something that I really enjoy,” Gibson said. “I like making music with a lot of people, so it was really cool to see it grow beyond the song I wrote in 40 minutes in my bedroom.”

In preparation for Spring Sing, Gibson said she focused on committing the song’s notes to muscle memory and solidifying her stage presence. Having attended a performing arts high school, Gibson said her past experiences studying music set the stage for her career as a vocalist. Although she often writes with her audience in mind, Gibson said “Distance” was one of the first songs she wrote without worrying about what others would think. Writing the song was a means of catharsis for Gibson, and she said she was excited to share these intense feelings at Spring Sing.

“There’s a lot of love in the world – and that feeling (of) love can be very intense, and it can be beautiful, and it can suck at certain parts,” Gibson said. “(My goal is) spreading that more. I hope that the song resonates with people as much as it resonates with me and that people have other people in their lives that they can think about when they hear the song.”

– Sydney Gaw

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Bruin Harmony

Bruin Harmony’s allure transcends mere vocal charm.

When envisioning an all-male a cappella group, the mind often conjures images akin to The Treblemakers from “Pitch Perfect,” or the Dalton Academy Warblers from “Glee,” clad in crisp suits and belting out tunes. Bruin Harmony is challenging these notions by taking influences from these male ensembles, but not in the way one would expect, said fourth-year economics student Liam Krainman. Furthermore, Bruin Harmony finds inspiration for its music in a variety of places, incorporating jazz elements and a rap solo, third-year theater student Oliver Strachan said, indicating that the group is experimenting with different sounds for both itself and Spring Sing.

“We take, I think, our music a little bit beyond the scope of … the popular music that would be featured in a movie like ‘Pitch Perfect,’” Strachan said. “We never want to pick a song that feels so a cappella.”

Krainman said there seems to be a stigma suggesting that all-male groups inherently foster rivalry with all-female groups. Consequently, he said there is an effort by Bruin Harmony members to counter this perception by demonstrating that they are not a collection of arrogant men who look down on others. Instead, he added, they endeavor to avoid embodying the stereotype of bullies within the a cappella scene, fostering connections with other groups instead. Bruin Harmony wanted to bring a fresh perspective to Spring Sing, Krainman said, challenging norms by delivering a new rendition of Jay Sean’s “Down” and shying away from the group’s usual romantic tunes.

“We’re pretty known for doing ballads and heartfelt songs, but we wanted to have a different take this year,” Krainman said. “Songs that we do don’t always have to be emotional and very heartfelt, but we can have an amazing time.”

– Rahaf Abumansour

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Juliana Simone

The winds of change promise to bring the music of Juliana Simone along with them.

Juliana Simone Carrasco, who performs as Juliana Simone, is a fourth-year theater student with an emphasis in acting. Carrasco said she would have performed her original song, “Wind Blows,” at this year’s Spring Sing – a track she wrote two years ago in her Sproul Landing dorm room. Carrasco said it was not until age 18 that she began writing songs during her time as a first-year student taking online classes amid COVID-19 lockdowns. The selection of this tune was an easy choice, Carrasco said, because it is one of her favorite self-penned songs, and she hopes to encapsulate the feel of a retro music festival when performing it at Spring Sing.

“It’s all about embracing the inevitability of change and holding on to moments and letting go of certain moments,” Carrasco said. “As a senior graduating, I feel like that’s very present right now in my life, and so I thought it’d be a nice way to share that with other people who are graduating as well.”

In addition to kindling a piece of herself that she sometimes feels disconnected from, Carrasco said songwriting has been a form of grasping for answers and understanding what influences made her the person she is today. She said generational trauma, its cyclical effects and the emotions it causes are topics she is becoming more open to discussing in her songs. Though most of her lyrics are autobiographical, Carrasco said she enjoys writing from different perspectives, which include characters from television shows or books she relates to – ranging from “BoJack Horseman” to “Vanderpump Rules.”

It can be difficult to tell which way the wind will blow, but Carrasco’s musical creativity soars on.

– Reid Sperisen

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Ryann Barnes

Sharing a love for the universal language of music, Ryann Barnes hopes to enrapture crowds through her performance.

Accompanied by several other students and friends, first-year music industry student Barnes was set to make her Spring Sing debut performing her recent single, “Mirage in the Sun.” Having written music since around the age of eight, Barnes said she always wanted to live in Los Angeles and its artistic scene. Often writing about past experiences, Barnes said she loves to create and lets her feelings and inspiration drive her creative process, often featuring an acoustic pop style. Producer and band member Summer Roman said an integral aspect of being in a band is to help create a cohesive sound.

“Half of it’s the environment that it is that you’re getting to create in,” Roman said. “She (Barnes) does a really good job at creating that space where I think everybody in the band gets to feel like they have their moment to shine, which I think is really cool for an artist to do.”

Performing alongside Barnes at Spring Sing, the members of Barnes’ band include Roman and bass player Marco Lenzi – both of whom have written and worked with Barnes since high school – drummer Maddie Ornest, guitarist Kiva Schweig, keyboardist Roman Leitz and guitarist Jaye Grace. As part of a cohesive and communicative band, Ornest said each instrument adds a new layer, and she is excited to take the audience on a lyrical journey with Barnes. Featuring overlapping guitars and a more acoustic sound, Barnes said she and the band were able to reimagine her song “Mirage in the Sun” for Spring Sing.

“I hope that when people listen to this song and if they go and find my other music, that (it) resonates,” Barnes said. “A lot of the time, people’s reason for music is to find people that relate to them.”

– Izzy De Leon

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ACA All Day

The seasons change quickly when ACA All Day has a say.

Known as ACA, the open-style dance team established in 1993 has performed at Spring Sing on numerous occasions, embracing distinct and new avenues of dance. For this year’s event, the team curated its dance around the theme of seasons, said third-year neuroscience student Emily Nguyen. The multi-part piece depicts each season, including a two-part spring, through carefully chosen songs and props that exemplify each respective season, she added. For instance, fall was demonstrated with tutting, a dance style that involves intricate hand movements, which first-year psychobiology student Grace Xie said captures the warmth of the season. Xie said the instruction of various dance techniques by team members has furthered her personal development within the art form.

“I’ve never really trained in all these different distinct styles,” Xie said. “Since this set really highlights the versatility of our members, … I’m able to learn from people who already are so highly skilled in their craft, and I feel that’s my biggest takeaway from this set.”

Nguyen said the team honed in on the theme because of its versatility and the relatability of seasons. By including a diverse range of styles, the team hoped to embody the extensive scope of dance and the multiple genres it can take on, Nguyen said. Furthermore, she said each year ACA takes on new members with their own stylistic and genre specialties, and hence the performance takes inspiration from the current team’s composition while preserving past ACA staples. Through its choreographic showcase where members were encouraged to perform and teach their distinct dance training, ACA’s Spring Sing piece symbolizes the novel strengths of this year’s team, Nguyen said.

With nature on its side, ACA will dance into the new year as a cohesive unit.

– Puja Anand

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Company

Company is rewriting the script for what it means to be funny.

The 12-member comedy troupe writes, pitches and films several sketches each year for Spring Sing. Following the event’s transition to a livestream, third-year global jazz studies student Ellie Rice said the troupe filmed and edited these sketches to adapt to a virtual approach. Bri Yi, a third-year theater student, said the troupe members started preparing for Spring Sing in January and picked their final pitches in early spring. Although they were unable to perform the sketches live, she said filming them ended up elevating some acts. For one particular musical skit, Yi said the troupe struck the right comedic balance in spoofing school spirit without reverting to low-hanging fruit.

“Finding that little in between, that’s like the perfect sweet spot,” Yi said. “It’s memorable. It’s specific. It’s UCLA. We’re all in it, and I think that’s going to be the one that everyone’s going to remember.”

As a returning troupe member, Rice said Company has changed her entire perspective on comedy. Prior to joining the team, she had never done stand-up, improv or comedy writing before, she said. Being in Company for two years has taught her how to pitch, write and perform in front of an audience, she added. When it comes to finding inspiration, Yi said ideas for sketches are found in her daily life and slowly expand through occasional group discussions within Company. From Duffl riders to student tour guides, this year’s slate of performances included topics based on a blend of school spirit and TikTok trends. Ultimately, the troupe’s main goal is to represent different people across campus while still distinguishing each role, Yi said.

With pop culture references and relatable campus experiences, Company’s comedic genius shines through the screen.

– Isabella Appell