OTR and Foreigner: The July Performance

I was welcomed into Lockport Township High School with a song. It had been a while since I walked the halls of the school, let alone the area near the auditorium. However, I watched intently as the Off The Record acapella choir sang a stunning rendition of Because of You by Kelly Clarkson. I was lucky to listen to the song from the beginning. Ethan Bocatcat gave the perfect pitch before the ballad began. Then entered Abby Sanford, who gave the leading vocals; her vocals were supported by soprano Maya Chudoba, along with the beat given by vocal percussionist Kelechi Onyenemezu. Bringing it all together and providing subtle notes and corrections was Mr. Goetz, one of the choir instructors. These lovely vocalists provided me with a behind-the-scenes look into how Off the Record practices. Two songs, including Because of You, were practiced by the choir since early this year and for last year's competition season. They continued singing these songs even after the competition due to one event: A Foreigner Concert.

Mr. Goetz explained that the popular 80s band has continued recognizing the top acapella groups around the United States. That recognition began as only background noise, for the choirs chosen performed with the band as background vocals as the band sang their hit song I Want to Know What Love Is. In the years following, the band has let the choirs sing their songs. In 2023, Off the Record was one of the lucky acapella groups chosen to perform the songs Because of You, Half the Man by Rozzi Crane and Expensive in front of twenty-eight thousand people.

Despite the large size of the crowd, Off the Record is used to singing in front of an audience. Off the Record has been on the stage for six years, and this last season was unforgettable. The group placed second in the Great Lakes Region— which consists of the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin— and they were just shy of going to Nationals in New York City.

Off the Record believed that Semifinals would be the last time they would sing those three songs on stage, but it was earlier in the summer when Goetz got the call from Foreigner’s manager.
The vocalists that I talked to all felt one common emotion: excitement. I got to discuss the performance with many of the vocalists in Off the Record.

Kelechi Onyenemezu is the vocal percussionist of Off the Record; this is his third year in Off the Record and his tenth year in choir. His skills are entirely self-taught— teaching himself during the infamous quarantine year— and he is responsible for keeping tempo. If he falters, then so does the rest of the song. This pressure does not faze Onyenemezu; he is talented and thrilled for the performance. He explained that he was “excited to perform in front of a larger crowd”.

Before Off the Record, Ethan Bocatcat performed with the choir in second grade. Bocatcat had no dreams of joining acapella, but he heard them sing while walking the school halls his sophomore year. It was an “eye-opening experience”; he knew he had to join. That was 2020. This meant that COVID destroyed any chance of a regular season. Bocatcat was used to performances on video. Now, going from singing on video in front of twenty-eight thousand people is a big jump. Bocatcat is the first sound you hear before the song begins; he ensures that it is in the perfect pitch. He is what they call “Off the Record’s house pitch pipe”. Bocatcat told me they have been working on these songs for a long time; it is all “muscle memory” now. He had nothing but confidence in the performance.

Maya Chudoba is a soprano; she provides the highest notes and the “sparkle” in the songs. Chudoba also began singing at a young age, joining the choir in elementary school. Not only that, but she sang in her church choir. In high school, she did not make any of the acapella choirs her first year. She took that rejection as a chance to improve; sitting in her room, she practiced her technique and made Off the Record her junior year. The concert had Chudoba a bit nervous, but she was mainly excited. Performing and music are her favorite things. This performance at the Foreigner concert is a chance "to build a community for acapella," Chudoba explained.

Abby Sanford provided the lead vocals for Because of You. Her voice was the first one that greeted me as I walked to Off the Record’s rehearsal. Sanford was born into a musical family, so she was destined to be involved. She is so involved with it now that she plans to pursue musicals as a career. However, before she was a singer, Sanford was a dancer. (She even choreographs Off the Record performances). “Whenever I hear a song, I see movement,” Sanford explained. This concert did not involve much movement, but she still sang her lead vocals. She explained that it was an “amazing opportunity to perform in front of people”.

On Saturday, July 22nd, Off the Record performed for Foreigner. Even with the lack of microphones, they pulled off all the stops. Each individual has to pull their weight with acapella; that is what this group is best at. They leave their egos behind the stage and perform together. Bocatcat explained that Off the Record's top goal is to have a “group mentality” and “sound as one”. Off the Record did just that.