InToneNation to be featured on BOHSA album

Varsity Vocals, a student a cappella organization, will feature Blair's a cappella group, InToneNation (ITN), on the upcoming Best of High School A Cappella (BOHSA) 2007 album. Varsity Vocals receives submissions for BOHSA from high school a cappella groups all over the world.

Varsity Vocals selected "Free Fallin'" from ITN's most recent album, "Will Sing for Pants," for inclusion on BOHSA 2007. Originally by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, "Free Fallin'" was arranged by ITN into a cappella form. Featuring Blair 2006 graduate Nathan Blustein as the soloist, the song also showcases the vocal talents of seniors Diego Ardila, Monika Chadda, Laura Cole, Erica Irving and Alyssa Sanders; junior Hareesh Ganesan; sophomore Daniel Woolson; and Blustein's fellow '06 alumni Samir Paul, Joseph Dario, Tess Minnick, Jody Pollock and Linden Vongsathorn.

ITN created "Will Sing for Pants" with BOHSA in mind, according to Ardila, the director of ITN, who turned his bedroom into a quasi-recording studio with purchases of a condenser, microphone, mixer and soundboard. Though ITN has released seven additional albums over the years, none come close to the professional quality attained by "Will Sing for Pants," Ardila said, adding that newest album's precision can be attributed to improved equipment and technology.

New recording strategies also played a role in the improvement in quality, according to Ardila. "One of the biggest differences between this album and previous InToneNation albums was that [in this album] we recorded each person separately," he said. Afterward, Ardila explained, everyone's voices were combined later to create the final product.

Collaboration with professional music producer Tat Tong also contributed to the more polished sound of "Will Sing for Pants," according to Ardila, who said Paul made arrangements with Tong, and got the group a special student discount. ITN recorded tracks in Ardila's bedroom and then sent files of the recordings to Tong, who mixed the songs and sent the products back to ITN.

Ardila reported that ITN met for four to six hours every Sunday throughout second semester last school year and over the summer to record the album, completing the album in early September of 2006.

The BOHSA album is not currently available for purchase, but those interested will find it at http://www.varsityvocals.com/bohsa/bohsadisc.html soon. "Will Sing for Pants" can be purchased through ITN's website: itn.mbhs.edu.