Michael Moyseenko was a freshman when he decided to take a risk and branch off into the music world.
Now a sophomore, he is one of the founders of the a cappella group, Not Yet Perfect, which has an upcoming performance in the Arts Village at a talent show this coming Monday night, Feb. 25.
The group formed a year ago and has a goal of becoming well known on campus for their talents as an a capella group, Moyseenko said.
A cappella refers to music without any instrumental sounds, Moyseenko said. As the group’s vocal percussionist, Moyseenko provides rhythmic beat accompaniment in lieu of actual drums.
With a strong musical background from high school, Moyseenko said he decided to join the all-men a cappella group, Ten40, when he first came to the University.
“After I joined Ten40, I wanted to start a singing group up on my own,” he said.
Not Yet Perfect is comprised of musical parts ranging from lowest to highest, including bass, baritone, tenor, alto and soprano singers, Moyseenko said.
The group performs songs that were originally instrumental, later arranged into a cappella pieces. Moyseenko brought to the group existing songs and also arranges music himself.
But Moyseekno didn’t do this alone, seeking help forming the group with Noah Jones, a friend he met freshman year involved in the Arts Village.
After meeting Jones, now the assistant director of Not Yet Perfect, the two tried to get members to join by advertising through posters and campus updates.
Alumna Shayle Welch, a soprano, first found out about the group through campus updates.
“I saw the notice, contacted Michael, and went to try-outs,” Welch said.
Although Welch recently graduated from the University this past December, her interest in singing as a hobby led her to continue with the group.
“Since I already have a full-time job and I live in the area, I decided to re-audition and stick with it,” Welch said.
Auditions for Not Yet Perfect are held each semester, though returning members do not have try out to keep their original parts and have “first dibs,” Moyseenko said.
“If they want to give up their part, that is when they would re-audition,” he said.
The group must maintain a certain number of members to remain a singing group on campus, Welch said.
Not Yet Perfect currently has 11 members who practice in the College of Musical Arts building every Tuesday and Thursday at 6 p.m., and Sundays at 6:30 p.m. The practices range from an hour to an hour and a half.
In their second year on campus, the group added several more hours of practice to work on their performances and improve as a whole, Welch said.
“We tacked on an extra hour to our practices from last semester,” Welch said. “At first, I don’t think it was anyone’s priority, but now I think we all take it more serious.”
Freshman Joey Vahcic, a bass singer, said he makes the group a priority because he’s enjoyed the musical experience he’s gained from joining.
“Being able to share music, experiences and sing is something I love about being a part of,” Vahcic said. “My favorite part is performing for people. It’s nice to finally present what we’ve all worked so hard at.”
