From Kutztown University
KU Presents! Performing Artists Series will introduce its audience to the celestial vocal style of Voctave, a Florida-based, 11-member a cappella group, at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at Schaeffer Auditorium at Kutztown University.
Founded by vocalist/arranger Jamey Ray in 2015, Voctave is mostly made up of members and alumni of Voices of Liberty, the a cappella ensemble that has been delighting visitors to EPCOT’s American Adventure rotunda since 1982, with patriotic and Americana songs and favorites from Disney films.
“We made our first video Oct. 18, 2015,” Ray said, “and it was the first time Voctave did anything together. When we decided to have our 10th anniversary tour, we sat down and chose our favorite songs from our first (eponymous) album in 2016 to our most recent (The Corner of Broadway and Main St., Vol. 3 in 2024). Everything you’re going to hear in this concert is someone in the group’s favorite song.”
Voctave specializes in Disney and Broadway songs, interspersed with jazz and Christmas music during the holiday season. All their exquisite arrangements are created by Ray, who has had his work sung by Pentatonix, The King’s Singers, The Swingles, and others. Ray also produces Voctave’s albums as well as those of other performers.
Born in St. Petersburg, FL, Ray started singing as a small child. His parents, recognizing that he was talented, enrolled him in the St. Pete’s branch of the Florida BoyChoirs, a nonprofit performing ensemble renowned for excellence in training young singers. “That’s where I fell in love with music,” he said. “The director taught us music theory and sight-singing, and we toured all over Florida and even in Europe. I was the nerd who loved the theory and sight-singing part of it.”
Later, as a student at Rollins College in Winter Park, FL, where he majored in computer science and music (“with a minor in math, because … why not?”), he continued singing in the choir and also studied piano.
“I bought recording software and took choral pieces back to my dorm and recorded myself singing all the parts,” Ray said. “I thought I was practicing my music technology skills, but I was also learning how these composers wrote. … Then in 2009, when I needed to arrange ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ for an event, it became my first published piece.”
Ray went on to earn a master’s degree in music technology from New York University and then returned to Rollins as a faculty member. He oversaw the music tech area, taught courses in theory and keyboard, and directed the Rollins Singers, a jazz vocal ensemble. He was also the music director for many musical theaters and operetta productions. He left that position recently to devote time to his own music publishing company, Excelcia, while continuing his activities with Voctave.
Ray said that as a composer and arranger of choral music, he was inspired by the legendary British composer John Rutter and American composer Morten Lauridsen, having sung their works since his BoyChoir days. More recently, he has become very fond of the work of American contemporary composers/arrangers, such as Elaine Hagenberg, Dan Forrest, and Jake Runestad.
But as a former member of the Voices of Liberty at EPCOT, Ray said, the founder of the group, Derric Johnson, “is probably one of my favorite arrangers; he has inspired me in a way I can’t even put into words. He has been an unbelievable mentor to me.”
Johnson has written 150 original songs, 23 cantatas, and 2,800 musical arrangements. He has published 32 choral collections and has helped produce 98 albums on 14 labels. He is also an ordained minister.
When Ray started Voctave, he turned to singers from Voices of Liberty who were trained by Johnson, because they had a “timeless, nostalgic” sound that he loves, and because of their unique and impeccable technique. “I love having specific voices that I’m writing for to show what they can do,” he said. “It’s fun to be able to do that. They can do Broadway, Disney, jazz, all from a sound created by Derric. I’m so grateful for that.”
Voctave has performed internationally and has created 10 albums so far, including multiple No. 1 songs and albums on platforms like iTunes, Amazon, and Spotify. They have ranked in the top 25 on Billboard Magazine’s charts.
Tickets for Voctave are $39.00 for adults, $37.00 for seniors, and $19.00 for students. Tickets can be purchased at the KU Presents! website or by calling the KU Presents! Box Office, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday, at 610-683-4092. Established to be the center of cultural life at Kutztown University, KU Presents! serves the campus and community by bringing world-class live arts that entertain, educate, and enrich.
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Source: bctv