Voctave

Voctave is an 11-member a cappella group based in Orlando, Florida, United States. The group often performs intricate arrangements of music from Broadway, Disney, jazz standards, and Christmas music. Among the unique characteristics which set the group apart from other a cappella groups is an extremely wide vocal range of 5 full octaves.^[1]

The group's arranger is Jamey Ray, who also teaches at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida.^[2] His arrangements blend classical group choral techniques with pop. ^[3] Tony De Rosa served as musical director for the group from its inception until he left the group in early 2020, along with J. C. Fullerton. De Rosa was replaced as musical director by Bradley Roberts, one of the vocal captains in the "Voices of Liberty" at Walt Disney World's EPCOT.^[4]

Drew Ochoa and Aaron Stratton joined the group shortly after the departure of De Rosa and Fullerton and recorded several YouTube videos with the group during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020. They are also included on the group's latest album, The Corner of Broadway and Main Street, Volume 2, which peaked at #6 on the iTunes sales chart in its first week of sales.^[5]

Early career

The group was informally created when Jamey Ray was recording an album of arrangements with a 12-member chorus. He recorded the group singing a collection of Disney music and posted it to YouTube.^[6] Based on the response and viewership, he organized a group of 11 singers to sing together at events independent of the Disney theme parks, at which nearly all of the members performed on a regular basis. In early 2016, the group released their Disney Love Medley featuring Kirstin Maldonado of Pentatonix and Jeremy Michael Lewis, her then-boyfriend.^[7] This video featured three songs about love (I See the Light from Tangled, You'll Be in My Heart from Tarzan, and Go the Distance from Hercules) and accumulated more than 30 million views as of December 2021^[update].

Over the course of the next four years, Voctave released a self-titled album, numerous Christmas albums featuring both secular and religious music, two albums of the group performing with a symphony orchestra, and two spanning Broadway standards and Disney-themed arrangements.

Discography

Albums

The Spirit of the Season (2016)
Voctave (2016)
Snow (2017)
The Corner of Broadway and Main Street (2017)
Symphony Series (2019)
Symphony Series – Christmas Edition (2019)
Somewhere There's Music (2019)
The Corner of Broadway and Main Street Vol. 2 (2020)
The Spirit of the Season – Deluxe Edition (2021)
Goodnight, My Someone (2022)
It Feels Like Christmas (2023)
The Corner of Broadway and Main Street Vol. 3 (2024)

Singles

This Is My Wish (2015)
All is Well (2015)
Disney Love Medley (2016) – featuring Kirstin Maldonado and Jeremy Michael Lewis
Somewhere from The West Side Story (2023)
On A Clear Day You Can See Forever (2024) - featuring Tituss Burgess
To Love You More (2024) - featuring Marty Thomas
I Am What I Am (2024) - featuring The Swingles

Other music

Disney Halloween Mashup (2016) – Jon Cozart featuring Voctave
Stampede from The Lion King (2016)
A Million Dreams (2018) – collaboration with Vocal Majority
Star Spangled Banner (2018)
Carol of the Bells (2020) – The Serenad3 featuring Voctave
America the Beautiful (2022) -- Charles Billingsley featuring Voctave

Members

Current members^[8]

Kate Lott – soprano 1
Tiffany Coburn – soprano 2
Ashley Espinoza – alto/soprano
Sarah Whittemore – alto 1
Chrystal Johnson – alto 2
E.J. Cardona – tenor 1
Drew Ochoa – tenor 2
Jamey Ray – tenor, arranger
Kurt Von Schmittou – baritone
Aaron Stratton – bass 1
Karl Hudson – bass 2
Bradley Roberts – musical director

References

^ Burton, Ronn. "BWW Feature: VOCTAVE Soars Into The Kristin Chenoweth Theatre In Broken Arrow". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2020-12-24.
^ Palm, Matthew (15 February 2019). "Orlando's Voctave is hitting the high notes". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
^ Arena, Ryan (2020-01-22). "Voctave takes natural sound to Luling stage". St. Charles Herald Guide. Retrieved 2020-12-24.
^ "200108Voctave". THE BANDERA PROPHET. Retrieved 2020-12-24.
^ "Voctave – 'The Corner of Broadway and Main Street, Vol. 2' American iTunes Chart Performance". iTunes Charts. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
^ "UP TO THE HIGHEST HEIGHTS". Winter Park Magazine. 2019-01-09. Retrieved 2020-12-24.
^ Hobbs, Alexis (8 February 2016). "Watch This A Cappella Group's Jaw-Dropping Medley of Disney Love Songs". Woman's Day. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
^ "About Us – Voctave". Archived from the original on July 4, 2023. Retrieved July 4, 2023.

External links

Official website

[1] Burton, Ronn. "BWW Feature: VOCTAVE Soars Into The Kristin Chenoweth Theatre In Broken Arrow". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2020-12-24.

[2] Palm, Matthew (15 February 2019). "Orlando's Voctave is hitting the high notes". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 4 June 2021.

[3] Arena, Ryan (2020-01-22). "Voctave takes natural sound to Luling stage". St. Charles Herald Guide. Retrieved 2020-12-24.

[4] "200108Voctave". THE BANDERA PROPHET. Retrieved 2020-12-24.

[5] "Voctave – 'The Corner of Broadway and Main Street, Vol. 2' American iTunes Chart Performance". iTunes Charts. Retrieved 4 June 2021.

[6] "UP TO THE HIGHEST HEIGHTS". Winter Park Magazine. 2019-01-09. Retrieved 2020-12-24.

[7] Hobbs, Alexis (8 February 2016). "Watch This A Cappella Group's Jaw-Dropping Medley of Disney Love Songs". Woman's Day. Retrieved 4 June 2021.

[8] "About Us – Voctave". Archived from the original on July 4, 2023. Retrieved July 4, 2023.

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