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Danylle Gallo

Fedorova Writing 2

20 April 2019

Word Count: 1136

Naked Voices: The Ultimate Discourse Community

Discourse communities rely on different genres to effectively distribute information Formatted: Left, Indent: Left: 0", First line: 0.5"

to one another and interact within other groups. John Swales, a linguist and an expert in

genre analysis definedes a discourse community as a social group with broad, similar beliefs

and ideas that guide their social behavior (21). . The acapella group I am in,I am a part of an Formatted: Left

acapella group, Naked Voices, who would beare defined as a discourse community because

of our the tactics used for communicating with each other and the our community. Naked

Voices is a student run, all-gender acapella group at UCSB and each of us are involved in

other student organizations, on-campus jobs and multiple classes. We are able to come

together as a group to enjoy our love for singing with others who enjoy it, and the purpose of

the group is to spread this love to an audience and encourage others to partake in music and

also support the music community. Using technology and social media,Using an app called

“Slack,” the process of connecting together and portraying information is alleviated. we are

able to not only speak to each other, but also inform the community of our presence.

Naked Voices is one of many performance groups at UCSB, Naked Voices is Formatted: Left, Indent: Left: 0", First line: 0.5"

a student run, all-gender acapella group on campus. Each of us are

involved in other student organizations, on-campus jobs and multiple classes, but we are able to

come together as a group to enjoy our love for singing with others who enjoy it. Every member

of Naked Voices has a love for performance, and the purpose of the group is to spread this love
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to its audience and encourage others to partake in music and also support the music community.

Without usingusing our voices to mimic instruments on stage that creates, a more complex style

of music, providing is created because we are the only ones creating the sound, providing the

listener with something they may have not heard before. We Thespend countless hours spent

rehearsing, which reflects in each performance as we do our best on stage, along with all of the

Naked Voices gatherings would not be successful without our communication in the Slack. The

Slack is similar to many social media sites, enabling a private group to be made that can utilize a

number of threads that easily pass along instruction. In Naked Voices, every person in a

leadership position has access to all of the threads, posting dates and times for rehearsal,

performances and fundraisers. It can be difficult to share information with a group of more than

twenty people without it getting lost amongst other messages, so the organization of these

threads is helpful. Business, calendar, the day’s schedule and music are some of the threads that

we communicate in daily that keep us informed at all times. The messages sent are simple in

format to get straight to the point, notifying us that “rehearsal will be in Girvetz 1004 and we’re

learning SOS and You and I” (Katie Kaiser, Slack). A message regarding where and what will be

happening in rehearsal is crucial to easing the difficulty of tardiness and confusion. The Slack

also has a poll option where questions about availability for fundraiser times and extra rehearsals

are asked, providing the percentage of how many people voted for each option. “What time can

you table?” (Slack) is a common question proposed to Naked Voices to ensure that a portion of

us can attend the fundraiser and encourage others who pass by to support our group. . This

exposure to new audiences can be beneficial for future Naked Voices members, giving them the

possibility of new opportunities if our group is requested to perform in outside gigs. Because of

the reputation we have upheld, we have received invitations to sing for Valentine’s Day grams,
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marriage proposals and showcases for other performing arts groups. Maintaining a relationship

with those who appreciate music and even perform themselves is useful for improving all

musical institutions since they tend to be thought less of by those who do not understand how

they function.

Before we are able to connect with the rest of the community, we must first

improve as a group and how we collaborate with one another in and out of rehearsal. Forming a

bond apart from the professionalism in rehearsal strengthens our communication skills and

ability to be in sync on stage. Swales declared that a discourse community must have their own

“language” in a sens (22), or any way of communicating that is specific to that group and may

not be understood by outsiderse, to manage themselves in a way that might not be understood by

those not in the group. Since we are anAs an acapella group, our main way of communicating is

through music. Each individual is at their own level of music knowledge, so as newer members

join, they are introduced to common lingo we use when learning new music. The music genre

itself uses musical terms, such as “adagio” or “crescendo/decrescendo” while learning new

pieces to expedite the learning processlearning these new songs and make the music much easier

to learnby reducing the explanation of the director. This language is common among all

musicians and has improved my musical ability significantly through both choral and acapella

training. Outside of rehearsal theThe members ofin Naked Voices sing extensively as a means of

communicating when we are not practicing, both for fun and also as a means of speaking to one

another. Singing a phrase that could have just simply been spoken is extremely common, so even

when I am walking on campus and encounter another member, I am able to hear them from great

distances.As I stroll through campus I can hear when another member is nearby because I am
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greeted with the sounds of hellos that are always sung (never spoken). Although it is just a sort

of inside joke, it is a meaningful way of getting your point across in an environment like

acapella. The Slack is beneficial for fast and informative messages, but in-person interactions are

more meaningful for the integrity of the group.

The main genre that Naked Voices utilizes is technology and communicating together

through social media. All of these are helpful for deciding when to have concerts, fundraisers

and rehearsals and also informing the rest of the community about our choices. Crucial

information that may get lost among other group messages are sent in the Slack and on

Facebook, so they are easily accessible to every member in the group. In a group that is as big as

Naked Voices, it is important that every member is equally in the loop and able to communicate

any issues they may have. For each gig we must have a certain number of people in each section

to maintain a balance, and if a member that was expected to come does not show up, it will

throw off not only the balance, but the song setlist will have to be adjusted to fit who is there at

that time. As soon as I was accepted into the group, I was added to all the group messages, Slack

conversations and Facebook pages which allowed me to express how I feel during group

decisions and to keep me informed. In Slack specifically, we use polls to vote for concert times,

themes and any extra rehearsals that are added to ensure that everyone is included, and we are all

aware of each other’s schedules for future needs. Through Facebook, choreography videos are

posted for each member to practice individually and return to rehearsal prepared. All of these

platforms prevent any confusion and any possibility of someone missing an event.

To expand our own joy for performance to the community, we integrate

advertisement through our social media. Advertising includes making posters and flyers, posting

on multiple social media platforms and also fundraising at local restaurants. Our targeted crowd
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is the student population, but we ensure that all forms of advertisement are public so that they

can be seen by anyone. Our concerts for example are always free, so there are no financial

barriers that prevent someone from being able to enjoy the music. Facebook allows us to share

events with friends and family members who do not have the same access to information as

UCSB students, but it also assures the students of how and when to attend our fundraisers and

concerts. There are many other organizations on campus with the goal of gaining attention on

campus, so our advertisement over social media must stand out in a long feed of events. Included

on each poster is the time, place, price, and any special guests that will perform, all displayed in

bold and bright lettering so it can be noticed amongst the crowded bulletin boards. The title listed

on each poster always includes a catchy phrase or a clever pun that acts as a preview to the show

the audience will hopefully observe. Our presentation cannot be too long in length, or it will

become another filler in the media timeline that is overlooked. The first concert was titled

“Naked and Afraid,” referring to the TV show with Naked Voices stranded in the jungle, without

the nudity, and our upcoming concert is titled “Keeping Up with Naked” to mirror “Keeping up

with the Kardashians,” providing the audience with a theme that they will more than likely

understand. Every event that we promote is critical because they help us raise money for

competitions and Naked Voices uniforms, helping us to look more professional and further

enhancing our reputation in the community. This exposure to new audiences can be beneficial

for future Naked Voices members, giving them the possibility of new opportunities if our group

is requested to perform in outside gigs. Because of the reputation we have upheld, we have

received invitations to sing for Valentine’s Day grams, marriage proposals and showcases for

other performing arts groups. Maintaining a relationship with those who appreciate music and
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even perform themselves is useful for improving all musical institutions since they tend to be

thought less of by those who do not understand how they function.

Naked Voices is not a typical discourse community in the way we interact with one

another, but these encounters continue to strengthen our groups’ relationship which reflects on

our performance and how we present ourselves. Using social media as a way to tether ourselves

to the rest of the community is a simple way that is favorable for both sides.

Works Cited

The Concept of I Discourse Community - Semantic Scholar.

pdfs.semanticscholar.org/778e/5c87e6041903980d25449c9a2972947a351e.pdf.
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Voices, Naked. “Facebook.” Keeping Up With Naked, Naked and Afraid 2018-2019,

www.facebook.com/events/866218460385181/?notif_t=plan_user_invited¬if_id=155543930917

8358.

Voices, Naked. “Slack.” 2018-2019

https://nakedvoices18.slack.com/archives/CBEJG6Q14/p1555892670000200