Representing differences

IU Soul Revue will present its annual spring concert at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave. The group will entertain the crowd with 20 popular songs like "Brickhouse" by the Commodores, "Shining Star" by Earth, Wind and Fire and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" originally performed by the Supremes. The group is hoping to show an even higher amount of professionalism this time around.\n"It's a different experience that the group has had, this year they have had a real taste of the actual music industry," said Tyron Cooper, director of Soul Revue.\nWith 24 members, the Soul Revue marks its 32nd anniversary. It is the first of three African-American performance ensembles formed at IU. Sponsored by the African-American Arts Institute, it was first under the direction of Portia Maultsby. \nSince then, the group's members have continuously maintained a reputation as some of the best vocalists on campus. The ensemble is made up of vocalists from freshman up to seniors. \nRecently, two of the singers in Soul Revue, freshman Nilaja Neely and junior Jacob Hughes, were finalists in the Union Board's "Hoosier Idol." Neely took home the first prize. \n"I still can't believe that I won," Neely said. "Hopefully this studio time will get me a launch into the entertainment business."\nSoul Revue aims at upholding African-American tradition through music, performing songs from the early sixties to the present, members said.\n"There are lots of kinds of music from these times, like funk and jazz," said Hughes, who is a veteran member of the ensemble. "We concentrate more along the lines of preserving the music genres of these eras."\nThis year's spring concert will feature performances by musicians Felton Pilate and Kyle Quass. Pilate is a Grammy-nominated vocalist, instrumentalist, producer, writer, arranger and engineer in the music industry. He was the front man for the legendary R&B/funk band ConFunkShun and produced the Grammy-nominated "Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em" in the '90s. Quass is a jazz trumpet player from Indiana who is said to have an exciting and distinctive harmonic and rhythmic style. He has performed with such famous musicians as Freddie Hubbard, Frank Lacy, Charlie Persip, Joe Henderson and Greg Osby and many other famous jazz groups across the United States.\n"It's all about collaboration and bringing something new that hasn't been touched by Soul Revue," said sophomore Adam Thompson, an alto saxophone player. "These artists bring in their own style that is going to add to the performance."\nBoth the group's director and its members strive to bring a new vision to the concert each year. \n"The eclectic experiences that Soul Revue has had that makes this year different from other years," Cooper said.\nThe ensemble practiced with Quass Wednesday night and with Pilate Thursday night. \nIn addition to performing throughout the year, the ensemble also toured New York City and Detroit during spring break. \n"I have learned so much as a freshman because of being in this group," Neely said.\nAdvanced tickets for the concert are $8 for students and seniors. Show day prices are $12 for students and seniors, and $17 for adults.