The track features Lauren on solo, Brian on VP, and arrangement by Dave.
We want to send out a huge amount of love to all who were involved with the process.  The track was recorded, edited, and mixed by Charlie Friday and Amanda Aldag with Clear Harmonies Productions, and mastered by Dave Sperandio.  This wonderful album art (larger version ) features original artwork and design by the talented Ray Wu .
Download it today!
We're currently auditioning Tenors! Do you have the right mix of talent, musicianship, flexibility and personality to be our next member? E-mail us at auditions@CogResVocals.com today!
Cognitive Resonance was formed in January of 2011 and is a proud member of the Contemporary A Cappella Society of America’sContemporary A Cappella League. The group's roster of seasoned performers strives to make emotional connections via music with audiences throughout the Triangle area of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill in North Carolina.
The track features Lauren on solo, Brian on VP, and arrangement by Dave.
We want to send out a huge amount of love to all who were involved with the process.  The track was recorded, edited, and mixed by Charlie Friday and Amanda Aldag with Clear Harmonies Productions, and mastered by Dave Sperandio.  This wonderful album art (larger version ) features original artwork and design by the talented Ray Wu .
Download it today!
Auditions – Tenors
January 18th, 2013
Want to be the newest talented member of Cog Res? We are auditioning for a new Tenor, and we’re looking for a singer who is:
controlled, has range, and is capable of superior ensemble blending
comfortable on solos and capable of performing with a strong stage presence
a solid musician able to learn new music quickly
ready for a serious commitment and dedicated to rehearsing weekly and practicing on their own time
willing to travel to regional/national events
Previous a cappella experience, leadership experience, vocal percussion, and arranging skills are all definite bonuses. We rehearse on Wednesday nights in Western Raleigh, are a proud member of the Contemporary A Cappella League, and our current repertoire ranges from current Top 40 hits to indie gems to classic favorites.
Feel like we’re talking about you? E-mail us at auditions@cogresvocals.com to schedule an audition. We look forward to hearing from you!
Cognitive Resonance VoCAL Nation Recap
July 24th, 2012
This is the story of eight young vocalists on a quest to hear, learn, and sing a cappella music at VoCAL Nation, the annual festival for the Contemporary A cappella League.
Intro
Due to an oversight by the van rental company, getting out of Raleigh by our target time of 9am didn’t happen. However, once we packed up the van (and after a quick drive-through breakfast) we were on the road headed for Washington DC. I know what you are thinking, “eight people heading to an a cappella festival, they probably sang all the way.” And you would be wrong. In fact not a note was sung all the way to DC. The trip up was equal parts sleeping, discussing internet memes, our jobs, and the importance of the Oxford comma. Keep in mind that we being such a young group, this adventure was the first time that all eight of us would have to spend any long stretch of time together not intently focused on rehearsing. We stopped at the Wegmans in Fredricksburg, VA, which I must say, impressed all of us Wegmans virgins in the group.
Pre-showcase
Our original plan had been to check into the hotel first, freshen up, change into our gig clothes and then go to the venue. However, our late start combined with DC traffic at 4pm on a Friday made that a risky idea. We might not have made it back in time to perform. So we instead agreed to head straight to the venue for sound check.
When we arrived at the Arlington Temple United Methodist Church, parking was not easy to find. The height of the van prevented us from parking in the nearby decks. Thanks to a very generous church staff member we scored a parking spot in the church lot. This provided the perfect base of operations for the rest of the evening. There was a Gold’s gym directly across the street that offered a day-pass for $7.50. This gave us the opportunity to shower and change into performance attire.
We went to sound check and spent a good 15 minutes getting used to the stage and the sound of the room. Due to the acoustics of the room, we all had to recalibrate our internal timing to account for the echo in the room. A little disconcerting, but that’s what sound checks are for. Later, we all assembled in a nursery room to warm up and attempt to stay calm. We were sounding pretty good and there was a relaxed mood throughout the group.
Singing at the CAL Showcase
Other than some buggy microphones, our performance went extremely well. The links here are to YouTube recordings of our performance. We opened with Bottom of the River by Delta Rae, followed by Find My Way Home by The Gabe Dixon Band and ended with Cosmic Love by Florence + the Machine. Our soloists killed it and we all had a lot of fun.
The showcase gave us all a chance to see what our fellow CAL groups were up to. All the groups had a lot to offer and a spectrum of styles and talent was on display. The afterparty at Continental Pool Lounge was a great opportunity to meet and mingle with our fellow vocalists.
Workshops and Professional Showcase
The workshops on Saturday were extremely insightful. The highlight for us was the master class for our group taught by Barry Carl and Lindsey Chismark. Their advice on how to gel better as a group as well as key corrections in our technique were very helpful.
Professional Showcase
What a fun time! Vox Pop from DC opened and were followed by The Glue from Switzerland. I don’t even know how to categorize the sound from The Glue but I won’t soon forget it. After intermission, Afro Blue Vocal Band came on an performed many of their hits from The Sing Off. They didn’t miss a beat and were cheered by all including what seemed like a very large contingent of Howard University alums in the audience. The featured group of the evening, Cluster, then took the stage and from the opening note performed with style and agility. Their beat-box battle culminating in a virtual vocal turntable was mind-blowing to say the least.
Outro
As we all piled into the van to come home we were still on a huge ‘aca-high’ from the weekend. We were full of ideas for how we could improve our sound and were encouraged by all of the positive feedback we received from our performance. The trip home was uneventful and included some singing, some sleeping, and more internet memes.
-John Hollingsworth, Bass
Cog Res visits DC for Vocalnation!
July 17th, 2012
This past weekend, we had the pleasure of travelling to Washington DC to perform at Vocalnation 2012! Â We had a blast. Â Thank you so much for the amazing event!
We’re auditioning!
May 3rd, 2012
Want to be the newest talented member of Cog Res? We are auditioning all voices, and we’re looking for singers who are:
flexible on voice parts and capable of superior ensemble blending
comfortable on solos and capable of performing with a strong stage presence
solid musicians able to learn new music quickly
ready for a serious commitment and dedicated to rehearsing weekly and practicing on their own time
willing to travel to regional/national events
Previous a cappella experience, leadership experience, vocal percussion, and arranging skills are all definite bonuses. We rehearse on Wednesday nights in Western Raleigh, are a proud member of the Contemporary A Cappella League, and our current repertoire ranges from current Top 40 hits to indie gems to classic favorites.
Cognitive Resonance had an amazing time this past weekend attending Sojam A Cappella Festival in Durham, NC. Â Many thanks to Amanda Aldag and Tom Keyes of CASA for the expert coaching during our masterclass on Saturday!
We’re Auditioning!
August 24th, 2011
We’ll be holding auditions on Sept. 10th, 2011! See the main page for more information.
Welcome New Members!
August 5th, 2011
Welcome to our newest members Brian Watts (Baritone/Tenor) and Kristen Clyburn (Alto)!
Website Refresh
March 4th, 2011
You might notice that things look…a little different around here . We’ve completely overhauled the website, and will slowly be rolling out more content, including audio, video, and photos, as well as more extensive member bio information. Please feel free to send us any feedback by clicking “Contact Us” at the very bottom of the page.
Our Members!
January 8th, 2011
We are excited and extremely proud to announce our roster of talented, passionate, and downright classy members: Misa Kajikawa, Kristin Sroka, Lacie Scofield, Lauren Thomason, Misty Jording, Mike Maykish, Kyle Hughes, Ed Corey, Duane Donders, John Hollingsworth and Directors, Jenn Fiduccia and Dave Sroka. Rehearsals start next week – we can’t wait! Stay tuned for a massive overhaul to the site, including member bios and pics!
"Of all the a cappella Meetups in all the world..."
In early 2010, fate threw together two people passionate about contemporary a cappella music. After watching the first season of "The Sing Off," Co-Founders Dave Sroka and Jenn Fiduccia coincidentally ended up at the same Meetup for a newly-forming Raleigh-based group. Quickly realizing that they shared the same passion for contemporary a cappella and fervor for producing high-quality music, the pair quickly moved to start a new mixed group.
"Smart a cappella."
Armed with over thirty combined years of musical experience, including Dave’s penchant for interesting arrangements and Jenn’s background in vocal performance, a plan for a new contemporary a cappella group in the collegiate style with a professional sound was hatched. With an emphasis on delivering a quality performance while still being entertaining, the group would be both rewarding for its members while challenging them musically. Thus, late in 2010, Cognitive Resonance was born and registered as an official member of the Contemporary A Cappella League (CAL.)
The Cogs
Kristin Sroka
Voice Part
Soprano
College
Group
Virginia Tech Soulstice
Hometown
Raleigh, NC
Day Job
Chemical Engineer in environmental regulatory development
Hobbies that aren't singing with Cog Res
Color Guard, Cross stitch
First tape/cd/album purchased
Kylie Minogue, "Kylie"
Lauren Thomason
Voice Part
Alto
College
Group
UNC Psalm 100
Hometown
Davidson, NC
Day Job
Child Counselor
Hobbies that aren't singing with Cog Res
Hip Hop, Zumba
First tape/cd/album purchased
Ace of Base, "The Sign"
Although Lauren, the self-proclaimed "big kid," had dabbled with many different instruments (piano, guitar, mandolin,) she got her a cappella start at UNC with Psalm 100 where she sang both soprano and alto, and even threw down some beatboxing on a few songs. Since then, she has been leading worship at church and occasionally laying down vocal tracks for friends" recording projects. Lauren loves her job working as a children"s counselor because she gets paid to not only help kids and make a difference, but to play all day! To unwind, she dances, visits the beach, and enjoys singing mean karaoke duets with Ed. Lauren always shows up to rehearsal in her Birkenstocks with a shining smile and a great attitude even on the worst days - she is our resident "ray of sunshine."
Director Dave Sroka has been involved with musical performance nearly his entire life, starting with piano at age four, and moving through what seems like every instrumentation group since then. In college he sang with Virginia Tech"s Early Music Ensemble and sadly short-lived Camerata chamber ensemble. Dave fell in love with contemporary a cappella in college, irritating even his aca-friends with how much he wanted to discuss the form. In addition to Cognitive Resonance, Dave enjoys singing with Cantari, a select classical vocal ensemble based in Chapel Hill, NC, running very long distances because he"s crazy, and nerding out over games, books, and roller coasters.
John Hollingsworth
Voice Part
Bass
College
UNC Charlotte
Hometown
Taylorsville, NC
Day Job
IT Manager
Hobbies that aren't singing with Cog Res
Playing disc golf
First tape/cd/album purchased
AC/DC, "Back In Black"
John grew up in a musical family where everyone sang and played instruments. Although not as talented but easily as cute as the Von Trapps, the family would perform in church and in the community. Later as a bona fide "band geek" in his senior year of high school (Trumpet; everything else is just accompaniment), John was asked by Ron Vannoy, the choral director, to try out for the 16-voice Chamber Choir. He was accepted and had an absolute blast performing a cappella music. After singing in the university choirs at NC State and UNC-Charlotte, John went into a cappella hibernation. But that old black of singing had John in its spell. Over the next decade-ish, karaoke nights would often find John letting his inner crooner out. After his 35th trip around the sun, the spell was finally in full force. After singing for a few seasons with larger choirs in the Triangle area, John was delighted to find Cognitive Resonance.
Brian Watts
Voice Part
Baritone/Tenor/VP
College
Group
NCSU Acappology, Duke Rhythm and Blue
Hometown
Day Job
Hobbies that aren't singing with Cog Res
First tape/cd/album purchased
Brian Watts has been singing in various ensembles since age nine. Before graduating from NC State University, Brian sang with both the Concert Choir and Acappology. He was the music director of Acappology for three years and helped to release the group's first album in 10 years. While attending graduate school at Duke University, Brian sang with Rhythm and Blue for two years, during which time the group won the SoJam 2010 Collegiate Competition and received several CARA and ACA nominations.
. We’ve completely overhauled the website, and will slowly be rolling out more content, including audio, video, and photos, as well as more extensive member bio information. Please feel free to send us any feedback by clicking “Contact Us” at the very bottom of the page.
Booking
Follow us!