CLC News The news and events from Central Lakes College
Grammy Award-winning vocal group Tonic Sol-Fa will present their holiday show ‘I Still Believe’ on Thursday December 21 in the Tornstrom Auditorium. The 7:30 p.m. show is part of the Central Lakes Community Performing Arts Center’s Cultural Arts Series.
Tonic Sol-Fa has established itself not only as the most in-demand vocal group in the Midwest, but also one of the most successful independent acts in America. With sales of over 2,000,000 copies of their 10 CD’s, the group has toured extensively throughout the US and abroad. They perform approximately 100 concerts a year across 48 states to a combined audience of over 250,000 people. ‘I Still Believe’ is part of a sold-out 25 city holiday tour in the Midwest.
Tonic Sol-Fa began at St. John’s University in Central Minnesota and includes lead vocalist Shaun Johnson, tenor and vocal percussionist, Greg Bannwarth, and bass, Jared Dove. Together the group reached national prominence with appearances on NBC’s Today Show and in Newsweek magazine. Along the way, they shared the stage with a number of recognizable performers including Jay Leno, Jeff Foxworthy and Lonestar, and were recently part of Garrison Keillor’s 30th Anniversary celebration of A Prairie Home Companion.
The group has 3 PBS television specials: ‘Christmas,’ ‘If I Dream,’ and ‘Greatest Time of Year.’
Last year Tonic Sol-Fa released two albums: “Original,” and “30K”, a holiday offering. These releases added to a catalog of numerous award-winning DVD and CD projects highlighting three indelible voices. This outstanding blend has resulted in multiple Contemporary A cappella Recording Awards, NACA (National Association of Collegiate Activities) Entertainer of the Year nominations, considerable national press, and has landed their music on the best-selling seasonal DVD at Wal-Mart, The 12 Dogs of Christmas.
Further, Tonic Sol-Fa released their third television holiday special in 2010, which aired over 1800 times in forty-seven states and Canada.
In late 2010, Tonic Sol-Fa won its first Emmy in the “Musical Composition/Arrangement” category for a song performed in a Toys for Tots PSA (Public Service Announcement). TSF recently won two Independent Grammys for Best Original Holiday Song and Best Pop Song out of 650,000 entries worldwide. Tonic Sol-Fa’s original songs, arrangements and albums have won numerous contemporary a cappella awards for best pop album, gospel song and Christmas original, have been featured on television and in movies and have garnered numerous positive national reviews.
Philanthropic efforts include: collaborations with Be the Match foundation and the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” effort, contributions to breast cancer research for every pre-ordered copy of “Boston to Beijing,” radio drive appearances for Gillette Children’s Hospital, Music in the Schools Fundraisers and Master Classes, American Red Cross Disaster Relief and numerous other charities as noted on PlasticSanta.org, the non-profit arm of Tonic Sol-Fa.
The group has performed the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ for national Republican and Democratic events, former presidents, the Minnesota Twins, the Chicago Bears, the NY Mets, the National 4th of July Celebration at Mount Rushmore, the Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota Lynx and the Saint Paul Saints to name a few.
TSF was inducted into the Midwest Music Hall of Fame. Tonic Sol-Fa was voted by Campus Activities Magazine as “One of the top five ‘MUST SEE’ groups in America.” The New York Times described Tonic Sol-Fa’s sound as “A vocal kaleidoscope…unique to the human voice.”
Tickets for Tonic Sol-Fa’s holiday show are available from the CLC Box Office at (218) 855-8199 or online at www.clcperformingarts.com
The performance is sponsored by Essentia Health, the Central Lakes College Foundation, and Prairie Bay Grill and Catering. The entire Performing Arts season is made possible in part by an operating grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board as part of the Legacy Amendment.
