ABOUT US
Introducing Jessie, Angela, Jo, Lily, and Mel, the extraordinary talent behind Musae, America's top Female Vocal Band. With a remarkable journey that began in 2011, these dynamic individuals have graced television screens, captivating audiences on shows like NBC's The Sing-Off and Pop Network's Sing It On, while also achieving recognition at the ICCA Finals. Musae has proudly headlined illustrious music festivals both domestically and internationally, including The Hong Kong A Cappella Festival, London A Cappella Festival, Taiwan Spring Vocal Fest, Boston Sings, The National A Cappella Convention, SoJam Festival, Kettering A Cappella Festival, Los Angeles A Cappella Fest, and many more!
Not limited to their awe-inspiring performances, Musae members have proven their prowess in songwriting, audio engineering, and producing chart-topping tracks for esteemed artists across the globe. Beyond their own success, they are dedicated to nurturing the next generation of artists and performers, offering inspirational and industry-leading workshops aimed at reaching and enlightening young talents.
Musae stands at the forefront of the female vocal band scene, continuously pushing boundaries, and delivering unforgettable experiences through their unrivaled artistry.
Jessie Litwin
Jessie’s love of a cappella began in elementary school and continued through high school and college, where she sang with the award-winning group, The Nor’easters. During her time in the group, they placed first at SoJam A Cappella Festival (2012), ICCA Finals (2013), and returned to ICCA Finals in 2015! She was president of the group while they filmed Pop Network's “Sing It On” which aired on Netflix in 2015. Jessie has been a member of Musae since 2017 and is so grateful for the opportunity to sing and travel the world with her best friends sharing music.
Aside from her musical experience with a cappella, Jessie is a solo alt-folk singer-songwriter and has played tours and shows of her own around the country as well as recording and releasing solo music for your listening pleasure! Jessie currently lives in Providence, Rhode Island, but loves to travel to see her friends all over the country as often as possible. Everywhere she goes, you can find her with her Mini Aussie pup, Hendrix whose favorite trick is to spin in circles endlessly for a treat and loves a good 3-hour fetch sesh.
Angela Ugolini
Angela Ugolini began her a cappella career at Florida State University, where she directed the award-winning all-female group, AcaBelles, and led the ladies to ICCA Finals in 2009 as the South Regional Champions. After graduating, Angela relocated to New York City and studied audio production at SAE Institute of Technology. There, she also sang with the CAL group, The Red States (now known as Restated,) and co-founded a new all-female CAL group, Empire.
Angela currently lives in Boston MA, where she spends her time singing with Musae, playing with her dogs, studying at Harvard, and training for marathons. She is also the CEO of the a cappella production team, The Vocal Company. Her work has been nominated for over 150 CARAs and earned compilation placements on SING, BOCA, BOHSA, Voices Only, and Voices Only Forte. Oh, and her work was featured on a Matt Damon movie... so cool!
Johanna Vinson
Jo got her start in a cappella with University of Oregon's Divisi in 2011, where they went on to win the first ever Wild Card round for the ICCA. Outside of Musae, Jo also performed with Delilah on season 3 of "The Sing-Off," with Element on season 4, as well is the only female member to ever have been a part of Boston-based a cappella group, Overboard.
She is the voice of the lady bass in the movie Pitch Perfect 2, and was a director at A Cappella Academy, the prestigious summer camp in Los Angeles founded by friends Ben Bram, Rob Dietz, and Avi Kaplan. Jo regularly travels the world performing and teaching, both with her groups and privately. When she's home in Houston, she manages a music studio and arranges for many a cappella groups across the world.
Lily Thompson
Lily’s journey through music began at an early age, but her love for a Cappella was cultivated at the University of Central Florida as a member and director of Gemini blvd. During her time on the executive leadership team for Gemini blvd (fondly known as Gb), she earned 9 special awards from various competitions. These awards include 5 outstanding arrangements, 3 outstanding soloist, and 1 outstanding soprano (her personal favorite).
In the midst of her final semester of college, she moved from Orlando, Florida to Las Vegas, Nevada to begin her career in the food and beverage industry. She is currently studying for the Certified Sommelier Examination through the Court of Master Sommeliers Americas, and hopes to begin professionally serving up some rad vino in November of 2020. She plans to continue her education with a Master’s of Management in Hospitality. Aside from slowly turning into a raisin in the Nevada desert, Lily’s hobbies include crocheting blankets, reading books about wine or crime (or both, hopefully), going to the gym, and spending too much money at Target.
Mel Daneke
You can take the girl out of Jersey (currently, Austin, TX), but you can’t take the Jersey out of the girl. Mel Daneke is a contemporary vocal performer, producer, and music instructor. She graduated from Ithaca College in December of 2013 with a B.M. in Vocal Performance, minor in Audio Production, and also studied Music Education. While in college she performed in three of her own conceptual recitals Operas, Choral and Percussion Ensembles, and Steel Band. While at Ithaca, Mel was the conductor, arranger, and choreographer of a cappella group, Premium Blend. Her credits also include training at the International Performance Arts Institute in Kiefersfelden, Germany.
Mel’s passion for music continues through teaching and sharing her musical knowledge. With an extensive knowledge of vocal techniques, styles, and pedagogy, she specializes in in-studio coaching and masterclasses. Her workshops have been featured at festivals across the U.S. and abroad. Mel also performs with the vocal band, Six Appeal.
As the owner and primary producer of Viridian Productions, Mel focuses on creating new sounds produced from the human voice. Her works and Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award-nominated/winning production has appeared on various compilations. Her work stems from a love of percussion, vocal, and electronic music.
In her free time, you can catch her reading about the universe, playing Zelda, or playing in Austin Escola de Samba.
LISTEN
LISTEN TO MORE TUNES
WATCH
MAGIC
March 2021 / Sing From Home
Don’t let me down
04.08.2017 / Boston Sings Festival (BOSS)
Want to get In touch?
Bookings & Inquiries: Complete this form or email musaevocal@gmail.com
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