Amid JMU’s numerous a cappella groups, The BluesTones is an award-winning, all-female, upper-voices group, founded in 1999, that fosters sisterhood and musical connection.
“I loved the movie Pitch Perfect when I was in elementary school, and that’s how I discovered college a cappella,” said Grace Lastova (’25), a Bachelor of Arts in Media Arts and Design and Music Industry minor. “When I decided to go to JMU, I started researching a cappella groups, and I found The BluesTones. I watched their music videos and listened to their albums before I began my freshman year. When auditions were announced, I signed up.”
The audition process for The BluesTones is unique compared to other a cappella groups at Madison. Every member has to say “yes” to allow a new member to join the group; if one person says no, the person won’t be admitted. “It really keeps the integrity of the group alive,” said Ani Dykes, a junior Health Sciences major. “We are all very good singers, and there’s a reason why every single person was voted in unanimously.”
The BluesTones performs two concerts per semester. They also do a few smaller gigs in the fall and a couple in the spring. Their smaller performances are normally in the Harrisonburg area at Clementine Cafe, on-campus events and workshops at the local elementary schools. Dykes said their goal is to put on two performances a month. The group practices five to six hours weekly, with additional time allocated to performances.
“We’re all a very diverse group of girls who probably wouldn’t have met if it wasn’t for this one thing that brought us together,” Dykes said. “We’re all very, very close. They’re honestly my best friends, and I know every single one of them would say the exact same thing. It’s just a genuine connection that is like no other.
“I connect really well with girls, and that was something I was looking for going into auditions,” she added. “I wanted a girl group, and I think that plays a role in how special our bond is.”
Dykes serves as the public relations chair for The BluesTones executive board. She manages the group’s social media accounts and website, and she produces their merch and other promotional materials.
She says her favorite song that she’s performed with the group was a cover of the Barbara Streisand and Donna Summer song No More Tears (Enough Is Enough), from the group’s most recent album, All I See.
“Our biggest tradition is that we do an album every two years and do different concert themes. We try to keep things fun and make sure we’re still pushing out music for our album,” Dykes said.
The BluesTones holds a big anniversary concert every five years, in which members from different eras perform their best two songs. Lastova says she’s excited for the group’s upcoming 30th anniversary. “I built a super strong sisterhood of girls who just love music and pop culture, so we had a lot of shared interests,” she said. “I became best friends with all of the girls and it gave me such a community at JMU.”
“Now going into my senior year, I’ll be the oldest member,” Dykes said. “I hope to provide my wisdom and experience of what has worked the last couple years on to the future of BT.”
