Melanie - Shelley - Luke - Lindsay - Andrew
Blue Notion, began in early 2009, as a quartet. After singing through some charts, the group decided that they lacked in something, and that to expand their repertoire and to explore more exciting arrangements and styles they needed a Tenor voice. Lindsay Ondracek was an instant hit, as well as having a luxurious Tenor voice, and fitted in perfectly with the group. His arrival in late April, added his mellow tones to the already vibrant mix.
Blue Notion then proceeded to work on what is now their standard material, with a mix of international and Australian arrangements, as well as their own material. They had the opportunity very early on to work with one of Australia's finest acapella outfits, The Idea Of North.
They brought the ideas and techniques from this workshop to the Eisteddfod by the Bay, at Mordialloc. After taking out third place at this competition, they caught the eye of Melbourne's own Suade, an all male acapella group who had won the Eisteddfod. This resulted in Suade inviting Blue Notion (then known as the Bathtets) to be a supporting act for one of their shows. This as well as being a fabulous opportunity for Blue Notion also cemented the two groups' friendship.
The concert, held at Chapel off Chapel in Melbourne, featured a set from each group as well as two collaborative pieces, 'Sound Of Silence', the well known Simon and Garfunkel ballad, and a haunting rendition of Tears for Fears' 'Mad World'. The concert was very well received with the venue packed out, and a standing ovation.
After jamming it up with Suade, Blue Notion settled into the task of learning new music, concentrating on some original arrangements and compositions. This didn't stop them from taking first prize in the prestigious South Street Eisteddfod. This performance in Ballarat's Her Majesty's Theatre scored them a 95 out of 100, and was quoted as being “an example to youth acapella groups in Australia” by the adjudicator, and was very well received by the enthusiastic audience.
From concerts, to competitions, to original music, Blue Notion had a busy year so far, and it was not easing up. Two members of Blue Notion had to sit their final VCE exams, and Blue Notion had to stop performing for two whole months. This allowed them to concentrate on putting together the groundwork for their most ambitious project to date, their very own CD.
This CD, titled Blue Notion, was released at the culmination of the group's year at their Christmas Concert at St Alf's. This concert, was, as well as the launch of their first CD, the launch of their new name 'Blue Notion'. The concert was a resounding success, and as a fund-raising concert, provided Blue Notion with a solid base to begin thinking about their future.